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Background: Clinical evidence has shown frequent hypogonadism following mitotane (MTT) treatment in male patients with adrenocortical carcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of MTT on male gonadal function. Methods: Morphological analysis of testes and testosterone assays were performed on adult CD1 MTT-treated and untreated mice. The expression of key genes involved in interstitial and tubular compartments was studied by real-time PCR. Moreover, quantitative and qualitative analysis of spermatozoa was performed. Results: Several degrees of damage to the testes and a significant testosterone reduction in MTT-treated mice were observed. A significant decline in 3βHsd1 and Insl3 mRNA expression in the interstitial compartment confirmed an impairment of androgen production. Fsh-R mRNA expression was unaffected by MTT, proving that Sertoli cells are not the drug’s primary target. Sperm concentrations were significantly lower in MTT-treated animals. Moreover, the drug caused a significant increase in the percentage of spermatozoa with abnormal chromatin structures. Conclusion: MTT negatively affects the male reproductive system, including changes in the morphology of testicular tissue and reductions in sperm concentration and quality.

Background: The improvement of beta thalassaemia treatments has led to an increase in life expectancy. This implies the emergence of new comorbidities. Amongst others, endocrine glands are extremely sensitive to iron overload. Objective: We aimed to understand the impact of the endocrine conditions on the patient’s quality of life (QOL). Results: Hypogonadism may present with lack or delay of pubertal development, sexual dysfunctions and impaired fertility, which impact QOL in both sexes. Early recognition and treatment, as well as choosing the most appropriate therapy, according to patient’s needs (fertility, pubertal development, psychological concerns, comorbidities), are advisable. Osteoporosis affects QOL irrespective of symptoms. Growth hormone deficiency may occur both in childhood and in adulthood, and it affects different aspects of QOL. In adults, it could be difficult to examine if the symptoms are due to GHD, and a trial of GH replacement could be useful to identify benefits and needs. Glucose metabolism impairment is common in thalassaemic patients and early recognition is mandatory because long-term complications can have a detrimental impact on QOL (as blindness or dialysis). Although the incidence of adrenal insufficiency seems to be rare in thalassaemic patients, when it occurs, it has a severe impact on QOL. Conclusion: Limited data is available on QOL in thalassaemic patients, and is even less related to endocrinopathies. We can speculate that endocrinopathies have an impact on everyday life. More studies are needed to allow our patients to achieve not just a longer life but also a better quality of life.

Acromegaly is a rare disease. Improvements in lifespan in these patients have recently been reported due to transsphenoidal surgery (TSS), advances in medical therapy, and strict criteria for defining disease remission. This document reports the opinions of a group of Italian experts who have gathered together their prolonged clinical experience in the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of acromegaly patients. Both GH and IGF-I (only IGF-I in those treated with Pegvisomant) are needed in the diagnosis and follow-up. Comorbidities (cardio-cerebrovascular disease, sleep apnea, metabolic derangement, neoplasms, and bone/joint disease) should be specifically addressed. Any newly diagnosed patient should be referred to a multidisciplinary team experienced in the treatment of pituitary adenomas.

The lack of an effective medical treatment for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) has prompted the search for better treatment protocols for ACC neoplasms. Sorafenib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor has exhibited effectiveness in the treatment of different human tumors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand the mechanism through which sorafenib acts on ACC, especially since treatment with sorafenib alone is sometimes unable to induce a long-lasting antiproliferative effect in this tumor type. The effects of sorafenib were tested on the ACC cell line H295R by evaluating cell viability, apoptosis and VEGF receptor signaling which was assessed by analyzing VE-cadherin and β-catenin complex formation. We also tested sorafenib on an in vitro 3D cell culture model using the same cell line. Apoptosis was observed after sorafenib treatment, and coimmunoprecipitation data suggested that the drug prevents formation VEGFR-VE-cadherin and β-catenin proteins complex. These results were confirmed both by ultrastructural analysis and by a 3D model where we observed a disaggregation of spheres into single cells, which is a crucial event that represents the first step of metastasis. Our findings suggest that although sorafenib induces apoptotic cell death a small portion of cells survive the treatment and have characteristics of a malignancy. Based on our data we recommend against the use of sorafenib in patients with ACC.

Aim Bone fragility is increasingly recognized as a relevant complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and diabetic patients with fragility fractures have higher mortality rates than non diabetic individuals or diabetic patients without fractures. However, current diagnostic approaches for fracture risk stratification, such as bone mineral density measurement or the use of risk assessment algorithms, largely underestimate fracture risk in T2D patients. A multidisciplinary expert panel was established in order to in order to formulate clinical consensus recommendations on bone health assessment and management of fracture risk in patients with T2D. Data synthesis The following key questions were addressed: a) which are the risk factors for bone fragility in T2D?, b) which diagnostic procedures can be currently used to stratify fracture risk in T2D patients?, c) which are the effects of antidiabetic treatments on bone?, and d) how to prevent and treat bone fragility in T2D patients? Based on the available data members of this panel suggest that the stratification of fracture risk in patients with diabetes should firstly rely on the presence of a previous fragility fracture and on the individual risk profile, with the inclusion of T2D-specific risk factors (namely T2D duration above 10 yrs, presence of chronic T2D complications, use of insulin or thiazolidinediones and persistent HbA1c levels above 8% for at least 1 year). Two independent diagnostic approaches were then suggested in the presence or the absence of a prevalent fragility fracture, respectively. Conclusions Clinical trials in T2D patients at risk for fragility fractures are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of available antiresorptive and anabolic agents in this specific setting.

Biochemical function of adrenal masses is currently based on 1mg post-overnight dexamethasone suppression test (pDST). Several approaches are recently developed, in order to reduce false positive/negative samples, only in retrospective series. They are based on the correlation of some different parameters, i.e. late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC) vs serum and salivary cortisol pDST; LNSC vs serum and salivary cortisol and serum dexamethasone pDST; LNSC and cortisone vs serum cortisol and salivary cortisol and cortisone pDST. Although these findings offer a better diagnostic performance, several conditions are still disappointed. No information is traceable about the harvest time of diurnal salivary and serum samples and no study include neither the levels of salivary nor urinary dexamethasone pDST. Aim of our study is to combine all these strategies in order to avoid the underestimated biases and obtain more precise information about the true “cortisol condition” of the patients. To reach this purpose we assess both cortisol and dexamethasone concentrations in several samples: saliva at 11PM before the drug administration, diurnal saliva and serum at 8AM and also the urine collection from 11PM to 8AM. Analytes levels are measured using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. In this study we included 20 subjects without morphological adrenal alteration (MRI assessment), dyslipidemia, hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance (healthy controls) and 20 patients with adrenal incidentaloma showing different cortisol levels ranging from normal to ACTH-independent hypercortisolism. In both series, LNSC were similar to salivary cortisol pDST, even if they were greater in the patients with adrenal incidentalomas and subclinical cortisol secretion. Serum dexamethasone levels were in reference ranges, while salivary and urinary dexamethasone found in these matrices require additional sample numbers in order to establish appropriate cut-offs. Our preliminary results suggest that the combination of these findings could represent an improvement to assess the individual cortisol status.

During the last decades, an important modification of dietary habits has been observed in the Mediterranean countries, especially among young people. The aim of this study was to evaluate adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and its relationship with weight status in a group of Italian middle school adolescents by using the KIDMED test. The evaluation of weight status revealed that 61.5, 26.8, and 11.7% were normal weight, overweight, and obese, respectively. MedDiet adherence was high in 13.3%, average in 27.1%, and low in 59.6% of the students with no differences by gender and age. MedDiet adherence was found significatively higher in normal weight and in played sport adolescents, in comparison to the overweight and obese ones (

Any newly diagnosed patient should be referred to a multidisciplinary team experienced in the treatment of pituitary adenomas. The therapeutic management of acromegaly always requires a personalized strategy. Normal age-matched IGF-I values are the treatment goal. Transsphenoidal surgery by an expert neurosurgeon is the primary treatment modality for most patients, especially if there are neurological complications. In patients with poor clinical conditions or who refuse surgery, primary medical treatment should be offered, firstly with somatostatin analogs (SSAs). In patients who do not reach hormonal targets with first-generation depot SSAs, a second pharmacological option with pasireotide LAR or pegvisomant (alone or combined with SSA) should be offered. Irradiation could be proposed to patients with surgical remnants who would like to be free from long-term medical therapies or those with persistent disease activity or tumor growth despite surgery or medical therapy. Since the therapeutic tools available enable therapeutic targets to be achieved in most cases, the challenge is to focus more on the quality of life.

Background Conventional tools for medical education are burdened by many drawbacks. Textbooks become rapidly outdated, meeting attendance is expensive, and results reported in journals are not easily suitable for clinical practice. Uptodate and Endotext are excellent online tools, but they have been developed for a clinical context far different from that of our country. Methodology Italian Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AME) charged a task force aiming to develop an educational tool specifically tailored for Italian clinical endocrinologists. Required characteristics were clinical approach, modularity, continuous updating, full online availability (even by mobile devices), open sections and sections for registered members only, opportunity for individualization, indexing and search engine to facilitate browsing. Starting from an open-source platform, Joomla, several changes were implemented. Results Three editors, 2 central editorial secretaries, 30 section coordinators and over 350 authors have been involved in the writing of 21 different sections covering all fields of endocrine and metabolic diseases. The access to Endowiki is free for AME members and is fully open in sections for patients. All readers are requested to serve as referee, pointing to mistakes and need for revision. The system is attended daily by a mean of 250 individuals. Conclusions Endowiki stands alone as an opportunity for medical education in Italy. The big challenges will be the continuous updating and the link to the national certified system for CME.

OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy induces changes in thyroid function, and thyroid dysfunction during gestation is associated with adverse outcomes. We examined the management of subclinical hypothyroidism and chronic autoimmune thyroiditis in pregnancy among Italian and Romanian endocrinologists. METHODS: Members of the Associazione Medici Endocrinologi (AME) and Romanian Society of Endocrinology (RSE) were invited to participate in a web-based survey investigating the topic. RESULTS: A total of 902 individuals participated in the survey, 759 of whom completed all sections. Among the respondents, 85.1% were aware of the 2017 American Thyroid Association guidelines about thyroid disease and pregnancy, and 82.9% declared that thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) screening at the beginning of pregnancy should be warranted. In a patient negative for peroxidase antibodies, 53.6% considered 2.5 mIU/L and 26.2% considered 4.0 mIU/L as the upper normal limit of TSH, and 50% would treat a patient with TSH 3.5 mIU/L with levothyroxine. About 20% did not suggest iodine supplementation. Isolated hypothyroxinemia detected in the first trimester would be treated by 40.8%. In patients undergoing ovarian stimulation, a TSH < 2.5 mIU/L would be targeted by 70%. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents globally appeared well informed about the management of thyroid autoimmunity and subclinical hypothyroidism in pregnancy. A more aggressive attitude in implementing iodine supplementation would be desirable. Most endocrinologists were convinced about an evident association between mild thyroid impairment and adverse outcomes in pregnancy, thus using a TSH value of 2.5 mIU/L as the threshold for diagnosing hypothyroidism and starting levothyroxine in pregnant women.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy with an incidence ranging from 0.7 to 2.0 cases/million people per year. Hypercortisolism represents the most common clinical presentation in many patients although, less frequently, some ACC secreting androgens and estrogens are even more pathognomonic compared to cortisol secretion. Currently, radical surgery, when feasible, is still the only curative therapy. Mitotane, an adrenolytic drug, is used in the adjuvant setting and in combination with chemotherapy drugs in metastatic disease. The use of radiotherapy remains controversial, being indicated only in selected cases. New targeted therapies, such as insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), mammalian-target of rapamycin (m-TOR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors and others, have recently been investigated with disappointing clinical results. The partial effectiveness of current treatments mandates the need for new therapeutic strategies against this tumor.

Mitotane (MTT) is an adrenolytic drug used in adjuvant and advanced treatments of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Ionizing radiation (IR) is also used in adrenal cancer treatment, even though its biological action remains unknown. To provide a reliable in vivo preclinical model of ACC, we used mouse xenografts bearing human ACC to test the effects of MTT and IR alone and in combination. We evaluated tumor growth inhibition by the RECIST criteria and analyzed the cell cycle by flow cytometry (FCM). In the xenograft ACC model treated with MTT/IR in combination, we observed a marked inhibition of tumor growth, with strong tumor regression (p &lt, 0.0001) compared to MTT and IR given alone (p &lt, 0.05). The MTT results confirm its antisteroidogenic activity (p &lt, 0.05) in the xenograft ACC model, revealing its ability to render cancer cells more prone to radiotherapy treatment. In addition, to explain the biological effect of these treatments on the Mismatch Repair System (MMR), we interfered with the MSH2 gene expression in untreated and MTT/IR-treated H295R and SW13 cell lines. Moreover, we observed that upon treatment with MTT/IR to induce DNA damage, MSH2 gene inhibition in both the H295R and SW13 cell lines did not allow DNA damage repair, thus inducing cell death. In conclusion, MTT seems to have a radiosensitizing property and, when given in combination with IR, is able to promote neoplastic growth inhibition, leading to a significant reduction in tumor size due to cell death.

Introduction: Paraganglioma (PGL) is a rare neuroendocrine tumor. Currently, the malignancy is defined as the presence of metastatic spread at presentation or during follow-up. Several gene mutations are listed in the pathogenesis of PGL, among which succinate dehydrogenase (SDHX), particularly the SDHB isoform, is the main gene involved in malignancy. A 55-year-old male without evidence of catecholamine secretion had surgery for PGL of the urinary bladder. After 1 year, he showed a relapse of disease and demonstrated malignant PGL without evidence of catecholamine secretion with a germline heterozygous mutation of succinate dehydrogenase B (SDHB). After failure of a second surgery for relapse, he started medical treatment with sunitinib daily but discontinued due to serious side effects. Cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dacarbazine (CVD) chemotherapeutic regimen stopped the disease progression for 7 months. Conclusion: Malignant PGL is a very rare tumor, and SDHB mutations must be always considered in molecular diagnosis because they represent a critical event in the progression of the oncological disease. Currently, there are few therapeutic protocols, and it is often difficult, as this case demonstrates, to decide on a treatment option according to a reasoned set of choices.

Well-established criteria for evaluating the response to treatment and the appropriate followup of individual patients are critical in clinical oncology. The current evidence-based data on these issues in terms of the management of gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are unfortunately limited. This document by the Italian Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AME) on the criteria for the follow-up of GEP-NEN patients is aimed at providing comprehensive recommendations for everyday clinical practice based on both the best available evidence and the combined opinion of an interdisciplinary panel of experts. The initial risk stratification of patients with NENs should be performed according to the grading, staging and functional status of the neoplasm and the presence of an inherited syndrome. The evaluation of response to the initial treatment, and to the subsequent therapies for disease progression or recurrence, should be based on a cost-effective, risk-effective and timely use of the appropriate diagnostic resources. A multidisciplinary evaluation of the response to the treatment is strongly recommended and, at every step in the follow-up, it is mandatory to assess the disease state and the patient performance status, comorbidities, and recent clinical evolution. Local expertise, available technical resources and the patient preferences should always be evaluated while planning the individual clinical management of GEP-NENs.

L’irsutismo e l’eccessiva crescita di peli terminali, in donne e bambini, con distribuzione tipica del sesso maschile. Il metodo piu utilizzato per valutarne la presenza e una modifica del metodo proposto da Ferriman e Gallwey nel 1961. Colpisce il 5–15% delle donne e fra queste vi e un’alta prevalenza di malattie da eccesso di androgeni, piu comunemente la sindrome dell’ovaio policistico. Esistono numerosi metodi oggettivi per quantificare l’irsutismo, non routinariamente utilizzabili.

Context Hirsutism often occurs in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The efficacy of oral contraceptive pill (OCP) plus antiandrogens in the treatment of its severe expression is controversial due to the lack of randomized, double-blind, long-term studies. Objective The primary outcome was the reduction of hirsutism in PCOS women objectively measured by videodermoscopy on the androgen-sensitive skin areas assessed by the modified Ferriman and Gallwey (mF&G) total score, after 12 months of therapy with OCP + bicalutamide (BC) vs OCP plus placebo (P). The secondary outcomes were to evaluate tolerability of BC and body composition as well as the occurrence of adverse events. Design An experimental, phase 3, prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, P-controlled trial. Patients were evaluated at the baseline visit, at 6 and 12 months during treatment, and 6 months' posttreatment. Participants Seventy women with classic PCOS (severe hirsutism, oligoanovulation, and ovarian polycystic ovarian morphology). Intervention Patients received OCP + BC (50 mg/d) or OCP + P for 12 months. Results The repeated measures analysis of variance showed that both treatments were effective in reducing hirsutism: The OCP + BC group had a higher reduction compared with the OCP + P group. No adverse effects were described during treatment except an increase in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein in the OCP + BC group. Conclusions The association of OCP + BC is well tolerated and significantly more effective than OCP alone in treating severe hirsutism. We suggest a combined use of the videodermoscopic index and mF&G to evaluate the effects of androgen deprivation therapy for hirsutism.

Mitotane (MTT) is an adrenolytic drug used in advanced and adjuvant treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma, in Cushing’s disease and in ectopic syndrome. However, knowledge about its effects on the ovary is still scarce. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of MTT on the ovary using in vivo and in vitro models. The study was performed in CD1 mice and in the COV-434 human ovarian granulosa cell line. We examined ovarian morphology, follicle development, steroidogenesis and procreative function in mice and the effect of MTT on cell growth in vitro. Our results revealed that treatment of CD1 mice with MTT induces a decrease in early antral follicles with a subsequent increase in the secondary follicles, measured by the increased levels of anti-Mullerian Hormone (P P Cyp11a1 (P Cyp17a1 (P P P P

Selenium supplementation has been suggested for Hashimoto thyroiditis and Graves' ophthalmopathy. Objective, Design: Our aim is to measure selenium status (p-Se, p-SePP), urine iodine (UI) levels and urine iodine/creatinine ratio (UI/C) in different thyroid diseases (n = 416) from four European countries and to compare the results between patients with and without thyroid autoimmunity.p-Se and p-SePP showed positive correlation and did not correlate with UI/C. Also, these measurements were higher in patients from Italy in comparison with the other countries. Austria had the lowest UI/C ratios. Selenium deficiency exists in these four European countries. Selenium status was lower in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis and Graves' disease in comparison with non-autoimmune thyroid disease patients and did not differ between autoimmune patients with or without thyroid peroxidase antibodies. The latter correlated positively with age.Our findings suggest that Se supplementation might have a beneficial effect in autoimmune thyroid patients.

Thyroid autoimmunity is very frequent in women of reproductive age and is associated with many adverse pregnancy outcomes; also, diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, of any type, is associated to many complications. In type 1 diabetes, the prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity is higher than in healthy population. Instead, the association of thyroid autoimmunity with other types of diabetes is less clear; however, there are some studies claiming that the prevalence is higher in gestational diabetes too. Poor data about type 2 diabetes in pregnancy are available. It is also unclear how diabetes and thyroid function influence each other and if levothyroxine therapy is necessary in pregnancy with positive autoimmunity but normal thyroid function.The aim of this article was to find in the literature studies on thyroid autoimmunity in different types of diabetes in pregnancy, in order to detect any difference in prevalence. Data were found through pubmed database from 1990 to 2013.Several studies found a higher prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity in GDM compared to healthy controls; therefore it would be appropriate to extend screening for thyroid diseases to women with GDM. More studies are needed on the possible requirement of therapy for thyroid autoimmunity when the function is normal.

Background & Aims: Breastfeeding improves glucose tolerance in the early postpartum period of women with prior gestational diabetes GDM, but it is unclear whether future risk of metabolic alterations, like type 2 diabetes, is reduced. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lactation, three years after pregnancy, on glucose and lipid metabolism in women with prior gestational diabetes. Materials & Methods: A population of women with prior gestational diabetes (Carpenter and Coustan Criteria) was evaluated with comparison of results for “lactating” [BF] versus “nonlactating women” [non BF]. Breast feeding was defined [BF] if lasting? 4 weeks. In each woman a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed to analyze the glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity/resistance and b-cell function. Fasting serum was used to study their lipid profile (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol, and triglycerides), apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A1, homocysteine, fibrinogen, hsCRP, uric acid, microalbuminuria. Statistics: Paired and Un-paired t-test, Mann-Whitney and χ2 tests were used, as appropriate. Results: A total of 81 women were evaluated (62 [BF] and 19 [non BF]). Maternal age (37.1 ± 4.6 vs 37.4 ± 4.9 years), body mass index (26.3 ± 5.6 vs 26.4 ± 5.3 kg/m2), parity (1.9 ± 0.8 vs 1.7 ± 0.8) and length of follow-up (32.2 ± 20.2 vs 32.1± 20,0) were not different between the two groups. No effect was visible on glucose tolerance, HOMA-IR and other b-cell function indexes as well as hs-CRP (not significantly lower in non BF), uric acid, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol. Levels of significance were only reached for “HOMA-IS” [BF] 1.0 ± 0.7 vs [non BF] 0.6 ± 0.4, p = 0.04) and triglycerides [BF] 83.8 ±46.7 vs [non BF] 123.2 ± 94.0 mg/dl, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Breastfeeding does not improve the glucose tolerance of our women with prior GDM three years after delivery, even though lower levels of triglycerides and improved insulin sensitivity are still visible.

I tumori androgeno-secernenti sono neoplasie rare che causano virilizzazione nella donna. La rapida insorgenza e progressione della sintomatologia sono una peculiarita. Il sospetto clinico richiede la conferma biochimica attraverso il dosaggio di testosterone e DHEA-S e la localizzazione della neoplasia attraverso risonanza magnetica nucleare surrenalica o ecografia ovarica; qualora lo studio di imaging risulti negativo e opportuno eseguire il cateterismo venoso selettivo.

More than 90% of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) cases are associated with mutations in the 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21A2) in the HLA class III area on the short arm of chromosome 6p21.3. The major part of disease-causing mutations in CYP21A2 alleles are CYP21A1P-derived sequence transferred to the active gene by macroconversion or microconversion events. Only around 5% of all disease-causing CYP21A2 alleles harbor rare mutations that do not originate from the pseudogene. A complete list of all reported CYP21A2 mutations can be found in the CYP21A2 database created by the Human Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Allele Nomenclature Committee (http://www.imm.Ki.se/CYPalleles/cyp21.htm). In this report, we describe clinical and genetic findings regarding an Italian woman suffering from a classic salt-wasting form of CAH due to a severe 21-hydroxylase deficiency. A complex genetic family study was performed including a prenatal diagnosis. The patient was found to be heterozygous for p.I172N (exon 4), p.E238del (exon 6), p.M239K (exon 6), and p.F306insT (exon 7) mutations and homozygous for p.I236N (exon 6) and p.V237E (exon 6) mutations. The deletion of glutamic acid 238 is a new mutation not reported before in the literature. CYP21A2 genotyping has become a valuable complement to biochemical CAH investigation. We highlight the contribution of molecular genetic advancements to the clinical management of patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency.

ACTH-independent adrenal Cushing's syndrome is the least common form of endogenous hypercortisolism. Recently, advances in genetics have allowed the description of several forms different to pathogenetic etiology, morphostructural characteristics and evolution towards the hypercortisolism. Alongside these, the adrenocortical carcinoma is also frequently responsible of a hypercortisolism clinical picture. The availability of steroidogenesis inhibitors, such as metyrapone and ketoconazole, provides to endocrinologist a therapeutic chance against different metabolic disorders sustained by hypercortisolism. Mitotane, an adrenolitic compound, is used alone in adjuvant therapy or in combination with different chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma and in the treatment of severe Cushing's syndrome.

The hypercortisolism is a rare endocrine disease characterized by an autonomous steroid secretion or excessive adrenal stimulation by ACTH. the Surgical removal of the lesion directly responsible hypercortisolism represents the treatment of choice. When neurosurgery for pituitary adenoma is contraindicated, radiotherapy is candidate as the second line of therapy. Currently, the recent advances in medical therapy provide a viable alternative to surgery and radiotherapy, when these are not feasible or followed by relapses (present in more than one third of cases) of the underlying disease. Recently, also in Italy, are available pharmacological agents with central activity (pasireotide) specifically indicated for treating Cushing's disease together with peripherally acting drugs (metyrapone and ketoconazole) that are used in a broader spectrum of hypercortisolemic clinical pictures. In addition, drugs active in the inhibition of steroidogenesis provide a valid support to the patient's surgical preparation allowing the reduction or normalization of plasma cortisol levels.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a very rare endocrine tumour, with variable prognosis, depending on tumour stage and time of diagnosis. The overall survival is five years from detection. Radical surgery is considered the therapy of choice in the first stages of ACC. However postoperative disease-free survival at 5 years is only around 30% and recurrence rates are frequent.o,p’DDD (ortho-, para’-,dichloro-, diphenyl-, dichloroethane, or mitotane), an adrenolytic drug with significant toxicity and unpredictable therapeutic response, is used in the treatment of ACC. Unfortunately, treatment for this aggressive cancer is still ineffective. Over the past years, the growing interest in ACC has contributed to the development of therapeutic strategies in order to contrast the neoplastic spread. In this paper we discuss the most promising therapies which can be used in this endocrine neoplasia.

In this study, we compared the long-term effects of different iron chelation regimens (deferoxamine, deferiprone, deferoxamine + deferiprone, and deferasirox) in preventing or reversing endocrinopathy (diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, or hypogonadism) and bone disease (measured through DEXA) in 165 adults with β-thalassemia major (TM) (mean age 39.9 ± 8.3 years, 43 % males). After five consecutive years of therapy, patients on deferasirox had the highest decrease in the prevalence of any endocrinopathy compared to other chelators which either had no change (deferiprone and deferoxamine) or had an increase (deferoxamine + deferiprone), p = 0.015. This was attributed to a lower proportion of patients on deferasirox developing new-onset endocrinopathy and higher proportion showing reversal of disease, compared to other chelators. A serum ferritin level of >1300 ng/mL predicted the development of new endocrinopathy (p = 0.025) while a level of

Numerous evidences indicate that thyroid hormones exert an important role in the regulation of the reproductive system in the adult female. Although a clear demonstration of the thyroid-ovarian interaction is still lacking, it is conceivable that thyroid hormones might have a direct role in ovarian physiology via receptors in granulosa cells. In this study we analyzed if thyroid hormone treatment could affect cell proliferation and survival of COV434 cells. To this aim cell growth experiments and cell cycle analyses by flow cytometry were performed. Secondly the T(3) survival action was tested by TUNEL assay and MD30 cleavage analysis. We showed that T(3), and not T(4), can protect ovarian granulosa cells COV434 from apoptosis, regulating cell cycle and growth in the same cells. The increase in cell growth resulted in an augmented percentage of the cells in the S phase and, in a reduction of the doubling time (18%). Subsequently apoptotic pathway induced by serum deprivation has been evaluated in the cells exposed or not to thyroid hormone treatment. The T(3) treatment was able to remarkably counteract the apoptotic process. Even at the ultrastructural level there was an evident protective effect of T(3) in the cells that, besides the maintenance of the original morphology and, the absence of basophilic cytoplasm, conserved normal junctional areas. Furthermore, the protective T(3) effect evaluated by FACS analysis in the presence of a PI3K inhibitor revealed, as also confirmed by Western Blot on pAkt, that the PI3K pathway is crucial in T(3) survival action.

Objective To report a rare case of a thyrotropin (TSH)-secreting pituitary adenoma associated with thyroid carcinoma. Methods We report the clinical history, imaging studies, and laboratory and pathologic data in a male patient affected by TSH-secreting pituitary adenoma and goiter; histologic evaluation revealed thyroid carcinoma. Results A 50-year-old man complained of years of palpitations, hypertensive crisis, and excessive nervousness that tended to progressively worsen. The basal and dynamic hematologic evaluation showed the presence of high free thyroid hormone levels with inappropriate levels of TSH. The thyroid morphologic study using Doppler ultrasonography showed a gland of increased volume with multiple nodular lesions bilaterally. The nuclear magnetic resonance of the pituitary gland described a microadenoma. A total thyroidectomy was performed followed by neurosurgical treatment of the pituitary lesion. The definitive thyroid histologic examination showed the presence of minimally invasive follicular carcinoma of 17 mm diameter. The patient firmly refused surgical removal of the pituitary adenoma. He was started on replacement therapy with thyroxine. Twelve months later, the hematologic examinations showed normal thyroid hormone levels and a TSH of 6.97 uIU/mL. The pituitary nuclear magnetic resonance showed a stable lesion without difference in size. Conclusion The clinical association between thyroid carcinoma and TSH-producing adenoma is rare, with the removal of the pituitary lesion being mandatory. Pituitary surgery, in this case, is impossible, showing that TSH-producing microadenoma could seldom have an indolent behavior.

Mitotane, 1,1-dichloro-2-(o-chlorophenyl)-2-(p-chloro-phenyl) ethane (o,p'-DDD), is a compound that represents the effective agent in the treatment of the adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), able to block cortisol synthesis. In this type of cancer, the biological mechanism induced by this treatment remains still unknown. In this study, we have already shown a greater impairment in the first steps of the steroidogenesis and recognized a little effect on cell cycle. We also evaluated the variation of proteomic profile of the H295R ACC cell line, either in total cell extract or in mitochondria-enriched fraction after treatment with mitotane. In total cell extracts, triose phosphate isomerase, alpha-enolase, D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, peroxiredoxin II and VI, heat shock protein 27, prohibitin, histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein, and profilin-1 showed a different expression. In the mitochondrial fraction, the following proteins appeared to be down regulated: aldolase A, peroxiredoxin I, heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1, tubulin-beta isoform II, heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein, and nucleotide diphosphate kinase, whereas adrenodoxin reductase, cathepsin D, and heat shock 70 kDa protein 1A were positively up-regulated. This study represents the first proteomic study on the mitotane effects on ACC. It permits to identify some protein classes affected by the drug involved in energetic metabolism, stress response, cytoskeleton structure, and tumorigenesis.

Background/Aim: To compare serum chromogranin A (CgA) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) with the classical prostate-specific antigen (PSA) marker in clinically localized prostate adenocarcinomas. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective single-center study that included 64 consecutive men with newly diagnosed clinically localized prostate adenocarcinoma and 20 consecutive men with histologically confirmed benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A blood sample for the determination of serum total PSA, CgA and IGF-1 levels (RIA) was obtained from all cases. Analysis of variance was performed to evaluate their variations according to disease and the pathological characteristics of prostate adenocarcinoma. Results: Only serum PSA levels (p < 0.0001) and not IGF-1 (p = 0.5475) or CgA (p = 0.5043) were significantly higher in the prostate cancer (PCa) group as compared to the BPH group. A significant variance between BPH and PCa divided on the basis of pT stage was found for PSA levels (p < 0.0001) but not for CgA (p = 0.0869) and IGF-1 (p = 0.6883) levels. Dividing PCa on the basis of Gleason score, a significant variance was found for CgA (p = 0.0100) and for PSA (p < 0.001), but not for IGF-1 (p = 0.6895) levels. Conclusions: In our population the quantification of PSA and CgA serum levels and not of IGF-1 provides independent significant information in the diagnosis and aggressiveness of PCa, respectively.

The metastatic lymph node 64 (MLN64), which is localized in the human chromosome 17, encodes a protein with strong homology with steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. Its overexpression in human breast carcinomas and MLNs led to the hypothesis that this protein could be involved in intraneoplastic steroidogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the expression of MLN64 in prostate cancer, another hormone-dependent tumor, and compared its expression with that of CYP17, the gene encoding for the key enzyme of androgen synthesis. We investigated by RT-PCR the expression of MLN64 and CYP17 in 60 prostatic tumors and compared their expression with the stage of disease and the appearance of relapses in a follow-up of 24 months. We found MLN64 and CYP17 expressed in all samples examined, with significantly higher expression in neoplastic tissues with respect to normal tissues (NTs). Moreover, only in neoplastic but not in NTs, a positive linear correlation was found between MLN64 and CYP17 gene expression. MLN64 and CYP17 expression seems to correlate with high stage, high Gleason score and short relapse-free time. These data, for the first time, demonstrate the presence of MLN64 and CYP17 expression in both normal and neoplastic prostatic tissues. The biological role of MLN64 in human prostate and, particularly, in neoplastic tissue is still unclear. Our findings concerning MLN64 and CYP17 gene expression and their significant positive correlation in human prostate cancer may suggest their possible role in intraneoplastic autonomous steroidogenesis.

Reproductive alterations are a mainstay of the classic definition of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as defined in 1992 by the NIH consensus statement on PCOS [1]. These abnormalities still represent one of the three cardinal aspects used for diagnosing PCOS according to the current criteria, as defined by the Rotterdam ESHRE/ASRM consensus workshop [2] and by the AE-PCOS Society [3]. In addition, the reproductive alterations of PCOS are a key point in the treatment of this condition. Although there are several guidelines on the management of infertility in PCOS women, this issue remains controversial. Moreover, most of the documents on this topic were produced, by both the human reproduction societies and the endocrinology societies, with pregnancy as an immediate objective. However, reproductive abnormalities are frequently a central problem in these women beyond this specific aim, and come before and after this goal. Physicians are thus called to manage the reproductive alterations of PCOS women also when a pregnancy is not on the program, while taking into account comprehensively the whole spectrum of clinical problems of these patients. This concept is especially important for endocrinologists, who need to manage the many problems of these women for long periods, ideally for all of their lives. With the objective of reviewing the literature on the treatment of the reproductive alterations of PCOS, and developing evidence-based guidelines aimed at improving the management of these abnormalities, The Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE) Board appointed a panel of experts, selected from researchers who published relevant articles in the field. The project and panel composition was also steered by the conviction that the clinical issues of PCOS should be managed with a network-oriented approach, primarily through strict interaction between endocrinologists and gynecologists.

Treatment of adolescents with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) during the transition period is a controversial issue. This paper is a contribution from the Italian community of paediatric and adult endocrinologists surveyed in a Delphi panel. The Delphi method is a structured communication technique, originally developed as a systematic, interactive forecasting method that relies on a panel of experts. The experts answer questionnaires in two or more rounds. There was substantial agreement on the definition of the problems associated with the diagnosis and treatment of adolescents with GHD in the transition period, as well as on the identification of the controversial issues which need further studies. There is general consensus on the need of re-testing all isolated idiopathic GHD after at least 30-day withdrawn from treatment, while in patients with multiple pituitary deficiency and low IGF-I levels there is generally no need to re-test. In patients with permanent or confirmed GHD, a starting low rhGH dose (0.01-0.03 mg per day) to be adjusted according to IGF-I concentrations is also widely accepted. For those continuing treatment, the optimal therapeutic schedule to obtain full somatic maturation, normalization of body composition and bone density, cardiovascular function and Quality of Life, need to be evaluated.

L’iperandrogenismo nella donna puo dar luogo, da un punto di vista clinico, a ipertricosi, irsutismo e virilismo. Sia nell’ipertricosi che nell’irsutismo il problema estetico e sicuramente rilevante, ma nel caso dell’irsutismo si deve sempre pensare a una situazione patologica correlata a un eccesso di produzione di androgeni o della loro azione. L’ipertricosi, inoltre, puo essere legata a una variabilita individuale e dipendere essenzialmente da fattori costituzionali, genetici ed etnici. La “virilizzazione” e una situazione di mascolinizzazione, con regressione dei caratteri sessuali femminili, di cui l’irsutismo e solo uno dei sintomi, che si associa a ipertrofia muscolare, regressione mammaria, alopecia frontale, iperseborrea, acne e ipertrofia cli tor idea. Alopecia, acne, iperseborrea della cute e/o del cuoio capelluto possono essere anche manifestazioni isolate o coesistere con le altre forme di iperandrogenismo. Le alterazioni del ciclo mestruale (oligomenorrea, amenorrea e sanguinamento disfunzionale) sono un sintomo quasi costante dell’iperandrogenismo. Anche l’accumulo di grasso addominale puo essere considerato un altro sintomo di iperandrogenismo. Infine, un’altra manifestazione clinica di iperandrogenismo, evidenziabile solo nelle bambine prepuberi, e l’accelerazione nella velocita di crescita. Le principali sorgenti di androgeni nella donna sono l’ovaio e il surrene, anche se molti tessuti periferici (cute in primo luogo) sono in grado di trasformare precursori in androgeni attivi. Una accurata anamnesi e un attento esame obiettivo possono essere molto utili per l’indirizzo diagnostico, anche se per la conferma diagnostica sono necessari esami di laboratorio e strumentali che vanno comunque prospettati sulla base delle ipotesi che la clinica ha suggerito: sicuramente il testosterone, il deidroepiandrosterone solf ato e il 17-α-idrossiprogesterone, le gonadotropine (LH, FSH), la prolattina e il TSH. Queste ultime due indagini devono consentire di escludere le forme secondarie a iperprolattinemia o gli iperandrogenismi (soprattutto acne) associati a distiroidismo. Se la paziente ha cicli mestruali regolari, la valutazione del progesterone ha sicuramente significato. Tale parametro va richiesto solo in questi casi e solo nella fase del ciclo piu appropriat a, cioe tra il 21° e il 25° giorno. Se i valori superano i 6 ng/dl, il ciclo puo essere considerato sicuramente ovulatorio e possiamo orientarci verso un irsutismo periferico o idiopatico, poiche un ciclo ovulatorio esclude una situazione di iperandrogenismo di grande rilievo e, per definizione, la sindrome dell’ovaio policistico. Gli altri esami vanno eseguiti nella fase follicolare precoce. Tra gli esami strumentali, l’ecografia pelvica, eseguita quando possibile con sonde transvaginali, e di certo l’indagine piu appropriata per lo studio dell’ovaio, mentre la tomografia computerizzata e la piu appropriata per lo studio del surrene.

Obesity is a multifactorial pathology. The role of glucocorticoids (GCs) in the pathophysiology of obesity is studied for many years and not completely elucidated; anyway, GCs play an important role in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis and on lipid metabolism and are involved in obesity development through numerous mechanisms. The relationship between adipogenesis and GCs is complex, and the pathway leading preadipocyte differentiation involves GC stimuli. Moreover, GCs have a role in lipogenesis through the beta-adrenergic pathway and in appetite sense involving many molecules such as neuropeptide Y, leptin, and ghrelin.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an androgen-dependent disease; it originates exclusively in the inner prostate, which includes tissue surrounding the urethra. Stromal-epithelial interaction has a pivotal role in the regulation of the development and growth of the prostate, and locally produced peptide growth factors are considered important mediators of this interaction. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-II, acting mainly through type 1 IGF receptor (IGFR1), have mitogenic and antiapoptotic effects on epithelial and stromal prostatic cells. In this study the expression of IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGFR1 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), the immunoreactive content of IGF-I (irIGF-I) and IGF-II (irIGF-II) were determined in periurethral, intermediate, and subcapsular regions of BPH tissue to verify their possible regional variation; a correlation to the tissue levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 3α-androstanediol (3αDiol) was also determined to verify their possible androgen dependence. Prost...