Georgia Ntali, Eva Kassi, Maria Alevizaki
Cancer immunotherapy has introduced a novel class of drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). They enhance antitumour immunity by blocking negative regulators (checkpoints) of T cell function that exist on both immune and tumour cells. ICIs targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1/PDL-1 have dramatically changed the outcome of patients with several advanced-stage malignancies but they may lead to a variety of inflammatory toxicities and autoimmune …
Neoklis A. Georgopoulos, Kostas B. Markou, Anastasia Theodoropoulou, George A. Vagenakis, Panagiotis Mylonas, Apostolos G. Vagenakis
The genetic potentials for growth can be fully expressed only under favourable environmental conditions. Excessive physical training may negatively affect growth, especially during puberty. Sports that require a strict control of energy input in the presence of a high energy output are of particular concern. In gymnastics, a different pattern in skeletal maturation was observed …
Karel Pacak, Graeme Eisenhofer, Ioannis Ilias
Pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas(PHEOs/PGLs) are rare but treacherous catecholamine-producing tumors which, if overlooked or improperly treated, will almost invariably prove fatal. Patients with MEN2 PHEOs have a high incidence of paroxysmal attacks …
Panayota Mitrou, Sotirios A. Raptis, George Dimitriadis
The aim of this review is to summarize the mechanisms underlying insulin resistance in morbid obesity. Glucose regulation by insulin depends on the suppression of endogenous glucose production and stimulation of glucose disposal. In morbid obesity, glucose production by the liver is increased …
Dimitrios S Papadogias, Polyzois Makras, Gregory A Kaltsas, John P Monson
Until the last decade, the diagnosis of GH deficiency (GHD) in adults was only considered as a marker of hypothalamo-pituitary disease. GHD in adults is now recognized as a specific clinical syndrome associated with a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors such as altered body composition with increased body fat, insulin resistance, adverse lipid profile, reduced physical performance …
Smyth Peter, Cloughley George, Clarke Cathy, Smith Derek, Burbridge Emma
The purpose of this review is to discuss the various means by which iodine ingestion through dietary intake or therapeutic administration can influence the pathogenesis, prevalence, presentation or outcome of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The relationship between iodine nutrition and DTC pathogenesis is complex …
Georgios Valsamakis, Kostas Lois, Sudhesh Kumar, George Mastorakos
Insulin resistance is a key pathogenic defect of the clustered metabolic disturbances seen in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin is an insulin sensitizer acting in the liver and the peripheral tissues that ameliorates the metabolic and reproductive defects in PCOS …
Agathoklis Psyrogiannis, Venetsana Kyriazopoulou, Argiris Symeonidis, Michalis Leotsinidis, Apostolos G. Vagenakis
There are a few reports suggesting that subtle disturbances of iron metabolism are frequently found in patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2), but it is not known if these disturbances precede or accompany the diabetic state. We investigated the serum iron indices in 41 offspring of DM2 parents (group I) with normal glucose tolerance …
Leonidas H. Duntas, Christos Doumas
Several studies have revealed an increased incidence of thyroid cancer in volcanic areas around the world. Hawaii and the Philippines on the rim of the Pacific Ocean, where the greatest number of volcanoes are located at convergent plate boundaries, are among the regions with the highest incidence of thyroid carcinoma worldwide. Iceland is another region also rich in volcanoes …
Theodore Karatzas, Ioannis Vasileiadis, George Charitoudis, Efthimios Karakostas, Sofia Tseleni-Balafouta, Gregory Kouraklis
OBJECTIVE: The extent of thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is debatable. This study investigated the rate and predictive factors of bilateral versus unilateral PTMC with the objective of identifying those patients who may benefit from total thyroidectomy …
Charilaos Tsolakis, Paraskevi Xekouki, Socratis Kaloupsis, Dimitrios Karas, Dimosthenis Messinis, George Vagenas, Athanasios Dessypris
The purpose of this study was two fold a) to determine the levels of hormonal parameters which are related to growth and sexual maturation (T, SHBG, FAI, GH) in 66 pre-pubertal and early-pubertal boys (11-13 years old) who systematically engage in individual and team sports activities of endurance, strength, speed and skill, respectively …
Andrea C. Gore
The central neuroendocrine systems are responsible for the control of homeostatic processes in the body, including reproduction, growth, metabolism and energy balance, as well as stress responsiveness. These processes are initiated by signals in the central nervous system, specifically the hypothalamus, and are conveyed first by neural and then by endocrine effectors …
Franziska M. Hanusch, Evelyn Fischer, Katharina Lang, Sven Diederich, Stephan Endres, Bruno Allolio, Felix Beuschlein, Martin Reincke, Marcus Quinkler, for the participants of the German Conn’s Registry
OBJECTIVE: In subjects at high risk for sleep apnea (SA), aldosterone concentrations correlate with severity of SA and primary aldosteronism (PA) is very often diagnosed. Patients with PA show a high prevalence of SA. Treatment of PA either by adrenalectomy (ADX) or mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) blockade is thought to abolish …
Nicholas J. Sarlis, Loukas Gourgiotis, Frank Pucino, George J. Tolis
Several authors have suggested a positive association between Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) and breast cancer (BrCa). Others have refuted these findings; hence, this subject remains controversial. We therefore reviewed the world literature on this subject accumulated over the last 50 years and performed a quantitative research synthesis …
Sofia K. Leka, Sofia Kitsiou-Tzeli, Ariadni Kalpini-Mavrou, Emmanuel Kanavakis
Since its discovery in 1997, knowledge about the SHOX gene (Short stature HOmeoboX-containing gene) has rapidly advanced. Although originally described as causing idiopathic short stature, SHOX mutations are also responsible for growth retardation in Lιri-Weill dyschondrosteosis, Langer mesomelic dysplasia and Turner syndrome…
Paloma Alonso-Magdalena, Ana Belιn Ropero, Sergi Soriano, Ivan Quesada, Angel Nadal
The aim of this review was to analyze the potential effects of environmental chemicals on homeostatic control related to glycemia and energy balance. Many of the environmental chemicals can mimic or interfere with the action of hormones and are generally referred to as “endocrine disruptors” …
Menelaos L. Batrinos
Male pattern baldness, scientifically known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA), is a very common condition, universally prevalent, which progresses with aging. The loss of scalp hair of any degree both in men and women is a cause of considerable psychological distress …
Nikolaos Pontikides, Gerassimos E. Krassas
Both smoking and thyroid dysfunction are frequent in the general population. Many studies have shown that cigarette smoking interferes with thyroid function and with the evolution of thyroid pathology (e.g. goiter formation and thyroid cancer development). Some studies have also suggested a significant correlation of Graves’ hyperthyroidism and Graves’ ophthalmopathy…
Dragana Miljic, Predrag Miljic, Mirjana Doknic, Sandra Pekic, Marina Djurovic, Milica Colovic, Vera Popovic
BACKGROUND: In rodents, Growth Hormone (GH) has been shown to stimulate coagulation parameters, including Prothrombin Time (PT), activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) and vitamin K dependent coagulation factors. However, there are no reports on the influence of GH replacement therapy on global coagulation tests in Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD)…
Eleni Kousta, Asteroula Papathanasiou, Nicos Skordis
There have been considerable advances concerning understanding of the early and later stages of ovarian development; a number of genes have been implicated and their mutations have been associated with developmental abnormalities …
Wen Xu, Jing Sun, Wenbo Wang, Xiran Wang, Yan Jiang, Wei Huang, Xin Zheng, Qiuping Wang, Zhiwei Ning, Yu Pei, Min Nie, Mei Li, Ou Wang, Xiaoping Xing, Wei Yu, Qiang Lin, Ling Xu, Weibo Xia
OBJECTIVE: To determine if GC (group-specific component globulin) and CYP2R1 genetic variants have an association with serum 25-OHD3 levels, BMD or bone turnover markers in a population of Chinese postmenopausal women …
Demetrios A. Koutras
“Goiter” means thyroid enlargement, and “endemic” means frequent in a certain locality. The problem is from what volume and up a thyroid is considered to be large enough as to be classified as goiter and also from what prevalence and up an area is considered to be endemic. It is obvious that by playing with these definitions one may increase or decrease …
Maria Bougoulia, Athanassios Triantos, George Koliakos
OBJECT IVE: T he aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of adipose tissue related hormones, cytokines, and antioxidative substances in obese women before and after intervention with diet alone or with diet plus an inhibitor of gastrointestinental lipase-orlistat…
Ze’ev Hochberg, Alan R Templeton
Evolutionary pressures due to variation in climate play an important role in shaping phenotypic variation among and within species and have been shown to influence variation in phenotypes such as body shape and size among humans. Here we review the evidence for migration and change of living latitude in the evolution of skin color genes and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) ..
George Vlotides, Ayse Tanyeri, Matilde Spampatti, Kathrin Zitzmann, Michael Chourdakis, Gerald Spöttl, Julian Maurer, Svenja Nölting, Burkhard Göke, Christoph J. Auernhammer
Metformin is a widely used oral antidiabetic drug with good tolerability. Recent studies suggest that it also possesses adjuvant potent anticancer properties in a variety of tumors. Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the gastro-entero-pancreatic system (GEP) comprise a heterogeneous group of tumors with increasing incidence …