ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUC)

A number of recent studies in animals and humans have linked energy regulation and the circadian clock at the molecular, physiological and behavioural levels, concluding that disruption of clock genes results in metabolic dysregulation. The search to understand the causes of obesity and diabetes and the development of new therapeutic strategies have mostly focused on caloric intake and energy balance. In this review, we present a global overview of the circadian clock as a critical interface between nutrition and homeostasis.

Sialadenosis is an uncommon, noninflammatory condition which usually causes bilateral, diffuse enlargement of the\r\nsalivary glands, particularly of the parotid. Sialadenosis has been associated most often with alcoholism, eating disorders,\r\nmalnutrition, medications and diabetes mellitus. Herein, we describe a case report of a patient with sialadenosis precipitated by poorly controlled diabetes mellitus.

Objective. Hyperandrogenism is any clinical or laboratory evidence of androgen excess in women. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of hyperandrogenic disorders especially polycystic ovary syndrome in a random sample of adolescent girls, as well as to identify the clinical, hormonal, ultrasonic, and body composition characteristics associated with such disorders. Patients and Methods. Two hundred school girls (15-18 years old) were selected by random sampling from different secondary schools, and screened for hyperandrogenic disorders by a validated questionnaire and subjected to thorough confirmatory investigations. Results. Twenty-five out of the 200 students were thoroughly evaluated. Eighteen adolescents of the examined students (72%) were finally diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, 5 (20%) with idiopathic hyperandrogenism and 2 (8%) with non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia . Despite normal weight percentiles and body mass index for age and sex in 83.3% and 88.9% of students with polycystic ovary syndrome respectively, fat mass, trunk fat percentage, trunk fat mass, and trunk free fat were significantly higher in polycystic ovary syndrome patients compared to controls. Conclusions. Polycystic ovary syndrome was the most common hyperandrogenic disorder in this study. Combined menstrual dysfunction and clinical hyperandrogenism had adequate sensitivity and high specificity in the prediction of polycystic ovary syndrome. Pulse inversion harmonic imaging is an adequately sensitive preferential diagnostic tool of polycystic ovary syndrome in virgin adolescents who may have central adiposity. Body composition assessment by bioelectrical impedence is valuable in detecting central adiposity which could be correlated to parameters of insulin resistance.

Background. The most serious complication of central neck dissection (CND) is inadvertent parathyroidectomy. There is no definitive method for intraoperative diagnosis of this complication. Method. We studied on CND indicated 17 thyroid cancer patients (14 female, 3 male, age range: 21-67, mean age: 43.4). The excised CND material was kept in 50 ml of normal saline for 30 minutes. A 2 ml sample was taken from this fluid and sent to biochemistry for rapid parathyroid hormone (PTH) measurement. Results. PTH values were <10pg/mL in 14 patients. PTH values of three patients were very high (112pg/mL, 167pg/mL, 210pg/mL respectively). When the excised tissue in these patients was evaluated intraoperatively with loop glasses, one parathyroid tissue was found in each of the three cases and these were auto-transplanted intramuscularly. After this procedure we kept CND tissue material again in another normal saline of 50mL in 30 minutes and PTH was measured. The values came back as <10pg/mL. No parathyroid gland was found in any case in the postoperative routine histopathological evaluation. No patient had symptoms of hypocalcemia during the eightweeks postoperative follow-up. Conclusion. Inadvertent parathyroidectomy due to CND is a serious complication. This complication can be prevented with the simple method we recommend here.

Objective. To determine the long-term effect of weight loss on arterial stiffness, metabolic parameters in morbidly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). Subjects. Forty-eight morbidly obese Caucasian subjects underwent LAGB from January 2009 to January 2010 and completed 4 years follow-up. Measurements. Patients were evaluated for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, arterial blood pressure (BP), metabolic factors: leptin, adiponectin, glucose, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin. Endothelial function - evaluated as reactive hyperemic index (RHI). Arterial stiffness - determined by cardio - ankle vascular index (CAVI). Results. Average BMI decreased from 46.48±7.06 kg/m2 to 39.78±7.36 kg/m2 (1year, p<0.001) and 37.29±7.49 kg/m2 (4years, p=0.012). The systolic BP and heart rate reduction were observed after the 4 years. Changes in cardiovascular parameters were accompanied by waist circumference reduction and improvement of glucose metabolism,reduction of insulin, HbA1c, leptin, C-reactive protein values. However, there were statistically significant increases in CAVI 6.58±1.77m/s vs. 7.03±2.00 m/s (p=0.014) at 1 year, but not significant 7.12±2.19 (p=0.153) after 4 years. Endothelial changes were observed only in diabetic patients one year after LAGB 2.18±0.57 vs. 1.86±0.34 (p=0.021) vs. 2.05±0.42 (p=0.086). Conclusion. Weight reduction induced by LAGB was associated with changes in body weight and metabolic parameters, but it was no improvement on endothelial function and arterial stiffness.

Mayer Rokitanski Kuster Hauser (MRKH) syndrome or the congenital absence of the uterus and vagina accounts for 15% of primary amenorrhea cases and is second to Turner syndrome as the most common cause. Affected individuals have a 46,XX chromosomial constitution and normal secondary sex characteristics. Symmetric uterine buds and fallopian tubes are consistant with type A and asymmetric - with type B MRKH syndrome, the latter being associated with other congenital anomalies (renal, skeletal, ear ovarian and cardiac). We studied four patients aged 18-45 years in which type A MRKH syndrome was established by clinical and gynaecological examination, pelvic and abdominal ultrasonography, explorative laparoscopy cytogenetic analysis and hormonal evaluation. Associated disorders were breast fibroadenoma and Graves disease in one case, congenital glaucoma, keratitis, hypocalcemia and simple goiter in another case and polycystic ovaries with clinical signs of hyperandrogenism in the case which can be related to the genetic defect underlying MRKH syndrome. The presence of associated disorders complicates the management of MRKH syndrome which is complex, requires multidisciplinary approach and decreases further the patient?s quality of life.

Aim. This study aimed to investigate the clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of newly diagnosed acromegaly patients treated with various combinations\r\nof treatment modalities.\r\nMaterials and Methods. Eighty-four acromegaly patients (42 female, 42 male, mean age 40.29?13.32 y), followed and\r\ntreated between 2000 and 2010 were included. Data on patient demographics, delay between onset of symptoms and the\r\ndiagnosis, details of treatments, and treatment- or disease-related morbidity and mortality were collected and analyzed. The median delay time for diagnosis was 60.71 ? 56.19 months. Patients received various combinations of surgery, gamma knife radiotherapy or conventional radiotherapy,\r\nlong acting somatostatin analogue, and dopamine agonist.\r\nResults. After ten years of treatment, median GH and IGF-1 values decreased from 13.7 ng/mL (IQR: 5.3- 34) to 1.04\r\nng/mL (IQR: 0.52-2.7) and from 600 &#956;g/L (IQR: 460.5-787.5) to 194 &#956;g/L (IQR :157-356), respectively (p<0.0001).\r\nMedian GH during 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) decreased from 4.35 ng/mL (IQR: 1.87-13.15) to 1.40 ng/mL\r\n(IQR: 0.60-3.40) (p<0.0001). Fifty patients (59.5%) were in remission according to IGF-1 values and 52 patients (62 %) were cured according to nadir GH during OGTT respectively. The mortality rate was 5.9%.\r\nIn conclusion. Strict biochemical control following appropriate intervention significantly reduces both morbidity and mortality in acromegaly patients.

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A 54 years old man, who had undergone a cystectomy and urinary diversion surgery 31 years previously, complained of progressive generalized bone pain, muscle weakness and walking abnormality for six months. Laboratory investigations revealed elevated alkaline phosphatase, high serum chloride level and metabolic acidosis. Osteomalacia was suspected due to clinical and laboratory findings. Osteomalacia due to hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis is a complication of urinary diversion. Regular monitoring of pH, chloride, bicarbonate, and calcium-phosphorus metabolism is therefore essential for early diagnosis and treatment.