Prospective evaluation of metabolic syndrome and its features in a single-center series of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients.

Available studies on metabolic syndrome (MS) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are retrospective with heterogeneous inclusion criteria, and little is known about the early post-transplant phase. In our prospective study, clinical and laboratory data were collected in 100 HSCT recipients, 48 allogeneic and 52 autologous, at baseline, at + 30, + 100 and + 360 days. At baseline, MS was observed in 24 patients, significantly associated with insulin resistance and leptin on multivariate analysis.

Low-dose Synachten test with measurement of salivary cortisol in adult patients with β-thalassemia major.

Purpose: Beta-thalassemia major is a severe, congenital hematological disorder and, if untreated, leads to early mortality. Progress in therapeutical strategies improved clinical outcomes and life expectancy; however, increased survival led to the development of new disorders, including endocrinopathies. Little is known on the possible impairment of adrenocortical function, a potentially life-threatening condition, in long-term thalassaemic survivors.

Bone disease in adult patients with β-thalassaemia major: a case-control study.

Despite the extraordinary improvements carried out in diagnostic and therapeutic management of thalassaemia major over the past few decades, bone demineralization is still a common finding, even in optimally treated patients. The relationships between bone density and several clinical characteristics or hematological markers have been described, and many factors contributing to demineralization have been identified; among them endocrine complications seem to play an important role. Nevertheless, the complex etiological mechanisms of this heterogeneous osteopathy still remains incompletely clarified.

Endocrine and bone disease in appropriately treated adult patients with beta-thalassemia major.

With the optimization of transfusional and chelation regimens, beta-thalassemia has changed from a pediatric disease with poor life expectancy into a chronic disease. Bone demineralization is an important cause of morbidity in older patients; the etiology is multifactorial and partially unknown. We examined, cross-sectionally, 111 adult patients with beta-thalassemia major (66 females and 45 males, 32.

Neuropsychological functions and metabolic aspects in subclinical hypothyroidism: the effects of L-thyroxine.

Thyroid hypofunction is a slowly progressing graded phenomenon [Vanderpump MP, Tunbridge WM, French JM, Appleton D, Bates D, Clark F, et al. The incidence of thyroid disorders in the community: a twenty-year follow-up of the Whickham Survey. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1995;43(1):55-68]; subclinical forms (SCH) often represent a laboratory diagnosis in apparently asymptomatic patients.

Relationship between the sonographic appearance of the thyroid and the clinical course and autoimmune activity of Graves' disease.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between thyroid echogenicity and clinical course/immunologic parameters in Graves' disease.

Methods: Two hundred and six outpatients with Graves' disease (31 men, 175 women; 46 +/- 23 years old) were studied with thyroid sonography and color Doppler sonography. Forty-five patients were treated for active hyperthyroidism, 161 were euthyroid (85 immediately before withdrawal of antithyroid drug at maintenance doses, 76 in stable remission after withdrawal of antithyroid treatment).

TNFalpha genotype affects TNFalpha release, insulin sensitivity and the severity of liver disease in HCV chronic hepatitis.

Background/aims: TNFalpha induces insulin resistance and promoter polymorphisms of TNFalpha gene affect the release of this cytokine, implicated in the pathogenesis of HCV-related diabetes and fatty liver. The aim was to define whether in patients with HCV chronic hepatitis TNFalpha genotype influences TNFalpha activity, insulin resistance, and the severity of the disease.

Methods: 186 patients, 65% with steatosis, 17% with diabetes.

A singular case of Graves' disease in congenital thyroid hemiagenesis.

We report the observation of an unusual case of Graves' disease associated with thyroid hemiagenesis. A 41-year-old woman who presented with symptoms and clinical signs of hyperthyroidism was discovered to have thyroid hemiagenesia of the left lobe. Thyroid ultrasound scan showed enlargement of the right lobe with a single nodule, and absence of the left lobe; isotope scan showed homogeneous uptake in the single lobe and nodule.