Publications by authors named "Christ E"

Assessing the response to systemic therapy in neuroendocrine tumors (NET) is challenging since morphological imaging response is often delayed and not necessarily reflective of clinical benefit. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has a complex mechanism of action, further complicating response assessment. In response to these challenges, the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) Theranostics Task Force conducted a statement-based survey among experts to identify the current landscape and unmet needs in PRRT response assessment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Malaria parasites adapt by digesting host hemoglobin to obtain essential amino acids, leading to a connection between nutrient availability and how genes are expressed.
  • The study finds that certain tRNAs, which help decode amino acids that are not provided enough by hemoglobin, are underexpressed, creating a mismatch for optimal translation.
  • Proliferation-related genes that rely heavily on these tRNAs can have their protein synthesis regulated during times of nutrient stress, showcasing how metabolic adaptation influences protein evolution in these parasites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Plasmodium falciparum life cycle includes obligate transition between a human and mosquito host. Gametocytes are responsible for transmission from the human to the mosquito vector where gamete fusion followed by meiosis occurs. To elucidate how male and female gametocytes differentiate in the absence of sex chromosomes, we perform FACS-based cell enrichment of a P.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is frequently underreported in men suffering from prolactinomas and can be challenging to manage. Both dopamine agonists (DAs) and transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) correct hyperprolactinemia and restore gonadal function. However, there is scarce data regarding their effectiveness in correcting ED over the long term.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A pilot study aimed to explore the feasibility of genetic analysis of blood spots from medical records to understand the development of goiter and assess genetic variations, while also considering dietary and environmental influences on the disease.
  • * DNA analysis showed that the quality of samples varied significantly between imprints, highlighting the need for individual evaluation and suggesting that collecting larger samples could improve the effectiveness of genetic testing by addressing issues like DNA degradation and contamination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hypopituitarism is a highly heterogeneous multisystem disorder that can have a major impact on long-term morbidity and mortality, but even more so during acute medical conditions requiring hospitalization. Recent studies suggest a significant in-hospital burden with prolonged length of stay, increased rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and initiation of mechanical ventilation - all of which may lead to an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. On the one hand, patients with hypopituitarism are often burdened by metabolic complications, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia, which alone, or in combination, are known to significantly alter relevant physiological mechanisms, including metabolism, innate and adaptive immune responses, coagulation, and wound healing, thereby contributing to adverse in-hospital outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: A new generation of radiolabeled minigastrin analogs delivers low radiation doses to kidneys and are considered relatively stable due to less enzymatic degradation. Nevertheless, relatively low tumor radiation doses in patients indicate limited stability in humans. We aimed at evaluating the effect of sacubitril, an inhibitor of the neutral endopeptidase 1, on the stability and absorbed doses to tumors and organs by the cholecystokinin-2 receptor agonist [Lu]Lu-PP-F11N in patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH) stimulation test has been routinely used in the diagnostic work-up of ACTH-dependent Cushing syndrome (CS). With oCRH currently being out-of-stock in Europe, we aimed at evaluating the diagnostic performance of inferior petrosal sinus sampling (IPSS) without oCRH stimulation.

Methods: We compared the values of 40 patients with ACTH-dependent CS and negative MRI findings in whom ACTH was measured before and after oCRH stimulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: In clinical practice, the size of adenomas is crucial for guiding prolactinoma patients towards the most suitable initial treatment. Consequently, establishing guidelines for serum prolactin level thresholds to assess prolactinoma size is essential. However, the potential impact of gender differences in prolactin levels on estimating adenoma size (micro- vs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Metastatic insulinoma is a rare malignant neuroendocrine tumor characterized by inappropriate insulin secretion, resulting in life-threatening hypoglycemia, which is often difficult to treat. There is currently very limited information about the efficacy of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) for clinical control of hypoglycemia. The aim of this long-term retrospective study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of PRRT for improving hypoglycemia, to evaluate the change of medication after PRRT, and to calculate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sex differences affect the management of several diseases in both male and female patients. However, the influence of sex on neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) has been scarcely investigated. Thus, this study aimed to compare tumor characteristics, treatment decisions, and overall survival in patients with NENs, stratified by sex.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Somatostatin receptor (SST) PET/CT is the primary imaging method for well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NET), but higher-grade tumors often show more 18F-FDG uptake, which complicates their management.
  • A survey conducted at the ENETS Advisory Board Meeting highlighted strong support for the use of FDG PET/CT in specific situations, such as assessing NET G3 for curative surgery (82% agreement) and in neuroendocrine carcinoma (98% agreement) before surgery.
  • Despite wide support for FDG PET/CT in various clinical contexts for treatment decisions, there remains a lack of full consensus on its use, possibly due to issues like varying clinical access and
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how the lipid composition (lipidome) in the central nervous system changes during the processes of demyelination and remyelination in a mouse model called -iCKO-.
  • Through mass spectrometry and longitudinal analysis over 24 weeks, researchers found unique lipid profiles for the brain and spinal cord, indicating different abilities to regenerate myelin.
  • Notably, higher levels of specific lipids (plasmalogens) were found during early demyelination, and some lipids changed in response to a remyelinating drug, suggesting potential biomarkers for future research in this area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Insulinomas are hormone-producing pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms with an estimated incidence of 1 to 4 cases per million per year. Extrapancreatic insulinomas are extremely rare. Most insulinomas present with the Whipple triad: (1) symptoms, signs, or both consistent with hypoglycemia; (2) a low plasma glucose measured at the time of the symptoms and signs; and (3) relief of symptoms and signs when the glucose is raised to normal.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a common complication of several pituitary and hypothalamic disorders and dependent on the onset of disease. It may have severe clinical implications ranging from growth retardation in childhood-onset, to impaired lipid metabolism and increased cardiovascular risk and mortality in adults. GH effectively modulates lipid metabolism at multiple levels and GHD has been associated with an atherogenic lipid profile, that can be reversed by GH replacement therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A functioning syndrome is characterized by a clinical presentation and high levels of specific hormones due to the presence of NETs, with several types identified, including insulinoma and gastrinoma.
  • * The recommendations include approaches for biochemical, genetic, and imaging assessments, as well as management strategies for different hormonal syndromes in pancreatic NETs, particularly for well-differentiated tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on how lipid-rich myelin debris is processed in the central nervous system (CNS) during demyelination and remyelination, using a genetic mouse model called -iCKO- mice.
  • It provides a detailed lipidomic profile over 24 weeks, revealing distinct differences in remyelination capabilities between the brain and spinal cord, as shown through data analysis methods like principal component analysis (PCA).
  • Key findings include an increase in specific lipids, like plasmalogens, during early demyelination stages, and the identification of potential biomarkers linked to remyelination when treated with a remyelinating drug.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Typical (TC) and atypical carcinoids (AC) are the most common neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the lung. Because these tumors are rare, their management varies widely among Swiss centers. Our aim was to compare the management of Swiss patients before and after the publication of the expert consensus of the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) in 2015.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Context: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is highly prevalent among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, there is still no approved pharmacological treatment. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors have been suggested to beneficially modify liver-related outcomes in patients with diabetes.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the effects of the SGLT-2 inhibitor canagliflozin on liver-related outcomes in patients with advanced T2DM and high cardiovascular risk.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Carcinoid heart disease is a rare disease which develops in patients with functional neuroendocrine tumors in an advanced tumor state. Patients diagnosed with carcinoid heart disease have a poor longtime prognosis with respect to morbidity and mortality and long-term data on patient outcomes are lacking.

Methods And Results: In this retrospective study, we analyzed outcomes of 23 patients with carcinoid heart disease enrolled into the SwissNet database.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (EHH) is a rare condition with an incidence of approximately 4-6 per million person-years and comprises a group of disorders causing hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia without exogenous administration of insulin or its secretagogues. In adults, most cases (approximately 90%) are secondary to a single insulinoma. Other causes include insulinoma in the context of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (approximately 5% of cases) and non-insulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemia syndrome, which is estimated to account for 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF