Specificity of late-night salivary cortisol measured by automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay for Cushing's disease in an obese population.

Purpose: Data about the specificity of late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC) in obese subjects are still conflicting. Therefore, with this study, we aimed to evaluate the specificity of LNSC measurement in an obese cohort with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using an automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA).

Methods: A total number of 157 patients involving 40 healthy subjects (HS) with BMI < 25 kg/m, 83 obese subjects (OS) with BMI ≥ 35 kg/m, and 34 histopathologically proven Cushing's disease (CD) were included.

[Non surgical treatment of benign thyroid nodules: are there alternatives to thyroidectomy?].

Nodular disease of the thyroid is a very common disorder with which colleagues from all disciplines are frequently confronted. Particularly for patients with benign thyroid nodules or cystic lesions the expenditure and risks of standardly performed thyroidectomy stands in discrepancy with the clinical harmlessness of the disease. For this reason we would like to give an overview of possible non-surgical alternatives in the therapy of benign thyroid nodules and cysts, if they cause unpleasant symptoms.

[Surgical treatment of obesity: status quo].

Obesity surgery has a proven beneficial effect on mortality for patients with a body mass index (BMI) >40 kg/m(2). For patients with type 2 diabetes and a BMI >35 kg/m(2), obesity surgery has also shown to improve metabolic control compared to conservative therapy. Treatment should be embedded in an interdisciplinary and experienced setting.

Off-label antiobesity treatment in patients without diabetes with GLP-1 agonists in clinical practice.

The aim of the work was to investigate whether continuation of treatment, side effects, and effect on weight loss of GLP-1 agonists in obese patients without diabetes are equally promising in daily clinical-practice-settings compared to controlled clinical trials. Obese patients without diabetes of our interdisciplinary obesity centre were treated off-label with GLP-1-agonists for different time periods. Application was started with low-dose and increased if side effects were tolerable.

A new endoscopically implantable device (SatiSphere) for treatment of obesity--efficacy, safety, and metabolic effects on glucose, insulin, and GLP-1 levels.

Background: The endoluminal mechanical device SatiSphere is a new endoscopically implantable device designed to delay transit time of nutrients through the duodenum. It consists of a 1-mm nitinol wire with pigtail ends and several mesh spheres mounted along its course, released in the duodenum and gastric antrum to conform to the duodenal C loop configuration and thereby self-anchor.

Methods: The objective is to test the safety, efficacy, and effect on body weight in a 2:1 randomized study, as well as incretin secretion in a subgroup.