Growth hormone replacement therapy enhances humoral response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in patients with adult-onset growth hormone deficiency.

Purpose: Given the established link between GH/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) deficiency and severe COVID-19 outcomes, this research seeks to determine whether GH therapy can enhance vaccine efficacy in patients with adult-onset growth hormone deficiency (aGHD).

Methods: We conducted an observational retrospective study involving two groups: a cohort of 10 patients (8 females, 2 males) with obesity and aGHD who initiated recombinant GH replacement therapy at a standard dose of 0.1 mg/day six months to one year before their first vaccine dose, and a matched control group of 7 patients (5 females, 2 males) with aGHD who had not started GH treatment.

The Impact of a Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet on Monocyte Subsets of Patients with Obesity: A Pilot Study.

Obesity is closely linked to chronic low-grade inflammation and the development of cardio-metabolic comorbidities. Monocyte subsets, which are crucial in immune responses, have been reported to be altered in individuals with obesity, potentially exacerbating inflammation. Although very-low-calorie ketogenic diets (VLCKDs) are recognized for their efficacy in promoting weight loss and improving metabolic health, their impact on circulating monocyte subsets remains poorly understood.

Bone Quality Indices Correlate with Growth Hormone Secretory Capacity in Women Affected by Weight Excess: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Obesity can be associated with impaired growth hormone (GH) secretion, with possible negative repercussions on bone health. We aimed to investigate the relationships between GH secretory capacity, evaluated with GHRH + arginine stimulation test, and bone parameters, assessed with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer, in a population of adult female patients affected by overweight and obesity. : We assessed 276 women affected by overweight or obesity referred to the High-Specialization Center for the Care of Obesity, Umberto I Polyclinic, between 2014 and 2019 with signs or symptoms of growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

The endocrine disruptor cadmium modulates the androgen-estrogen receptors ratio and induces inflammatory cytokines in luminal (A) cell models of breast cancer.

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy that affects women, and it is, to date, their leading cause of death. Luminal A molecular subtype accounts for 40% of BC and is characterized by hormone receptors positive/human epidermal growth factor 2 expression and current treatment consists of surgery plus aromatase inhibitor therapy. Interestingly, several studies demonstrated that the heavy metal cadmium (Cd), classified as a group 1 human carcinogen and widely spread in the environment, exerts estrogen-like activities in several tissues and suggested an intriguing relationship between increased Cd exposure and BC incidence.

Hypocalcemia in combination with hyperphosphatemia impairs muscle cell differentiation in vitro.

Purpose: Hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrine disorder characterized by low or absent secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH), which leads to decreased calcium and increased phosphorus levels in the serum. The diagnosis of hypoparathyroidism is based on the identification of the aforementioned biochemical abnormalities, which may be accompanied by clinical manifestations. Symptoms of hypoparathyroidism, primarily attributed to hypocalcemia, include muscle cramps or spasms, facial, leg, and foot pain, seizures, and tingling in the lips or fingers.