Depression in Diabetic Patients: What Is the Link With Eating Disorders? Results of a Study in a Representative Sample of Patients With Type 1 Diabetes.

Background And Purpose: Comorbidity between diabetes and depression, and diabetes and eating disorders (ED) conveys significant diagnostic, clinical and therapeutic implications. The present study was conducted on a sample of adult outpatients affected by Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM) to assess lifetime prevalence of ED; current prevalence of depression and Disturbed Eating Behaviors (DEB) and their impact on glycemic control. We hypothesized that patients with depression would have higher rates of lifetime ED and current DEB.

Assessment of eating disorders with the diabetes eating problems survey - revised (DEPS-R) in a representative sample of insulin-treated diabetic patients: a validation study in Italy.

Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate in a sample of insulin-treated diabetic patients, with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the psychometric characteristics of the Italian version of the DEPS-R scale, a diabetes-specific self-report questionnaire used to analyze disordered eating behaviors.

Methods: The study was performed on 211 consecutive insulin-treated diabetic patients attending two specialist centers. Lifetime prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) according to DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria were assessed by means of the Module H of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV Axis I Disorder and the Module H modified, according to DSM-5 criteria.

Characterization of thyroglobulin epitopes in Sardinian adults and juveniles with Hashimoto's thyroiditis: evidence against a major effect of age and genetic background on B-cell epitopes.

Background: Using recombinant human monoclonal thyroglobulin antibodies expressed as Fab molecules (TgAb-Fab), we have recently confirmed the restriction of Tg epitopes in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT).

Objective: To investigate Tg epitopes of serum TgAb in HT adults and HT juveniles from a geographically isolated area (Sardinia).

Design And Patients: Serum TgAb of 39 Sardinian HT adults, 53 Sardinian HT juveniles and 45 non-Sardinian HT adults were evaluated.

Puberty is associated with a marked increase of the female sex predominance in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.

Background: Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (CAT) displays a strong female predominance with female-to-male (F:M) ratios of 4-20:1 in adults and 2-9:1 in children and adolescents. Both genetic and hormonal factors are involved in this phenomenon. The relation between puberty and F:M ratio in CAT has never been evaluated.

LGR5 deficiency deregulates Wnt signaling and leads to precocious Paneth cell differentiation in the fetal intestine.

The orphan Leucine-rich repeat G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5/GPR49), a target of Wnt signaling, is a marker of adult intestinal stem cells (SC). However, neither its function in the adults, nor during development of the intestine have been addressed yet. In this report, we investigated the role of LGR5 during ileal development by using LGR5 null/LacZ-NeoR knock-in mice.

RET proto-oncogene in Sardinia: V804M is the most frequent mutation and may be associated with FMTC/MEN-2A phenotype.

Objective: Genetic screening of RET proto-oncogene is a powerful tool for the early identification of familial cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), comprising isolated familial thyroid medullary carcinoma (FMTC) and multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes 2A (MEN-2A) and 2B (MEN-2B). We report the results obtained by RET mutation analysis of subjects living in Sardinia, an Italian island whose inhabitants display a peculiar genetic background due to geographic isolation and low immigration rate for several centuries.

Design: Retrospective study reporting data on 67 patients referred during the last 5 years for RET analysis because affected by MTC or first degree relatives of MTC patients.