Anti-Proliferative and Anti-Migratory Activity of Licorice Extract and Glycyrrhetinic Acid on Papillary Thyroid Cancer Cell Cultures.

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the 8th most common cancer among women overall. Licorice contains over 300 active compounds, many of them with anti-cancer properties. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is a major component of licorice.

Long-term Remission in Functioning Pituitary Adenomas after Medical Therapy Withdrawal: A Chance for Cushing's Disease.

Background: The possibility of sustained disease remission in functioning pituitary adenomas after drug withdrawal is well-known for prolactinomas and it has also been described in a subset of acromegalic patients. On the contrary, medical treatment for Cushing’s Disease (CD) is generally considered a life-long measure except for previously radio-treated patients. Sparse evidence of spontaneous remissions in CD has been reported, mainly related to a possible pituitary tumor apoplexy.

First Evidence of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Gene and Protein Expression in Rat and Human Thyroid Tissues and Cell Cultures.

Aldosterone (Aldo) exerts its action through binding with the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Clinically, a link between primary aldosteronism (PA) and thyroid diseases has been hypothesised. However, the presence and activity of MR on the thyroid have not yet been demonstrated.

Tumor Grade and Molecular Characteristics Associated with Survival in Sporadic Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma.

The International Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Grading System (IMTCGS) divides medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) into two categories, high- and low-grade tumors, which has a profound impact on patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore the association between IMTCGS grading, clinical data, and molecular status in sporadic MTC. A retrospective cohort study was performed on consecutive sporadic MTCs from patients undergoing initial surgery between January 2000 and January 2022 at the Padua Endocrine Surgery Unit.

Seed Preparations: Antiradical Activity, Chemical Characterization, and In Silico ADMET Parameters of β-caryophyllene and Farnesol.

The study of medicinal plants and their active compounds is relevant to maintaining knowledge of traditional medicine and to the development of new drugs of natural origin with lower environmental impact. From the seeds of the Brazilian plant six different preparations were obtained: essential oil (EO), ethanol extract (EthE) prepared using the traditional method, and four extracts using solvents at different polarities, such as n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol (HexE, ChlE, EtAE, and MetE). Chemical characterization was carried out with gas chromatography, allowing the identification of several terpenoids as characteristic components.

Heat inactivation of SARS-CoV 2 enabled the measurement of salivary cortisol during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background And Aim: Salivary cortisol has become an essential tool in the management of cortisol-related disease. In 2020 the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic caused several concerns about the use of saliva, due to the risk of contamination, and a European consensus further discourage using salivary cortisol. To decrease infectious risk, we handled specimens by applying a heat treatment to inactivate viral particles, further evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of salivary cortisol in clinical practice.

Wild ungulates as sentinels of flaviviruses and tick-borne zoonotic pathogen circulation: an Italian perspective.

Background: Vector-borne zoonotic diseases are a concerning issue in Europe. Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) have been reported in several countries with a large impact on public health; other emerging pathogens, such as Rickettsiales, and mosquito-borne flaviviruses have been increasingly reported. All these pathogens are linked to wild ungulates playing roles as tick feeders, spreaders, and sentinels for pathogen circulation.

Circulating miR-146a predicts glucocorticoid response in thyroid eye disease.

Objective: Thyroid eye disease (TED) is an immune-mediated disorder of the eye. Intravenous glucocorticoid (GC) is the first-line treatment for patients with active moderate-to-severe TED. However, the response rate is between 50% and 80%.

Effects of (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos extract on inflammatory, immune, atherogenic profile and differentiation in THP-1 cell line.

(Mart. ex DC.) Mattos is a plant from Central-South America that possesses different pharmacological activities.

Complications and mortality of Cushing's disease: report on data collected over a 20-year period at a referral centre.

Context: Cushing's disease (CD) is rare condition burdened by several systemic complications correlated to higher mortality rates. The primary goal of clinicians is to achieve remission, but it is unclear if treatment can also increase life expectancy.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of cortisol-related complications and mortality in a large cohort of CD patients attending a single referral centre.

Psychopharmacology of eating disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The concurrent assessment of weight and affective psychopathology outcomes relevant to the psychopharmacology of major eating disorders (EDs), namely anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED), warrants systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov were inquired from inception through August 31st, 2022, for RCTs documenting any psychopharmacological intervention for EDs diagnosed according to validated criteria and reporting weight and psychopathology changes.

Validation of miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and possible therapeutic targets in medullary thyroid cancers.

Introduction: Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare type of neuroendocrine tumor that produces a hormone called calcitonin (CT). Thyroidectomy is the preferred treatment for MTC, as chemotherapy has been shown to have limited effectiveness. Targeted therapy approaches are currently being used for patients with advanced, metastatic MTC.

Second-line tests in the differential diagnosis of neoplastic and non-neoplastic hypercortisolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The clinical and hormonal overlap between neoplastic (CS) and non-neoplastic (NNH/pCS) hypercortisolism is a challenge. Various dynamic tests have been proposed to allow an early discrimination between these conditions, but to date there is no agreement on which of them should be used.

Aim: To provide an overview of the available tests and to obtain a quantitative synthesis of their diagnostic performance in discriminating NNH/pCS from CS.

The role of procalcitonin in the follow-up of medullary thyroid cancer.

Objective: Calcitonin (Ct) represents the most important biochemical marker of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), but has certain limits. We analyzed the performance of procalcitonin (ProCt) in follow-up MTC patients.

Methods: In this monocentric and retrospective study, we consecutively obtained ProCt and Ct values from all MTC patients that we visited during the period from April 2021 to May 2022.

Dynamic Testing for Differential Diagnosis of ACTH-Dependent Cushing Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Context: Diagnostic accuracy of testing currently used for the differential diagnosis of Cushing disease (CD) vs ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone secretion (EAS) is difficult to interpret.

Objective: The present study aimed to identify and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) test, the desmopressin test, and the high-dose dexamethasone suppression test (HDDST) when used to establish a CD or EAS diagnosis.

Methods: This study is a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis.

Pasireotide-Induced Shrinkage in GH and ACTH Secreting Pituitary Adenoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Pasireotide (PAS) is a novel somatostatin receptor ligands (SRL), used in controlling hormonal hypersecretion in both acromegaly and Cushing's Disease (CD). In previous studies and meta-analysis, first-generation SRLs were reported to be able to induce significant tumor shrinkage only in somatotroph adenomas. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarize the effect of PAS on the shrinkage of the pituitary adenomas in patients with acromegaly or CD.

Homelessness and health-related outcomes: an umbrella review of observational studies and randomized controlled trials.

Background: Homelessness has been associated with multiple detrimental health outcomes across observational studies. However, relatively few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted on people who experience homelessness (PEH). Thus, this umbrella review ranked the credibility of evidence derived from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) of observational studies investigating the associations between homelessness and any health outcome as well as RCTs targeting health needs in this population.

The Role of Glucocorticoid Receptor in the Pathophysiology of Pituitary Corticotroph Adenomas.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenomas are rare tumors characterized by autonomous ACTH secretion with a consequent increase in circulating cortisol levels. The resulting clinical picture is called Cushing's disease (CD), a severe condition burdened with high morbidity and mortality. Apart from increased cortisol levels, CD patients exhibit a partial resistance to the negative glucocorticoid (GC) feedback, which is of paramount clinical utility, as the lack of suppression after dexamethasone administration is one of the mainstays for the differential diagnosis of CD.

Incretin Response to Mixed Meal Challenge in Active Cushing's Disease and after Pasireotide Therapy.

Cushing’s disease (CD) causes diabetes mellitus (DM) through different mechanisms in a significant proportion of patients. Glucose metabolism has rarely been assessed with appropriate testing in CD; we aimed to evaluate hormonal response to a mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT) in CD patients and analyzed the effect of pasireotide (PAS) on glucose homeostasis. To assess gastro-entero-pancreatic hormones response in diabetic (DM+) and non-diabetic (DM−) patients, 26 patients with CD underwent an MMTT.

High Prevalence of Tick-Borne Zoonotic in Ticks from Wild Boars, Northeastern Italy.

Tick-borne rickettsiae are emerging pathogens that are becoming widespread in Europe. Rickettsiae are endemic in Italy, but epidemiological data are currently scarce. This study aimed to improve our knowledge about rickettsial infections in tick and wild boar populations.

Overexpression of miR-375 and L-type Amino Acid Transporter 1 in Pheochromocytoma and Their Molecular and Functional Implications.

Pheochromocytoma (Pheo) is a tumor derived from chromaffin cells. It can be studied using 18F-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA)-positron emission tomography (PET) due to its overexpression of L-type amino acid transporters (LAT1 and LAT2). The oncogenic pathways involved are still poorly understood.

Molecular Survey and Identification of spp. in Layer Farms in Central Ethiopia.

Few data are available on spp. presence in chickens in Ethiopia. Due to its importance for both the poultry sector and public health, a sampling activity was planned to evaluate spp.