Group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) encompass NK cells and ILC1s, which have non-redundant roles in host protection against pathogens and cancer. Despite their circulating nature, NK cells can establish residency in selected tissues during ontogeny, forming a distinct functional subset. The mechanisms that initiate, maintain, and regulate the conversion of NK cells into tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells are currently not well understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a neglected complication in patients with pre-diabetes or diabetes mellitus (DM).
Areas Covered: A summary and review of the role of standard ED treatment and the contribution of lifestyle modification and hypoglycemic drugs.
Expert Opinion: Oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) represent the first-line therapy even in patients with DM.
Purpose: Although anti-hypertensive medications, including thiazides and β-blockers (BBs) in particular, have been suggested to cause erectile dysfunction (ED) their real contribution is still conflicting. The aim of this paper is to summarize available evidence providing an evidence-based critical analysis of the topic.
Methods: An overall comprehensive narrative review was performed using Medline, Embase and Cochrane search.
Context: The utility of thyroglobulin (Tg) in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients has been well-documented. Although third-generation immunoassays have improved accuracy, limitations persist (interfering anti-Tg antibodies and measurement variability). Evolving treatment strategies require a reevaluation of Tg thresholds for optimal patient management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe physiological role of prolactin (PRL) in men is still not well defined. The pathological increase is characterized by sexual function impairment along with possible negative consequences in body composition and metabolic profile. Conversely, the clinical significance of reduced PRL levels was only partially investigated or mainly neglected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Testosterone deficiency (TD) is relatively common in aging men, affecting around 2% of the general population. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) represents the most common medical approach for subjects who are not interested in fathering.
Areas Covered: This review summarizes advances in TRT, including approved or non-approved pharmacological options to overcome TD.
Introduction: The cardiovascular (CV) safety of testosterone (T) replacement therapy (TRT) is still conflicting. Recent data suggested a TRT-related increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to systematic review and meta-analyze CV risk related to TRT as derived from placebo controlled randomized trials (RCTs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterleukin-23 (IL-23) is a proinflammatory cytokine mainly produced by myeloid cells that promotes tumor growth in various preclinical cancer models and correlates with adverse outcomes. However, as to how IL-23 fuels tumor growth is unclear. Here, we found tumor-associated macrophages to be the main source of IL-23 in mouse and human tumor microenvironments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Endocrinol (Lausanne)
January 2024
Purpose: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and aggressive tumor. ACC male patients under adjuvant mitotane therapy (AMT) frequently develop hypogonadism, however sexual function has never been assessed in this setting. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate in AMT treated ACC patients the changes in Luteinizing hormone (LH), Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), total testosterone (TT) and calculated free testosterone (cFT), the prevalence and type of hypogonadism and sexual function, the latter before and after androgen replacement therapy (ART).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExpert Opin Investig Drugs
November 2023
Introduction: The specific role of testosterone (T) replacement therapy in patients with late onset hypogonadism is still conflicting. Several available preparations have been developed to restore either fertility and normal testosterone (T) levels (secondary hypogonadism) or just T levels (primary hypogonadism).
Areas Covered: Advantages and limitations related to available new treatments will be discussed in detail.
Purpose: Cabozantinib is an oral multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that has been approved in Europe for advanced renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, locally advanced and metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and highly aggressive cutaneous malignant neuroendocrine tumour that usually presents in sun-exposed skin areas of immunosuppressed patients. Conflicting data exist about cabozantinib for MCC and this TKI is currently under investigation in several onco-endocrine frameworks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from benign steatosis to cirrhosis. A key event in the pathophysiology of MAFLD is the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can potentially lead to fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, but the triggers of MAFLD-associated inflammation are not well understood. We have observed that lipid accumulation in hepatocytes induces expression of ligands specific to the activating immune receptor NKG2D.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Indeterminate cytology still puzzles clinicians, due to its wide range of oncological risks. According to the Italian SIAPEC-IAP classification, TIR3B cytology holds up to 30% of thyroid cancer, which justifies the surgical indication, even if more than half of cases do not result in a positive histology. The study aim is to identify potential clinical, ultrasound or cytological features able to improve the surgical indication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is some controversy on the potential relationship between autoimmune processes and clinicopathologic features as well as prognosis of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), and the evidence is limited by its largely retrospective nature. We examined the relationship between the presence of autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) and 1-year thyroid cancer treatment outcomes in a large multicenter study using prospectively collected data. We included data from consecutive DTC patients enrolled in the Italian Thyroid Cancer Observatory (ITCO) database (NCT04031339).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Endocrinol Invest
November 2023
Purpose: The clinical significance of metabolic syndrome (MetS) versus its single components in erectile dysfunction (ED) is conflicting. Thus, the purpose is to analyze the available evidence on the relationship between MetS-along with its components-and ED.
Methods: All prospective and retrospective observational studies reporting information on ED and MetS were included.
Background: Pheochromocytoma (PHEO) and paraganglioma (PGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumors characterized by hemodynamic instability, caused by the paroxysmal release of catecholamines. Patients may develop cardiovascular complications in the perioperative phase due to the massive release of catecholamines, particularly during anesthetic induction and surgical manipulation of the tumor. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the risk factors involved in perioperative hemodynamic instability in patients who underwent surgery for chromaffin tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present paper aims to analyze and discuss the available evidence supporting the relationship between male sexual function and elevated prolactin (PRL) levels (HPRL). Two different sources of data were analyzed. Clinical data were derived from a series of patients seeking medical care for sexual dysfunction at our Unit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Obesity negatively impact on the metabolism of sex hormones, leading to reduced testosterone serum levels. However, how the obesity could negatively impact on the overall gonadal function, particularly on male fertility, remained unclear so far.
Objective: To systematically review evidences regarding the influence of body weight excess on the sperm production.
The sporadic parathyroid pathology of surgical interest is primarily limited to lesions that are the cause of hormonal hyperfunction (primary hyperparathyroidism). In recent years, parathyroid surgery has evolved significantly, and numerous minimally invasive parathyroidectomy techniques have been developed. In this study, we describe a single-center and well-documented case series of sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism, surgically treated by a single operator in the Endocrine Surgery Unit of the Surgical Clinic of the University of Florence-Careggi University Hospital, recorded and updated in a dedicated database that embraces the entire evolutionary timeframe of parathyroid surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe conducted a retrospective/prospective worldwide study on patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) and a molecularly proven SARS-CoV-2 positivity. Preliminary results regarding 85 patients of the INTENSIVE study have been published in 2021. Now we are reporting the 2-year analysis.
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