ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUC)

-

There is limited information on the long-term natural history of adrenal function in adrenal hemorrhage following sepsis. The 19-year history of a patient is described who suffered adrenal hemorrhage during pneumococcal sepsis. Adrenal reserve using Cosyntropin testing with the 250 mcg dose was evaluated at seven time points during this interval, and a close observation of the patient enabled clinical correlation with adrenal status. The cosyntropin testing showed a 60 minute cortisol level post-hemorrhage of: 303.4 nmol/L (11.0 mcg/dL), one month; 656.6 nmol/L (23.8 mcg/ dL), 1 year 10 months; and 714.5 nmol/L (25.9 mcg/dL), 19 years. Over the years the patient experienced hypoadrenal symptoms requiring both hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone until her adrenal function consistently demonstrated a 60 minute cortisol level of ~ 717.3 nmol/L (26 mcg/ dL). Adrenal calcifications were visualized by ultrasound imaging and ultimately resolved. In conclusion, the patient’s hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system appeared to have ultimately restored normal basal adrenal function 19 years after the initial hemorrhage, and the dynamic cosyntropin data indicate that normal adrenal function should not be assumed with a 60 minute cortisol level of 496.6 – 551.8 nmol/L (18 – 20 mcg/dL). Finally, mineralocorticoid as well as glucocorticoid may be important for improved mental acuity in primary hypoadrenalism.

Context. Increased arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Objective. We aimed to evaluate elastic properties of common carotid arteries (CCA) in patients with DM type 1 (T1DM) by means of ultrasonographically based technique – two-dimensional speckle tracking. Design. Case-control observational study. Subjects and Methods. Examination of both CCA was performed in 50 patients with T1DM. The mean age of patients was 36.1 (±11.9) years and duration of diabetes was 8.9 (±11.9) years. 28 controls (mean age 38.6 ± 10.8) were examined according to the same protocol. Strain and strain rate reflected arterial wall stiffness and intimamedia complex thickness (IMCT) indicate presence of morphological changes. Parameters were compared between groups and regression analysis was performed to predict determinants of evaluated parameters. Results. Patients with T1DM had significantly more elastic CCA arteries than the healthy control (mean strain [%]: 6.05 ± 2.55 vs. 5.19 ± 1.79, p=0.0295; mean strain rate [1/s]: 0.91 ± 0.33 vs. 0.78 ± 0.25, p= 0.0142; respectively), but no significant differences in IMCT were revealed (0.49mm ± 0.12mm vs. 0.49mm ± 0.10mm, p=0.9893; respectively). Women had significantly decreased strain parameters in comparison with men, although the difference in IMCT was not significant. Conclusions. Two-dimensional speckle tracing revealed increased elasticity of CCA in patients with T1DM with no deterioration of arterial wall.

Introduction. The published data showed the importance of metabolic control in preventing complications in metabolic syndrome (MS) and the role of nutritional medical therapy in glycemic control and in the control of dyslipidemia, hypertension, weight loss/normalization (in overweight or malnourished subjects). Objectives. This study follows the evolution of sarcopenic index (SI) and other clinical parameters (body mass index (BMI), homeostasis evaluation index (HOMA index)) correlated with MS after diet therapy or diet therapy combined with sports, in patients with MS. Patients and methods. Our research was conducted during 12 months, on 110 patients >18 years of age, with HOMA index>2, divided into three groups: control group (CG, N=20), diet therapy group (DTG, N=58), diet therapy and sports group (DTSG, N=32). HOMA index for insulin resistance was calculated as the product of resting plasma insulin (in microunits/milliliter) and plasma glucose (in millimoles/liter), divided by 22.5. SI was determined using BIA, as being the ratio between muscle mass and fat mass, measured in cm2 /m2 . Results. A significant decrease of BMI (p<0.05) in DTG (from 31.63 to 24.50) and DTSG (from 30.18 to 24.17) vs. CG was observed (Pearson coefficient r=0.281, p<0.001). Weight status changed significantly (p<0.05) in the high-risk patients. There was a significant decrease of HOMA index (p<0.05) in DTG (from 5.93 to 2.57), DTSG (from 3.93 to 2.23), and in CG an increase was observed (from 3.15 to 3.37). Conclusion. The best results in the prevention/ treatment of sarcopenia in MS patients were obtained for DTSG, which benefited from both the positive effect of diet and physical activity.

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in late 2019, and by 2020, everyone was affected. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) belongs to the beta-coronavirus genre and uses the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to penetrate cells. Thyroid cells are rich in such receptors. Therefore, this gland is frequently involved alongside other organs in the COVID-19 disease. Aim. To describe COVID-19 inflammation and, eventually, dysregulations of normal thyroid function in a case series of patients diagnosed in a tertiary endocrinology care centre. Patients and Methods. We described subacute thyroiditis cases related to COVID-19 infection or vaccination against SARS-CoV2 infection (clinical manifestations and evolution). We also reviewed the literature data regarding COVID-19 infection or vaccination implications in thyroid pathology. Results. The literature describes two types of thyroid involvement in SARS-CoV2 infection or vaccination: subacute thyroiditis (SAT) and non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS). In our case series, 5 patients (3 males), aged 41-54 years, developed the classical clinical manifestation of SAT related to COVID-19 infection (3 patients, concomitantly to upper respiratory infection or a few weeks apart) or anti-SARS-CoV2 ARNm vaccination (1-2 weeks after the vaccine administration). Clinical, laboratory and imaging findings and the evolution (steroid anti-inflammatory treatment used in 4/5 cases) were unremarkable compared to other SAT etiologies. Conclusion. We found no differences between the ”typical” viral and post-COVID-19 SAT regarding clinical presentation, severity, response to treatment, and thyroid function alteration. The only remarkable difference is the association of SAT with anti-SARS-CoV2 ARNm vaccination

21-hydroxylase deficiency is with 90% the most frequent cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia and is due to an inborn enzymatic defect of adrenal steroidogenesis inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Here we report on the mutational spectrum of Romanian patients with classic\r\n21-hydroxylase deficiency and describe differences to other surrounding or Latin countries. The overall genotype-phenotype correlation was 87.8%. A new mutation P94L has been identified in a subgroup of patients with 11-?-hydroxylase deficiency. Furthermore, we address the issues of early alterations in bone mineral density and metabolism as well as early discrete alterations in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism with enhancement of the atherogenic small dense LDL-subfraction and emerging insulin resistance. The relationship of these discrete changes to treatment variables such as the mean and cumulative hydrocortisone dose stress once more the importance of an optimal glucocorticoid treatment with the lowest effective individual doses, to preclude the achievement of a suboptimal peak bone mass as well as the early appearance of traits of the metabolic syndrome.

About 15-20% of adults with Down?s syndrome have autoimmune hypothyroidism. Among patients with Down?s syndrome, prevalence of Graves disease (1-2%) may not be increased compared with the general population. About 15% of the patients with Turner?s syndrome have autoimmune hypothyroidism. Until 2006, only 15 cases of Graves disease have been reported among patients with Turner?s syndrome. We present two adult patients with chromosomial disorders (Down?s syndrome, Turner?s syndrome) with Graves? disease without clinical Graves ophthalmopathy. Clinical picture of thyrotoxicosis was oligosymptomatic in the patient with Down?s syndrome, probably because Down?s syndrome represents a syndrome of accelerated ageing. Both were pretreated with antithyroid drugs before radioiodine therapy. Both patients developed postradioiodine hypothyroidism: after 8 months in the case with Turner?s syndrome and after 11 years in the patient with Down?s syndrome. Adults with these two chromosomial disorders should be screened annually for autoimmune thyroid dysfunction.

Glucose intolerance (impaired fasting glucose [IFG], impaired glucose tolerance [IGT] or diabetes mellitus) due to insulin resistance is a frequent complication of acromegaly due to excessive growth hormone (GH) production. Long-acting somatostatin analogs are known to reduce the GH and IGF-1 serum levels, and to inhibit at the same time the pancreas insulin release. The effect upon acromegalic patients who express IFG before therapy is controversial. We here present two male patients, 66 and 36 years old, with active acromegaly and IFG who were submitted to a treatment with long-acting somatostatin analog lanreotide. After being diagnosed with active acromegaly with high nadir serum GH levels along oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), i.e. 149 ng/mL and 43 ng/mL respectively, the patients underwent complex therapy (surgery and radiotherapy) which reduced the GH serum levels (20.7 ng/mL and 3.5 ng/mL respectively) without curing the disease. The patients developed IFG with fasting serum glucose levels of 113 mg/dL and 101 mg/dL, respectively. The treatment with the long-acting somatostatin analog lanreotide (30 mg i.m., every two weeks) decreased the GH serum levels close to normal limits (1.5 ng/mL and 1.6, ng/mL respectively). The treatment with lanreotide normalised the fasting serum glucose levels (91 mg/dL and 81 mg/dL, respectively) together with a reduction of serum insulin levels from 14.2 mU/mL to 8.7 mU/mL and from 25.4 mU/mL to 11.5 mU/mL, respectively (HOMA decreased form 3.96 to 1.97 and 6.33 to 2.3, respectively). We discuss the mechanisms by which lanreotide can improve glucose tolerance in patients with active acromegaly despite lowering the serum insulin levels through a direct effect on insulin secretion.

Introduction. In our department the standard surgical procedure for multinodular\r\ngoiter used to be subtotal resection. Over the years, total thyroidectomy has progressively\r\nreplaced subtotal resections and is performed in most of our patients at present.\r\nPatients and Methods. In a prospective cohort, observational study, we assessed\r\nthe immediate surgical outcome in 742 consecutive patients with multinodular goiter\r\n(MNG), admitted for surgery and operated in our hospital. Of all patients, 664 were women\r\n(89.5%) and 78 men (11.5%), aged 15 to 85 years, mean (?SD) of 48 ?13.8 years. Pathology\r\nwas done on frozen and permanent sections. The complications directly related to surgery\r\nin subtotal thyroidectomy (STT) were compared to total thyroidectomy (TT) or near-total\r\nthyroidectomy (NTT) patients: temporary hypoparathyroidism, temporary RLN injury,\r\npermanent hypoparathyroidism and permanent RLN injury. The &#967;2 test (95% confidence\r\ninterval) was used and values of p<0.05 were considered significant.\r\nResults. There were no significant differences among the patients with SST for\r\nMNG, NTT or TT , and TT for recurrent MNG or completion thyroidectomy, with respect\r\nto temporary and permanent RLN injury. Significant differences were found for temporary\r\nhypoparathyroidism in STT for MNG (9 out of 361 patients, 2.45%) and NTT or TT for\r\nMNG (21 out of 266 cases, 7.89%) (p<0.01) and between STT for MNG (9 out of 361 cases,\r\n2.45%) and TT for recurrent MNG for completion thyroidectomy (8 out of 45 cases,\r\n17.77%) (p<0.01) and no difference between NTT or TT for MNG (21 out of 266 cases,\r\n7.89%) and TT for recurrent MNG or completion thyroidectomy (8 out of 45 cases, 17.77%)\r\n(p=0.11). We registered no permanent hypoparathyroidism in our patients.\r\nConclusions. Total thyroidectomy is now the preferred option for the management\r\nof patients with bilateral benign MNG. However, TT is associated with a considerable rate\r\nof complications, higher than of STT. In patients with bilateral MNG and no malignancy,\r\nSTT remains in our opinion, a valuable option.