ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUC)

Background. Psychiatric patients with schizophrenia present a higher risk for dyslipidemia than other categories. Aim. To evaluate the values of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and total lipids in patients with schizophrenia, who received typical or atypical antipsychotics. Demographic characteristics were also collected. Subjects and methods. This observational, retrospective cohort study included 54 inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia who were observed during a period of one year. Glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and total lipids were monitored after 6 and 12 months. We selected patients who were not on hypolipemiant treatment, for various reasons, in order to better evaluate the impact of antipsychotic medication. Results. The majority of patients were male (93% ). The mean age of the patients was of 38, and 87% of them were living in urban areas. Analyzing the mean values of glycemia, cholesterol, triglycerides and total lipids under different types of antipsychotics, higher values of these constants were observed in patients who received olanzapine and risperidone treatment, but with no significant correlations. Conclusion. Patients with schizophrenia naturally shown an increased risk for dyslipidemia, partially due to poor diet and sedentary lifestyle, and these conditions may be exacerbated by antipsychotic medication.

-

Objective. This study was undertaken to examine prognostic factors in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET) undergoing surgical treatment to evaluate the prognostic value of recently introduced immunohistochemical staining methods of CD10 and cytokeratin 19. Materials and Methods. Tumors were classified on the basis of 2004 WHO Classification Guidelines and European Neuroendocrine Tumor\r\nSociety (ENETS) grading system. Immunohistochemical staining with Ki- 67, CD10 and cytokeratin 19 was performed. Results. A total of 36 patients with a mean age of 53.7 ? 12.0 years were included. Overall, 33 patients had a long-term follow-up with 10 patients (30.3%) experiencing recurrence. Seven\r\npatients (21.1%) died. Clinical parameters that were associated with recurrence included liver metastasis at the time of surgery and extra-pancreatic invasion (p < 0.005). Positive surgical margins, extra-pancreatic invasion, and multi-focal disease were associated with reduced survival (p < 0.05). In addition, there was an association between\r\nsurvival and WHO 2004 classification (p < 0.05).\r\nConclusions. Although vascular and peripancreatic invasion showed increased risk of recurrence, they were unrelated to survival. Of the histopathological examinations, Ki-67\r\nand mitotic activity showed a correlation with both recurrence and survival, while immunohistochemical\r\nstaining with cytokeratin 19 and CD 10 did not provide adequate prognostic information.

Lithuanian’s male sperm quality was found to be much better as compared with other centres. The highest values of Kaunas young males were observed in total testicular volume, total sperm count, estradiol and SHBG. Parameters much higher than in other centres were sperm volume, normal morphology, sperm concentration, total motility, level of inhibin B and LH. These parameters are important for overall reproductive capacity of Lithuanians. Sperm quality and high spermatogenesis regulating hormone concentration may be considered as ethnic sign of reproductive capacity of a population.

-

-

Developments in the understanding of the molecular basis of water permeability of the red blood cell (RBC) have taken place rapidly since the discovery in 1985 in Cluj- Napoca, Romania, by the group of Benga of a water channel protein (WCP), later called aquaporin 1 (AQP1), in the RBC membrane. However, the physiological role of AQP1 is not yet fully understood. Investigations of RBCs from human subjects of various ages could help shed light on this important issue. We present a short review of our studies on this topic that were published in less “visible” journals and books. The diffusional water permeability (Pd) of the RBC membrane has the lowest values in the newborns. Then Pd values are increasing in children, reaching at about 7 years a value that remains rather constant in young and mature subjects. The high permeability to water of the RBC membrane can be correlated at these ages with the ability to undertake a high level of physical activity. In elderly individuals (over 65 years) a further small, but statistically significant, increase in the diffusional water permeability of RBC was observed. In this case the higher RBC water permeability can be correlated with a requirement of the RBC membrane to favour the membrane undulations and the rapid entry or exit of solutes of molecular size greater than water, in conditions when the organism is less physically active, probably has lower metabolic rates and lower mean rates of blood circulation.

-

-

Carbimazole is a common drug used to treat hyperthyroidism. Agranulocytosis is a known adverse effect of these anti-thyroid drugs but plasmacytosis simulating multiple myeloma is a very uncommon manifestation of this drug. We report here the case of a patient of hyperthyroidism who developed febrile neutropenia while on carbimazole with the preliminary marrow findings simulating plasma cell myeloma.