Transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) is a severe genetic chronic hemolytic disease, and growth retardation is a common clinical feature in patients with TDT. Due to the need for regular blood transfusions, these patients often experience iron overload, which leads to various endocrine dysfunctions, including abnormalities in the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis, hypothyroidism, hypoparathyroidism, hypogonadism, adrenal insufficiency, and decreased bone density. This paper reviews the clinical monitoring and intervention measures for growth disorders and related endocrine functions in patients with TDT, providing references for clinicians.
Humans ; Thalassemia/physiopathology* ; Child ; Growth Disorders/diagnosis* ; Blood Transfusion ; Endocrine System Diseases/therapy*

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies indicates that bisphosphonates may promote osteoblastic bone formation and potently inhibit osteoclast activity. However, little is known about the potential effect of bisphosphonates on the recruitment of osteoblastic precursors from patient-derived bone marrow stromal cells due to difficulties in accessing human bone marrow from healthy and disease subjects. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated the potential of using FDA-approved and clinically utilized bisphosphonates such as alendronate, ibandronate, and zoledronate to enhance the development of bone forming osteoblasts from osteoporosis patient- and healthy-person derived hBMSCs (op-MSCs and hp-MSCs, respectively). hBMSCs were obtained from postmenopausal women without endocrine diseases or receiving hormone replacement therapy. Cells were treated with or without a bisphosphonate (alendronate, ibandronate, and zoledronate) and analyzed over 21 days of culture. RESULTS: hBMSC from osteoporosis-patient with bisphosphonates treatment demonstrated a significant increase in Alizarin red staining after 7 days compared to that from healthy-person. Calcium contents and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme activity also demonstrated an increased propensity in hMSCs from osteoporosis-patient compared to those from healthy-person, although there were inter-individual variations.Gene expression levels varied among different donors. There were no significant differences in the effect on the osteoblastic differentiation of hBMSCs among alendronate, ibandronate, and zoledronate. Statistical significance in the osteoblastic differentiation of hBMSCs between the positive control group cultured in osteogenic mediumalone and groups cultured in osteogenic mediumsupplemented with bisphosphonate was not shown either.These results might be due to various cell types of hBMSCs from individual clinical patients and concentrations of bisphosphonate used. CONCLUSION: Our study using a clinically relevant in vitro model suggests that bisphosphonate treatment is more effective for patients with osteoporosis than its preventive effect for healthy person. In addition, patient-specific responses to bisphosphonates should be considered rather than bisphosphonate type prior to prescription. Further investigations are needed to determine how bisphosphonates influence hBMSCs function to mediate bone quality and turnover in osteoporotic patients. Such studies can generate novel approaches to treat age-related osteoporotic bone loss.
Alendronate ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Bone Marrow ; Calcium ; Diphosphonates* ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Female ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis* ; Prescriptions ; Tissue Donors

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) has various causes including central nervous system disorders, pulmonary and endocrine diseases, paraneoplastic syndromes, and use of certain drugs. SIADH induced by chemotherapy with irinotecan-cisplatin is not a common complication. Here, we review a case of SIADH after treatment with irinotecan-cisplatin. A 45-year-old woman received adjuvant chemotherapy (paclitaxel-carboplatin) for ovarian clear cell carcinoma, but the cancer recurred within 9 months of chemotherapy. Subsequently, a second line of combination chemotherapy containing irinotecan-cisplatin was initiated. However, 5 days after chemotherapy administration, her general condition began to deteriorate; her hematological tests revealed hyponatremia. Therefore, it is imperative to consider the possibility of SIADH in patients being treated with irinotecan-cisplatin–based chemotherapy. Proper monitoring of serum sodium levels and assessment of clinical symptoms should be performed in such patients for early diagnosis and prompt management.
Central Nervous System Diseases ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cisplatin ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Early Diagnosis ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Female ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Inappropriate ADH Syndrome ; Middle Aged ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Sodium

Testosterone, as the most important sex hormone of the male, plays a critical role in growth, development, reproduction, and maintenance of the functions of vital organs. Testosterone deficiency may lead to functional disorders in many organs or systems, which are collectively termed testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS). TDS is a clinical and physiochemical syndrome resulted from ageing. It is recognized that the abnormally low level of testosterone is correlated with the male unhealthy status. As for the treatment of TDS, disputes exist over the necessity of testosterone supplement and the time to start the therapy, because the testosterone threshold that induces the clinical symptoms differs among different individuals and the symptoms are non-specific.
Endocrine System Diseases ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Testosterone ; deficiency

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo has been associated with various disorders including pernicious anemia, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, alopecia areata, Addison's disease, and so on. Autoantibodies against specific organs are also frequently found. However, the positive rates of these autoantibodies' detection by various reporters showed too much diversity to extrapolate a definitive conclusion. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the autoimmune aspects of vitiligo by evaluating the detection rates of various organ-specific autoantibodies. METHODS: We classified vitiligo patients into 2 groups(autoantibody positive group and autoantibody negative group) and 3 types(localized, generalized, and universalis). The overall detection rates of various autoimmune and endocrine diseases were also assessed in patients and the control, which was composed of 40 young healthy volunteers. RESULTS: There were 106 males(33.0%) and 215 females(67.0%) in total 321 vitiligo patients. 115 patients(35.8%) were determined to be autoanitibody positive, and 206 patients(64.2%) were negative. The most frequent type of vitiligo was generalized type in both autoantibody positive and negative group. Mean age of onset was 30.8 years. And there was a statistically significant difference between autoantibody positive(37.6 years) and negative(29.3 years) group(p < 0.05). Average disease duration was 6.5 years in autoantibody positive group and 4.3 years in autoantibody negative group. The positive rates of anti-nuclear, anti-microsomal. anti-smooth muscle antibody, and rheumatoid factor showed no significant differences between vitiligo patients and normal control group(p > 0.05). But the positive rate of antithyroid antibody was significantly higher in vitiligo patients than in normal control(kappa2 = 4.234, p = 0.040). The prevalence rates of autoimmune & endocrine disorders showed no significant differences between vitiligo patients and normal control(p>0.05). The prevalence rates of autoimmune and endocrine disorders were higher in autoantibody positive vitiligo group(33.0%) than in negative group(29.6%), although it was not statistically significant(p>0.05). However, the prevalence rate of thyroid disease itself was significantly higher in autoantibody positive group than in negative group(p = 0.004). Treatment response to PUVA therapy was better in autoantibody positive group than in negative group(p = 0.0003). CONCLUSION: With these results, we were able to conclude that anti-thyroglobulin antibody is more frequently found in vitiligo patients than in normal control. And autoantibody positive vitiligo patients showed higher prevalence rate of thyroid disease and better treatment response to PUVA therapy than in autoantibody negative vitiligo patients. Therefore, the presence of autoantibody in vitiligo patients seems to be related with a better treatment response for PUVA therapy.
Addison Disease ; Age of Onset ; Alopecia Areata ; Anemia, Pernicious ; Autoantibodies* ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypothyroidism ; Prevalence ; PUVA Therapy ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Thyroid Diseases ; Vitiligo*

Excess hair growth in unwanted areas may result from heredity, endocrine disease, or drug therapy. Conventional methods of hair removal include shaving, wax epilation and chemical depilatories that frequently cause side effects such as contact dermatitis and that also have temporary effects. Electrolysis is a well-established medical method for permanent destruction of terminal hair follicles. However, this method is tedious and efficacy has been reported to range from 15-to-50% permanent hair loss. The evolution of the laser use for hair removal continues a year after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first laser for these applications. The authors have experienced hair removal utilizing a long-pulsed alexandrite laser. This laser system employs the principle of thermokinetic selectivity, a revolutionary concept. The principle of thermokinetic selectivity involves the use of lasers with pulse durations below the thermal relaxation on a the large target such as the hair folllicle (40-100 msec), and significantly longer than the thermal relaxation time of smaller structures of the same chromophore (melanin) in epidermis (3-10 msec). The study was based on 76 patients treated with 20 msec pulse duration laser set to energy densities of 17-21 J/cm2. Treated areas included arms, legs, beard-chin, upper lips and bikini lines. Gross observation showed leaching of hair color, decresed size of the skin pores, easily broken hair shafts, and elimination of hair. Therefore, it can be assumed that the majority of hair follicles were destroyed by this procedure, Side effects included intermediary risk of hyperpigmentation and blister. Over 80% of treated patients were satisfied with the results. As the process of research and clinical application continues, we need the long-term results of this laser system to ensure its efficacy.
Arm ; Blister ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Drug Therapy ; Electrolysis ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Epidermis ; Hair Color ; Hair Follicle ; Hair Removal ; Hair* ; Heredity ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Leg ; Lip ; Relaxation ; Skin ; United States Food and Drug Administration

Osteoporosis is a common clinical problem with high risk of fractures in old age, especially postmenopausal women.Secondary causes of osteoporosis can be identified in 20% of women and 40% of men with vertebral fractures. One of the causes of secondary osteoporosis is endocrine disease such as hypogonadism, ovarian agenesis, hyperadrenocorticism, hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism and diabetes mellitus. Patients with Sheehan's syndrome have deficiency of multiple hormones which may cause bone loss.To determine changes in the bone mineral density in women with Sheehan's syndrome and to compare clinical and biochemical characteristics between the patients with osteoporosis and the patients without osteoporosis, we measured the bone mineral density(BMD) of the lumber spine and midradius by dual energy X-ray absortiometry(DEXA) and the serum levels of estrogen and osteocalcin in 11 patients of Sheehan's syndrome.The results were as follows;1) The BMDs of the lumbar spine were significantly decreased in patients with Sheehan's syndrome when compared with those of age-matched control.2) The prevalence of osteoporosis in patients with Sheehan's syndromes was 55%. Between the patients with osteoporosis and the patients without osteoporosis, there were no difference in the onset age of amenorrhea, the duration of amenorrhea, and the serum levels of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase.3) Serum estradiol levels were decreased uniformly in the patients with Sheehan's syndrome except three patients with estrogen replacement, but the concentration of estradiol was not correlated with the degree of the decrease in bone mass.In conclusion, the patients with Sheehan's syndrome have an increased prevalence of osteoporosis. But the effect of each anterior pituitary hormone deficiency on bone loss should be clarified in the futher prospective study.
Adrenocortical Hyperfunction ; Age of Onset ; Amenorrhea ; Bone Density ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Estradiol ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypogonadism ; Hypopituitarism ; Male ; Miners ; Osteocalcin ; Osteoporosis ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Spine