P J Jenkins

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..These effects are mediated in part by the PI-3K pathway in contrast to the MAP kinase pathway used by IGF-I...

..However, these associations have been based mostly on small epidemiological surveys and circumstantial evidence. Large-scale epidemiological studies are required to clarify this issue...

..There has been recent controversy as to the effectiveness of conventional pituitary irradiation in reducing circulating GH levels to less than 2.5 ng/ml and/or normalization of serum IGF-I...

..Such a restoration to normality will need to be balanced against the known morbidity of untreated GH deficiency...

..The increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways regulated by the GH/IGF-I axis has started to provide significant insights into the aetiology, prevention and therapy for a number of common cancers...

..Serum IGF-I seems to be implicated in the development of colorectal neoplasia in acromegaly, although the exact mechanisms remain uncertain...

..These data have implications not only for staging such tumors, but also for identifying patients who might benefit from treatment using either [(131)I]MIBG or radioactive somatostatin analogs...

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..However, it is uncertain whether the recommended dose intervals of 4 weeks and 10-14 days, respectively, are applicable to all patients...

..These findings suggest that IGFBP-3 may play a role in tumorigenesis, and that IGFBP-3 levels could be used in the future in cancer risk assessment/prevention or as markers of response to cancer treatments...

..It is suggested that patients with acromegaly have an increased risk of colorectal cancer and pre-malignant adenomatous polyps. However, the optimum frequency with which colonoscopic screening should be offered remains unclear...

..01). CONCLUSIONS: These data support the hypothesis that, by increasing DCA formation and absorption, prolongation of large bowel transit is a pathogenic factor in the formation of octreotide-induced gallstones...

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..Because improvements in BMD occur later in PRL and CD patients, an extended trial of GH therapy may be indicated in those patients who were commenced on GH therapy as an additional treatment for reduced BMD...

..We suggest that the entire removal of such a mass is warranted both for accurate diagnosis and definitive treatment...

..These results suggest that care needs to be taken to optimize the dose and dosage interval for each patient when commencing depot somatostatin analogue therapy...

..CONCLUSIONS: PVS is a valuable adjunct to MRI/CT and sestamibi scanning in selected patients with complicated hyperparathyroidism when performed in an experienced unit...

..This disturbance of the normal control of the HPA axis is unexplained and its functional significance remains uncertain...

..There was no correlation between COX-2 mRNA levels and tumour size, grade, nodal status and presence of vascular invasion. CONCLUSIONS: COX-2 mRNA expression is increased in oestrogen and progesterone receptor negative breast cancers...

..The frequent and potentially severe side-effects associated with such 'doping' will be of increasing relevance to endocrinologists...

..This study prospectively determined the effects of the depot somatostatin analogue octreotide LAR on pituitary tumour size, GH and IGF-I levels and clinical symptoms in a cohort of previously untreated patients with acromegaly...

..The effect of GH replacement on thyroid function in hypopituitary patients has hitherto been studied in small groups of children and adults with conflicting results...

..Therefore, if changes in intestinal transit contribute to the development of octreotide induced gall bladder stones, enterokinetics such as cisapride may prevent their formation...

..It may be a valuable alternative or additional therapeutic option to the currently available conventional treatment modalities...

..No correlation was found between the individual changes in serum IGF-I and changes in serum PSA. CONCLUSIONS: These data are reassuring thus far regarding the safety of GH replacement in relation to the prostate in this patient group...

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..The biological relevance of this finding is suggested by the significant association between local IGF-I mRNA levels and microvessel density in the colorectal cancers...

..52.8 +/- 33.7). CONCLUSIONS: Modulation of cortisol metabolism during treatment of active acromegaly is dependent on changes in GH/IGF-1 status and is not influenced by any individual change in body composition or insulin sensitivity...

..Here, we discuss the influence of the GH-IGF-I axis in normal mammary development and homeostasis, its putative role in breast tumorigenesis and its interactions with estrogen signalling...

..These cases require a prolonged follow-up, review, and repetition of diagnostic tests and scans...

..Few patients with macroadenomas were cured by surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Pituitary macroadenomas causing Cushing's disease have biochemical features largely distinct from patients harboring microadenomas but represent one end of a continuum...

..The decreased expression of 1alphaOHase in normal tissue from women with breast cancer may be important in their predisposition to the development of cancer...

..To evaluate the efficacy of lanreotide Autogel, a depot preparation of a long-acting somatostatin analogue, in patients with acromegaly who were previously treated with octreotide...

..As a diagnostic agent it is preferable to 131I in differentiated thyroid carcinoma...