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Vincenzo Toscano
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M. V. Adamo
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Stefania Caiola
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Sonia Foli
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Elisa Petrangeli
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Daniela Casilli
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Francesco Sciarra
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The possibility that hirsutism is an evolving syndrome rather than a static condition involving only one gland has been considered. To assess this proposal 60 untreated hirsute patients aged 12–32 years were divided into five groups according to the duration of the hirsutism (< 1, 1–2, 2–3, 3–5 and > 5 years).

Peripheral plasma concentrations of LH and FSH, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, testosterone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol, 5α-androstane-3β, 17β-diol, cortisol, oestradiol-17β and oestrone were determined by radioimmunoassay. When the values obtained were compared with those from normal menstruating women, the results showed that in group I there was a significant increase only in the mean plasma 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol concentration. The mean concentration of this steroid was also raised in all other groups. In groups II and III mean basal levels of plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate were also significantly increased and showed a marked increase after ACTH stimulation (1 mg tetracosactide acetate, i.m.) as did the concentrations of androstenedione and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone. Finally, in groups IV and V, a significant increase in mean plasma concentrations of LH, androstenedione, oestrone and testosterone was found in the basal condition. The clinical picture also became gradually more severe from group I to group V.

These data suggest that hirsutism could be an evolving syndrome progressively involving peripheral androgen metabolism, the adrenal gland and finally the ovary possibly through alterations of hypothalamic-pituitary function.

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A Stigliano Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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O Gandini Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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L Cerquetti Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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P Gazzaniga Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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S Misiti Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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S Monti Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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A Gradilone Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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P Falasca Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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M Poggi Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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E Brunetti Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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A M Aglianò Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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V Toscano Endocrinology II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via Cassia, 600-00189 Rome, Italy
Department of Sperimental Medicine and Patology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-00189 Rome, Italy
Research Center AFaR Hospital S. Pietro, Via le Regina Elena, 324-00161 Rome, Italy

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The metastatic lymph node 64 (MLN64), which is localized in the human chromosome 17, encodes a protein with strong homology with steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. Its overexpression in human breast carcinomas and MLNs led to the hypothesis that this protein could be involved in intraneoplastic steroidogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the expression of MLN64 in prostate cancer, another hormone-dependent tumor, and compared its expression with that of CYP17, the gene encoding for the key enzyme of androgen synthesis. We investigated by RT-PCR the expression of MLN64 and CYP17 in 60 prostatic tumors and compared their expression with the stage of disease and the appearance of relapses in a follow-up of 24 months. We found MLN64 and CYP17 expressed in all samples examined, with significantly higher expression in neoplastic tissues with respect to normal tissues (NTs). Moreover, only in neoplastic but not in NTs, a positive linear correlation was found between MLN64 and CYP17 gene expression. MLN64 and CYP17 expression seems to correlate with high stage, high Gleason score and short relapse-free time. These data, for the first time, demonstrate the presence of MLN64 and CYP17 expression in both normal and neoplastic prostatic tissues. The biological role of MLN64 in human prostate and, particularly, in neoplastic tissue is still unclear. Our findings concerning MLN64 and CYP17 gene expression and their significant positive correlation in human prostate cancer may suggest their possible role in intraneoplastic autonomous steroidogenesis.

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