The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Cabergoline on insulin sensitivity, inflammatory markers, and carotid intima media thickness in prolactinoma patients. Twenty-one female, newly diagnosed patients with prolactinoma were included in the study. None of the patients were treated previously. Cabergoline was given as treatment, starting with 0.5 mg/day and tapered necessarily. Blood samples were taken for prolactin, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, homocysteine, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance) score was calculated, prior to and 6 months after starting treatment. The body mass index (BMI) was measured and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) was evaluated for each patient prior to and 6 months after the treatment. The prolactin levels and LDL decreased significantly after cabergoline treatment. Insulin sensitivity improved independently from the decrease in prolactin levels and BMI. The significant decrease in homocysteine and hs-CRP was not related with the decrease in prolactin levels. The significant decrease in CIMT was independent from the decrease in prolactin levels, HOMA score, and BMI. Our data suggest that cabergoline treatment causes an improvement in insulin sensitivity and inflammatory markers and causes a decrease in CIMT independent from the decrease in prolactin, LDL cholesterol, and BMI. We conclude that short term cabergoline treatment can improve endothelial function independently from the changes in metabolic disturbances and inflammatory markers.

Insulin stimulates proliferation of thyroid cells in culture. The presence of insulin resistance (IR) is associated with larger thyroid gland volume and an increased prevalence of thyroid nodules. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of any possible association between IR and thyroid cancer. Forty-one patients with diffuse thyroid cancer (Group 1) were matched for age and gender with 41 patients with nodular goiter (Group 2). Both groups were compared in terms of frequency of IR, as estimated by the homeostasis model assessment, as well as other parameters of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Fourteen patients (34.1 %) in each group had MetS. Twelve patients (29.3 %) in group 1 had IR compared to 10 (24.4 %) in group 2. Mean HOMA-IR scores in group 1 and 2 were 2.5 ± 2.2 and 1.8 ± 1.1, respectively. Thirty-two patients (78 %) in group 1 had a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25 compared to 33 patients (80.5 %) in group 2. The difference between groups with regard to HOMA-IR, the frequency of IR, BMI, and any of the parameters of MetS was statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). A subgroup analysis based on tumor size did not reveal a significant difference between patients with microcarcinoma (≤10 mm) and macrocarcinoma (>10 mm) in terms of any of the study parameters (p > 0.05). Neither MetS nor IR was a significant risk factor for thyroid cancer following logistic regression analysis (p > 0.05). IR is not more prevalent in patients with thyroid cancer. Some other pathologic mechanisms may be more prominent during thyroid carcinogenesis.

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We aimed to investigate the aortic function and to evaluate the relationship between aortic stiffness and systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle in patients with Cushing's disease (CD). Fourteen women and one man with newly diagnosed CD, and 17 control cases were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent echocardiography and systolic and diastolic aortic measurements were noted from M-mode aortic root. Aortic elastic parameters, aortic strain, and distensibility were calculated. Left ventricle functions were measured using echocardiography including, two-dimensional, M-mode, conventional Doppler, and tissue Doppler imaging. Aortic strain (7.4 ± 1.9 vs. 12.3 ± 2.4%; P < 0.001), and aortic distensibility (3.2 ± 1.1 × 10⁻⁶ vs. 5.6 ± 1.4 × 10⁻⁶ cm² dyn⁻¹; P < 0.001) were significantly decreased in patient group compared with control group. Mitral E velocity and the ratio of E/A were significantly lower and deceleration time of E was significantly prolonged in patients with CD. We also observed that patients with CD had markedly lower early diastolic myocardial peak velocity (Em) and Em/Am ratio and higher Tei index than in control group. Aortic elastic parameters are deranged in patients with CD and there is a significant correlation between left ventricular parameters determined by tissue Doppler echocardiography and aortic elastic parameters in these patients. We think that patients with CD should also be evaluated with aortic stiffness known to be an early marker for atherosclerosis.

Increased urinary neopterin concentrations have been described in many cancers. We aimed to evaluate the urinary neopterin levels in thyroid cancer. Sixty-nine patients with thyroid cancer, 76 patients with benign thyroid pathology and 33 healthy subjects were evaluated. First morning urine samples were collected from the patients and normal subjects for neopterin and creatinine measurement and stored at -80 °C until analysed. Neopterin levels were 149.3 (15.2-1,602.2) μmol/mol creatinine in the malignant group, 32 (5.2-275.6) μmol/mol creatinine in the benign group and 9.2 (2.7-78.7) μmol/mol creatinine in normal subjects (p ≤ 0.001). Urinary neopterin levels were significantly higher in patients with thyroid cancer than patients with benign thyroid pathologies and normal subjects. Also the patients with benign thyroid pathologies had a higher urinary neopterin level than the normal subjects. Malignant group was divided to two groups; patients with/without chronic thyroiditis (confirmed histologically). There were 22 (31.9 %) patients with and 47 (68.1 %) patients without chronic thyroiditis. Urinary levels of neopterin didn't differ in both groups (168.6 (21.3-716.8) μmol/mol creatinine and 135.3 (15.2-1,602.2) μmol/mol creatinine respectively; p = 0.381). Urinary neopterin levels are high in thyroid cancer patients independently from the presence of chronic thyroiditis.