[Clinical features and risk factors of metabolic syndrome in adult hypopituitary patients].

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MS) in adult hypopituitary patients (HP). Methods: Patients diagnosed with HP in the outpatient or inpatient department of the endocrinology department in West China Hospital from January,2012 to December,2019 were selected as the experimental group (HP group), and patients with normal pituitary function treated for saddle lesions were selected as the control group. HP patients with or without MS were divided into MS group and non-MS group HP patients were divided into four groups according to the level of growth hormone by the quartile method (GH>0.35 µg/L、0.13 µg/L0.35 µg/L、0.13 µg/L

Immune Function Alterations during 12 Weeks of Abstinence in Heroin Users.

The intent of the study was to evaluate immune system changes during 12 weeks of abstinence in heroin users. We recruited men (N = 65) aged 18-45 years and collected demographic and heroin use pattern data. Serum blood levels of total interleukin 2 (IL-2), interferon γ (IFN-γ), immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgG, and IgM were assessed at five time points. The IL-2 level was increased on day 84 as compared to that in healthy controls. The IFN-γ level was higher in heroin users than in healthy controls between days 0 and 28, and was decreased on day 84. IgG and IgM levels in heroin users were higher than those in healthy controls in our 12-week study, and were in positive correlation with the way of using the drug, duration of heroin dependence, and daily heroin intake. Our data revealed that the immune system was not restored during the 12 weeks of heroin withdrawal.

Study of the correlation between growth hormone deficiency and serum leptin, adiponectin, and visfatin levels in adults.

We aimed to determine the significance and changes in leptin, adiponectin (ADP), and visfatin levels in adults with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Forty adults (19 men, 21 women) who had been diagnosed with GHD comprised the observation group, while 36 healthy adults (18 men, 18 women) were used as the control group. Fasting venous blood was collected to detect leptin, ADP, and visfatin levels. There was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) between the GHD group and the control group in terms of gender ratio, age, and body mass index. The waist-to-hip ratio (0.894 ± 0.061 vs 0.830 ± 0.481), cholesterol (4.99 ± 1.046 vs 4.18 ± 0.683), triglyceride (1.97 ± 1.428 vs 1.08 ± 0.403), LDL (2.91 ± 0.980 vs 2.29 ± 0.540), leptin (3.00 ± 1.233 vs 1.89 ± 1.554), ADP (15.26 ± 6.449 vs 10.24 ± 7.608), and visfatin levels (10.42 ± 3.715 vs 5.87 ± 3.90) in the GHD group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). The levels of growth hormone (1.68 ± 1.67 vs 15.53 ± 6.23), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1, 22.64 ± 16.41 vs 61.85 ± 28.48), IGF-binding protein-3 (4889 ± 2962 vs 6866 ± 3823), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (1.466 ± 1.804 vs 6.000 ± 2.767) in the GHD group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis demonstrated that leptin level was positively correlated to ADP and visfatin in both the GHD and control groups and negatively correlated to IGF-1 (r = 0.332, P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that leptin, ADP, and visfatin were independent risk factors for adults with GHD.