BACKGROUND Frailty is a dynamic age-related condition of increased vulnerability characterized by declines across multiple physiologic systems and associated with an increased risk of death. We compared the predictive accuracy for one-month and one-year all-cause mortality of four frailty instruments in a large population of hospitalized older patients in a prospective multicentre cohort study....

To date, the value of fasting plasma acylated ghrelin (AG) and unacylated ghrelin (UAG) as potential novel biomarkers in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is unknown. The aims of this study are to (i) compare fasting AG and UAG levels between nonobese, nondiabetic NET patients (N=28) and age- (±3 years) and sex-matched nonobese, nondiabetic controls (N=28); and (ii) study the relations...

We used a recombinant cDNA probe for human chromogranin A to measure the expression of mRNA encoded by this gene in a variety of normal human tissues and tumor specimens using Northern blot and in situ hybridization analysis. With few exceptions, the expression of chromogranin A mRNA appears to be restricted to normal tissues and tumors of neuroendocrine lineage. However, we have detected mRNA ...

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) or primary cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma is a malignant tumor considered to demonstrate differentiation towards Merkel cells that are present at the base of the epidermis or around the apical end of some hair follicles and are thought to play a yet uncertain role in sensory transduction. Here we present the case of a 54- year old female with a basal cell carcino...

Chromogranins A and B are major soluble proteins in chromaffin granules. Their adrenomedullary content is increased in the spontaneously (genetic) hypertensive rat. Is augmented catecholamine vesicular storage of the chromogranins a specific feature of genetic hypertension? To explore this question, we measured chromogranin A immunoreactivity, using a novel, synthetic peptide radioimmunoassay, ...

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequent neoplasic condition in males, but only 64-65% of the cases are sensitive to hormone therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroendocrine component of the prostatic carcinoma, in relation to the histopathological form and the degree of differentiation. Biopsies were obtained through transurethral resection, from 82 patients with prostate...

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is a recently recognized but expanding disorder characterized by antigen-driven eosinophil accumulation in the esophagus, meanwhile all other segments of the gastrointestinal tract are normal. Patients typically have recurrent dysphagia and food impactions, and they have evidence of food and aeroallergen hypersensitivity. The esophagus is normally devoid of eosinop...

AIM OF THE STUDY To determine the significance of expression of synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and Ki-67 and their association with clinicopathological parameters, and to find out the possible prognostic factors in gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (G-NEC). MATERIAL AND METHODS We investigated the immunohistochemical features and prognosis of 62 G-NECs, and evaluated the association among expr...