Luisa Petrone

University of Florence | UNIFI · Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sperimentali e Cliniche

Purpose Indeterminate cytology still puzzles clinicians, due to its wide range of oncological risks. According to the Italian SIAPEC–IAP classification, TIR3B cytology holds up to 30% of thyroid cancer, which justifies the surgical indication, even if more than half of cases do not result in a positive histology. The study aim is to identify potent...

Simple Summary In this study, we describe a single-center experience based on a prospectively recorded and updated database that embraces the entire evolution of parathyroid surgery in sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism. In detail, surgically treated patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism were divided into two groups, based on intraop...

Introduction: Calcitonin is the most specific marker for medullary thyroid carcinoma, thus, low detectable calcitonin values after surgery can conceal persistent disease. The present study aimed to explore the prognostic role of pre-operative and early calcitonin levels in patients without distant metastases at diagnosis. Methods: A retrospectiv...

Context Despite the wide revision of current guidelines, the management of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (mPTC) has still to be decided case-by-case. There is conflicting evidence about the role of more frequent histological subtypes and no data about potential differences at presentation. Objective Our aim was to compare the phenotype of the t...

Human gastric autoimmunity [autoimmune gastritis (AIG)] is characterized by inflammation of the gastric mucosa and parietal cell loss. The gastric parietal cell proton pump H⁺/K⁺-adenosine triphosphatase (H⁺/K⁺-ATPase) is the major autoantigen in AIG. Our work aimed to investigate the gastric H⁺/K⁺-ATPase-specific T helper 17 (Th17) responses in AI...

Sommario I tumori neuroendocrini di grado 3 rappresentano una recente entità patologica con caratteristiche intermedie tra i carcinomi neuroendocrini e i tumori neuroendocrini a basso grado. Il pancreas rappresenta il primo organo in cui questa nuova categoria è stata identificata e riguardo alla quale si dispongono di maggiori evidenze cliniche. E...

Pernicious anemia (PA) is a megaloblastic anemia consisting of hematological, gastric and immunological alterations. The immunopathogenesis of PA is sustained by both autoantibodies (e.g. intrinsic factor (IFA) antibodies and anti parietal cell (PCA) antibodies and autoreactive T cells specific for IFA and the parietal cell proton pump ATPase. Iron...

Background erectile dysfunction is associated with mortality, whereas the association between low testosterone (T) and higher mortality remains controversial. Sexual dysfunction and low T often coexist, but the relative importance of sexual symptoms versus low T in predicting mortality is not known. We studied the interrelationships between sex ste...

Background The new coronavirus 19 disease (COVID-19) represents the current worldwide emergency. According to past evidence, a simple biomarker, such as low free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels, within the framework of euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS), might help to identify patients with unfavourable outcomes.Objective Evaluation of ESS significance in...

Background: The diagnosis of thyroid cancer is continuously increasing and consequently the amount of thyroidectomy. Notwithstanding the actual surgical skill, postoperative hypoparathyroidism still represents its most frequent complication. The aims of the present study are to analyze the rate of postoperative hypoparathyroidism after thyroidecto...

Background Thyroid disorders, both overt and subclinical, are highly prevalent conditions in the general population. Although a clear relationship between overt thyroid dysfunctions and cardiovascular complications has long been established, data regarding subclinical thyroid dysfunction are by far more controversial. Purpose The present review wi...

Objective Incidental diagnosis of thyroid nodules, and therefore of thyroid cancer, has definitely increased in recent years, but the mortality rate for thyroid malignancies remains very low. Within this landscape of overdiagnosis, several nodule ultrasound scores (NUS) have been proposed to reduce unnecessary diagnostic procedures. Our aim was to...

Background: One of the most widely used risk stratification systems for estimating individual patients' risk of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) persistence or recurrence is proposed by the American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines. The 2015 revision, that has increased the number of patients considered at low or intermediate risk, has been...

The intrinsic factor is the major humoral autoantigen in pernicious anemia/ autoimmune gastritis. Although many studies have examined the autoantibody response to intrinsic factor and H+,K+-ATPase, no information is available on possible pathogenic mechanisms mediated by intrinsic factor - specific gastric T cells. Aim of this study was to investig...

Background: The increasing frequency in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules has raised a growing interest in the search for new diagnostic tools to better select patients deserving surgery. In 2014, the major Italian Societies involved in the field drafted a new cytological classification, to better stratify pre-surgical risk of thyroid cancer, espec...

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) quantity and quality in plasma has been investigated as a non-invasive biomarker in cancer. Previous studies have demonstrated increased cfDNA amount and length in different types of cancer with respect to healthy controls. The present study aims to test the hypothesis that the presence of longer DNA strands circulating in pla...

The purpose of this study is to describe a case of concurrent medullary and papillary thyroid carcinoma (MTC and PTC) and cutaneous melanoma and to analyze BRAF(V600E) mutation in plasma and tissues. We report the clinical history and the laboratory, imaging, and histopathological findings of a 47-year-old man affected by multinodular goiter. BRAF(...

Context: Cell-free nucleic acids circulating in plasma are considered a promising noninvasive tool for cancer monitoring. BRAF(V600E) mutation in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) could represent an appropriate marker for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Objective: Our aim is to investigate the role of BRAF(V600E)-mutated allele in cfDNA as a marker for t...

A large majority of thyroid nodules are benign, and only 5% have malignant features on cytological examination. Unfortunately, fine-needle aspiration is inconclusive in approximately 30% of all thyroid biopsies, because the cytological features are indeterminate (suspicious for malignancy but not completely diagnostic or nondiagnostic). Wide panels...

Cytological examination of fine needle aspirates (FNA) is the standard procedure for discriminating potentially malignant thyroid nodules to be referred to surgery. In a fraction of cases, ultrasound (US) examination could provide information theoretically sufficient to avoid FNA, when typical US features suggesting malignancies are lacking. The ai...

While the association of Klinefelter's Syndrome (KS) with infertility is well-known, very few investigations have evaluated the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in KS. The aim of the present study was to systematically analyse the prevalence of KS in a consecutive series of adult male patients consulting for sexual problems and to investigate its s...

General dynamic penile color doppler ultrasound (D-PCDU) screening in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) has been questioned due to an inadequate cost-benefit ratio. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the validity of different risk scores in the identification of patients being screened for arteriogenic ED (AED) at D-PCDU. A consecuti...

The relationship between hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction (ED) has not been completely clarified. Data derived from studies evaluating the effect of testosterone (T) replacement therapy (TRT) on patients with ED have yield mixed results. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 50 mg/day of 1% hydroalcoholi...

The relationship between obesity and erectile dysfunction (ED) has not been completely clarified. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between different obesity class (the World Health Organization definition) with several hormonal and instrumental parameters, in a large sample of patients with ED. A consecutive series of 2,435 (...

the aim of present study is to determine possible contributions of INF-gamma inducible chemochine CXCL-10 in the thyroid color doppler ultrasound (CDU) parameters typical of autoimmune disorders. we studied a consecutive series of 25 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease and 10 healthy control subjects. All subjects underwent a thyroid CDU exami...

In a consecutive series of 1140 male subjects reporting a stable couple relationship and different degrees of sexual dysfunction, we evaluated the impact of relational factors, as assessed by the Structured Interview on Erectile Dysfunction (SIEDY) Scale 2 (exploring, as reported by the patient, menopausal symptoms, partner's medical illness interf...

Objectives Aim of this study is the assessment of clinical features associated with hyperprolactinemia in male patients consulting for sexual dysfunction. Materials and Methods A consecutive series of 2146 (mean age 52.2±12.8 years) male patients with sexual dysfunction was studied. Several hormonal and biochemical parameters were studied along wit...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is often associated with a wide array of psychiatric symptoms, although few studies systematically address their specific association with ED determinants. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between ED (as assessed by SIEDY Structured Interview, a 13-item tool which identifies and quantifies the contribut...

The physiological role of prolactin (PRL) in male sexual function has not been completely clarified. The aim of this study is the assessment of clinical features and of conditions associated with hyperprolactinemia in male patients consulting for sexual dysfunction. A consecutive series of 2,146 (mean age 52.2 +/- 12.8 years) male patients with sex...

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are characterized by insulin resistance and often associated with male hypogonadism. Aim: To discriminate the specific contribution of T2DM and MetS to male hypogonadism. Methods: A consecutive series of 1,134 (mean age 52.1 +/- 13 years) male patients with sexual dysf...

Introduction. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, often associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) and hypogonadism. Recently, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) proposed a substantial revision of the National Cholesterol Education Program–Third Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATPIII) MetS cri...

The role of testosterone (T) in pathogenesis of ejaculatory symptoms has not been completely clarified. To evaluate the possible contribution of T and hypogonadism in the control of the ejaculatory reflex, comparing subjects with premature ejaculation (PE) or delayed ejaculation (DE) to those without ejaculatory dysfunction. A consecutive series of...

The association of low testosterone level and erectile dysfunction (ED) with metabolic syndrome (MS) is receiving increasing attention. The present study determined the psychobiologic characteristics of sexual dysfunction (SD) associated with MS (as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III criteria) in a ser...

In a consecutive series of 1140 male subjects reporting a stable couple relationship and different degrees of sexual dysfunction, we evaluated the impact of relational factors, as assessed by the Structured Interview on Erectile Dysfunction (SIEDY) Scale 2 (exploring, as reported by the patient, menopausal symptoms, partner's medical illness interf...

The pathogenesis of delayed ejaculation (DE) is rather unknown, though the contribution of various psychological, marital, hormonal, and neurological factors has been advocated. In this study we systematically investigated the relative relevance of the aforementioned factors in 1,632 men who were seeking medical help for sexual dysfunction. The sev...

Introduction: Detecting hypogonadism, which is important in the general population, becomes crucial in patients with sexual dysfunctions, because hypogonadism can have a causal role for them and testosterone (T) substitution represents a milestone for the therapy. Aim: No inventories are available for the screening of hypogonadism in patients wi...

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) were more often hypogonadal than normal fasting glucose subjects. The aim of this investigation is the assessment of characteristics and psychobiological correlates of DM associated with hypogonadism (DMAH). The Structured Interview SIEDY was used along with several biochemical, psychological and instrumental in...

Anxiety has a relevant impact on everyday life, including sexual life, and therefore is considered the final common pathway by which social, psychological, and biological stressors negatively affect sexual functioning. The aim of this study is to define the psycho-biological correlates of free-floating anxiety in a large sample of patients complain...

La disfunzione erettile (DE) è una condizione molto frequente, anche se spesso sottostimata. È un sintomo di varie patologie del corpo, della mente, o della coppia che il medico deve sapere indagare. L’inquadramento del paziente affetto da DE è semplice quando si sa cosa chiedere. L’Intervista Strutturata SIEDY quantifica attraverso 13 domande le c...

Hypoactive sexual desire (HSD) is the deficiency of sexual fantasies and desire that should be considered as a disorder if it causes distress to the couple. In the general population, it is the most widespread sexuality-related problem. It is generally accepted that testosterone and prolactin regulate sexual desire. We recently reported that other...

Although it is clear that cigarette abuse is closely linked to sexual dysfunction, it is still unclear which are the psychobiological correlates of smoking among individuals with sexual dysfunction. The aim of the present study is the assessment of the organic, psychogenic and relational correlates of erectile dysfunction (ED) in outpatients with d...

Male sexual activity is characterized by a synchronization of sexual desire arising in the brain and its transmission to the periphery, resulting in penile tumescence necessary for sexual intercourse. Testosterone (T) has been claimed for so long as a pivotal hormone in regulating male sexual function, acting both at central and peripheral level. W...

Achieving and maintaining a penile erection are two essential components of the male sexual response. It has recently been suggested that distinct molecular mechanism could underlie the two disturbances. The aim of the present study is to verify possible clinical differences on pathogenetic factors underlying difficulties of achieving and maintaini...

Introduction and objectives: Rapid ejaculation (RE) is the most common sexual dysfunction in males. The aim of the present study is to determine the contribution of intrapsychic, organic and relational factors to the pathogenesis of RE and the relationship between RE and erectile dysfunction (ED) in a sample of patients attending for the first tim...

The prevalence and the severity of erectile dysfunction (ED) increase with advancing age; different pathogenetic factors could contribute to age-related ED. We studied organic, relational and intrapsychic components of ED as a function of patients' age in a consecutive series of 977 patients with ED, using the specifically designed structured inter...

Diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) is thought to be multifactorial in aetiology and to include vascular, neurological, and psychological components. The aim of the present study is to determine the contribution of organic, relational, and intrapsychic components to the pathogenesis of ED in diabetic in comparison with non-diabeti...

We studied the psychological and biological correlates of hypoactive sexual desire (HSD) in a consecutive series of 428 patients with erectile dysfunction (ED), by using the structured interview SIEDY. A complete physical examination and a series of biochemical, hormonal, psychometric, and penile vascular tests were also performed. Among the patien...

The aim of the present study is the definition of a brief structured interview (SI) providing scores useful for identification and quantification of pathogenetic factors of erectile dysfunction (ED). A SI was developed and applied to a consecutive series of 320 ED patients. A 13-item SI, with three-factor analysis-derived scales, was identified and...

Gli androgeni svolgono un ruolo importante in tutte le fasi della vita dell’uomo. Nell’adulto ipogonadico si assiste ad una riduzione della densità ossea, un aumento della massa grassa e una diminuzione della massa e della forza muscolare che vengono ripristinate dalla terapia sostitutiva. Una carenza androgenica si riflette negativamente anche sul...

Since PSA is supposed to play an active role in the progression of prostate cancer, we applied a quantitative RT-PCR to measure the absolute levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNA expression in benign and malignant prostatic tissue. Consecutive fine needle prostate biopsy material from 59 patients (43 with prostate adenocarcinoma and 16 wit...

Prostate growth and differentiation is under the control of androgens not only during fetal life and childhood but also in adulthood, and it has been proposed that increased prostatic concentration of androgens, or increased androgen responsiveness, causes benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, different androgen ablation strategies such as t...

La Consensus Conference del National Institutes of Health (NIK) nel 1993 ha definito la disfunzione erettile (DE) come incapacità a raggiungere e mantenere un’erezione sufficiente per avere un rapporto sessuale soddisfacente. Studi successivi, basati su tale definizione, hanno riportato una prevalenza media di DE del 52% e un’incidenza annua media...

La vita origina nell’acqua e senza acqua non c’è vita. L’acqua è un bene prezioso ed indispensabile, costituendo il 60% del nostro corpo. Perciò l’acqua va risparmiata. L’ormone che presiede al risparmio dell’acqua è l’ormone antidiuretico (ADH o AVP), un piccolo nonapeptide sintetizzato a livello di neuroni specializzati dell’ipotalamo che proiett...