Endocrinology was originally born as the science of endocrine glands, which are highly specialized organs and perform well-defined physiological functions. These organs do not have ducts that remove secretions in the body cavity, and they direct the active substances they synthesize into the bloodstream, which with blood spread throughout the body and regulate the functions of different organs. As a result of successful studies of the first half of the last century, a number of endocrine glands were quickly identified, which included the adrenal glands, sex glands (testicles and ovaries) and the thyroid gland, which secrete non-protein (steroid and thyroid) hormones into the blood, as well as the pancreas, parathyroid glands, placenta, etc. Almost immediately, a central organ of internal secretion was discovered - the pituitary gland, which produces protein tropic hormones (ACTH, LH, FSH, growth hormone, prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, etc.), which vlyayut its action in the periphery and control the secretion of hormones of peripheral endocrine glands. It is interesting that all endocrine organs, functioning independently of the pituitary gland, themselves secrete hormones of protein nature in the blood. The pancreas produces insulin and glucagon, the parathyroid gland produces parathyroid hormone, and the placenta produces chorionic gonadotropin and somatomammotropin.

A hundred and ninety-one patients with different adrenal cortical tumors were studied to assess the diagnostic value of HPLC of corticosteroids in the biological fluids. HPLC of corticosteroids in the biological fluids revealed the signs of the hormonal activity of incidentalomas, organic endogenous hypercorticism, and mass malignancy. Some patients with adrenal cortical incidentalomas (15.5%) were found to have impaired steroid formation that is typical of 11β-OH- or 17-OH-hydroxylase deficiencies. The findings allow one to diagnose adrenal disorders at the early stages of disease and to define indications for surgical treatment.

The purpose of the present study was to study the time course of changes in the levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-HOP) in pregnant women in relation to the gestational time from the results of the screening made in Tyumen. The study analyzed 2,817 medical charts of pregnant women. The levels of DHEAS and 17-HOP had been determined in 1,485 (52%) and 230 (8.2%) women, respectively. Analysis of the results of hormonal tests for DHEAS indicated that this hormone was increased in 71% of the women. At the same time, the elevated levels of 17-HOP were observed only in 15% of the examinees. No correlation was found between the levels of DHEAS and 17-HOP. In all trimesters of pregnancy, the median and 95 percentile were above the normal range with their This study has shown that the level of DHEAS cannot be used as the only diagnostic criterion for the non-classical form of 21-hydroxylase deficiency in pregnant women and that there is some doubt as to whether the normal laboratory value of this parameter is absolute significant throughout the pregnancy.

A cross-sectional study of the cerebral epiphysis, by using brain magnetic resonance imaging was studied in 146 patients with hyper-prolactinemia and 141 persons without diseases of the endocrine or central nervous system. The purpose of the study was to compare the volume and structure of the pineal gland in hyperprolactinemic patients with the similar values in apparently healthy individuals. There was a significant increase in the volume of the epiphysis and a rise of the proportion of cysts and cystic changes in the structure of the epiphysis in patients with idiopathic hyperprolactinemia as compared with healthy individuals. The increased volume of the epiphysis and the change in its structure may be pathogeneticalfy associated with idiopathic hyperprolactinemia. To clarify this as-sumption, it is necessary to perform a larger study and to include hormonal tests characterizing epiphyseal function into the study protocol and to reveal a relationship between the changes in the sizes and structure of the epiphysis and the level of secretion of major hormones.

This open study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of small-dose recombinant human growth hormone (GH) Biosoma replacement therapy in adult patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies on anthropometric parameters, body composition, metabolism, and blood levels of hormones. The study included 18 adult patients (9 females and 9 males) aged 21 to 40 years, in whom hypopituitarism was diagnosed in childhood. Before the study, growth hormone deficiency was again confirmed in all the patients, by using the insulin test and determining the levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). All the patients received Biosoma (Biopha, Lithuania) in a subcutaneous dose of 2 international units (IV) 6 times a week for 12 months. Examinations were made before and 6 and 12 months during therapy. The examinations estimated the following anthropometric parameters: height, body mass, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip circumference ratio (WHCR), bone age, composition: waist-hip circumference ratio, body composition (lean, fatty, and water body mass), metabolism, the level of growth hormone (GH), IGF-1, triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (Т₄) thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), cortisol, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormones, testosterone, estradiol (E₂) and progesterone. During treatment, there were statistically increases in BMI, body mass, and metabolism, a decrease in WHCR, a change in body composition (lean and water body mass increased statistically significantly and fatty mass did not change significantly). The blood levels of GH, TSH, gonadotropins, sex hormones, and cortisol showed no significant change during therapy. Throughout treatment, the blood level of IGF-1 and T₃ significantly increased. A significant positive correlation was established between the elevated blood levels of IGF-1 and T₃ during GH treatment. The changes occurring in thyroid regulation may be accounted for by the Biosoma-induced increase in peripheral conversion of T₄ to T3 GH therapy improved the patients' general condition, appearance, muscle force, and mental status.

The paper presents the results of clinical use ofglargin insulin (Lantus) in the work of the Moscow endocrinological service. It gives an assessment of the effectiveness, safety, and satisfaction with treatment for diabetes mellitus (DM). The data on a follow-up of patients receiving Lantus as basal insulin in real clinical practice are shown. The use ofglargin insulin (Lantus) as basal insulin not only in the short (3-month) course of therapy, but also in the long (1-year) course is demonstrated to considerably improve gfycemic control in patients with types 1 and 2 DM. The improvement of carbohydrate metabolic parameters is not attended by the increase in the dose of basal insulin in patients with type 1 DM while the increase in the dose of Lantus was observed in patients with type 2 DM as compared with that ofNPH insulin. The greatest improvement in the parameters ofglycemia was seen 1 year following the use of Lantus in a maintaining dose. Almost all patients with types 1 and 2 expressed their satisfaction with treatment and their wish to continue Lantus therapy. The results obtained from this study promoted the integration of the accumulated clinical experience into the work of the whole endocrinological service of Moscow.

The serum concentration of total testosterone were measured in 100 male patients aged 19-65 years who had visited the clinic and polyclinic of the Endocrinology Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for complaints about different dysfunctions of the endocrine glands. Testosterone was measured by the well-known currently available technologies: automatic Vitros ECi, Architect, and Access multianalyzers, manual Delfia and DRS enzyme immunoassay kits, and radioimmunoassay (RIA) that had been developed within the framework of the WHO Human Reproduction Programme and adjusted by the reference assay (gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy).

The closest results were obtained when determining the level of testosterone by RIA and by means of the Vitros ECi multianalyzer (13.1 vs 13.0 nmol/l, medians). All other technologies demonstrated a low correlation with RIS and had positive biases, especially with the use of the Delfia kits (as high as 60 and, at low concentrations, 100%). The positive bias tends to decrease in patients with higher testosterone levels ( > 10 nmol/l) for all studied methods.

The age- and gender-specific features of the permeability of the histohematic barriers (HHB) of the thyroid, adrenals, and gonads were studied during exogenous administration of different doses of vitamin E into 169 albino rats. The neutral red dye was used as an indicator of HHB permeability. The findings were statistically processed and analyzed, using Student's t test at least 95% confidence interval. The study has established that the protective function of HHB of the endocrine glands decreases with age. The administration of vitamin E can enhance the protective functions of the barriers, but its effect depends on the dose of the antioxidant and on the sex and age of an animal. Vitamin E produced a more marked protective effect when given in a dose of 1 mg per 100 g body mass in young animals and in a dose of 2 mg per 100 g body mass in old ones. Increasing the dose of vitamin E up to 2 mg per 100 g body mass in young animals leads to its lowered protective effect, in females in particular. The findings should be taken into account when antioxidants are used in biology and medicine.

When melatonin was injected into the liver of rats with toxic hepatitis, there was a reduction in the rate of free radical processes and in the mobilization of the antioxidative system, as estimated by the parameters of biochemiluminescence and the level of α-tocopherol, which is likely to be accounted for by the antioxidative effect of this hormone. The administration of melatonin to intact animals causes a reduction in the activity of aconitate hydratase and an increase in the level of citrate, which reflects the enhancement of the antioxidative potential as it promotes the decreased hydroxyl radical formation in the Fenton reaction. Metatonin-induced elevations in citrate levels and changes in the activity of aconitate hydratase were observed in the liver of animals with toxic hepatitis as compared with those not receiving the hormone, which seems to be associated with the less mobilization of the antioxidative system in the presence of melatonin that is able to produce an antioxidative effect.

Graves' disease (diffuse toxic goiter) is a systemic autoimmune disease that develops as a result of the production of antibodies to the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (AT-rTSH), which is clinically manifested by thyroid damage with the development of thyrotoxicosis syndrome in combination with extrathyroid pathology (pretibial endocrine) myxedema, acropathy). The disease was first described by S. Ives in 1722, then Peri in 1786 and Flayani in 1802. In 1835, R. Graves associated the occurrence of the described symptom complex, now known as thyrotoxicosis syndrome, with thyroid pathology. In 1840, K. Bazedov singled out a triad in the clinical picture: goiter, buccalis, tachycardia.

The dramatic situation with the incidence and mortality from breast cancer that has developed in the last decades of the past century in the industrialized countries of the world has given this disease the status of not only a medical, but also a social problem. The society reacted to this adequately: a number of measures taken for anti-cancer propaganda, early diagnosis, development and widespread use of effective methods of treatment allowed us to reverse the unfavorable trend in mortality while recognizing the limited possibilities of modern medicine in preventing breast cancer. World trends in increasing life expectancy after curing breast cancer have led to an increase in the number of patients subsequently ill with a second malignant tumor. The attention of researchers is attracted by the combination of breast cancer and thyroid cancer.