Endocrine最新文献

{"title":"A systematic review of emerging RNA markers in thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology samples: advancements and challenges.","authors":"Gamze Sönmez, Uğur Ünlütürk","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04266-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04266-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Significant advances have been made in detecting RNA markers that may indicate malignancy in fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) samples.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To review the roles of protein-coding and non-coding RNAs in differentiating between malignant and benign thyroid nodules.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases was performed. We searched up until September 2024 and complemented by manual citation search.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 28 full-text articles were reviewed, encompassing 5770 FNAC samples, which included 3489 benign lesions and 2281 malignant lesions. The studies identified 43 messenger RNAs (mRNAs), 16 microRNAs (miRNAs), and 3 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that have the potential to distinguish malignant nodules. Among the mRNAs, PAPPA, TIMP1, and HMGA2, as well as the miRNAs, miR-146b, miR-375 and miR-222, appear to be the most promising molecules for diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Numerous RNA markers have been shown to differentiate malignant from benign lesions. However, there is still a lack of patient-specific classification for thyroid cancer subtypes. Additionally, future studies should prioritize using a combination of molecular markers rather than relying on individual ones. Although current research mainly focuses on identifying cancer-specific molecules, it is important for future studies to shift towards a more patient-specific approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"365-379"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12289723/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144053176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of thyroglobulin changes on clinical outcomes of differentiated thyroid cancer with biochemical incomplete response.","authors":"Xiaohui Li, Tian Tian, Kexin Shi, Chenyu Sun, Rui Huang","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04247-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04247-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Partial patients with biochemical incomplete response (BIR) after initial therapy for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) may progress to structural recurrence during follow-up. For better-individualized care, this study analyzed predictors of structural recurrence in patients with BIR after initial radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective study was conducted on 4,263 patients with DTC who underwent thyroidectomy and initial RAIT between June 2009 and August 2023. Patients with either suppressed thyroglobulin (Sup-Tg) > 1 ng/mL or stimulated Tg (Sti-Tg) > 10 ng/mL and negative anti-Tg antibodies (TgAb < 40 IU/mL) without structural disease were enrolled. Pathological examination or imaging confirmed structural recurrence. Sup-Tg change level [ΔSup-Tg% = (Sup-Tg_3rd - Sup-Tg_2nd)/Sup-Tg_2nd × 100%] and other clinicopathological parameters were used to predict structural recurrence in patients with BIR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We enrolled 161 patients with a median follow-up of 6.3 years. Fourteen patients (8.7%) progressed to structural disease, 80 (49.7%) remained in BIR status, and 67 (41.6%) recovered with long-term remission. ΔSup-Tg%≥17.08% displayed high specificity (84.4%) for structural recurrence prediction (AUC = 0.705, p = 0.011). Extrathyroid extension, stage III and ΔSup-Tg% were independent predictors of structural recurrence (OR = 4.568, p = 0.038; OR = 9.594, p = 0.015; and OR = 18.781, p < 0.001, respectively). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that these factors were associated with structural recurrence-free survival. Cox regression analysis found that patients with stage III and ΔSup-Tg%≥17.08% have a higher risk of recurrence (HR = 4.818, p = 0.015 and HR = 10.173, p < 0.001, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Longitudinal monitoring of Tg is essential and Tg change level could be used as a predictor of structural recurrence in patients with BIR.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"466-475"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144017781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The blood transcriptome of the human congenital generalized lipodystrophy.","authors":"Leonardo C Ferreira, Josivan G Lima, Carolina O Mendes-Aguiar, Francisco P Freire-Neto, Paulo R P Nascimento, Glória R G Monteiro, Selma M B Jeronimo","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04257-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04257-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL), also known as Berardinelli-Seip syndrome, is a recessive genetic disease. Affected individuals present musculoskeletal abnormalities, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and may develop cardiomyopathy and mental retardation The mechanism linking AGPAT2 (for CGL1) and BSCL2 (for CGL2) mutations to the syndrome has yet to be fully understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, we analyzed blood cell transcriptomes from individuals with CGL1 (n = 3), CGL2 (n = 12), unaffected BSCL2 heterozygotes (HET, n = 8), and healthy individuals (CTRL, n = 3). Study participants were also evaluated by densitometry (GE Lunar DPX), in addition to biochemical panel and pro-inflammatory cytokines measured in serum.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The gene expression profile of CGL1 was similar to CTRL, a result likely due to the compensatory activity of other AGPAT isoforms. CGL2 had 283 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), most enriched for neurodegenerative- and mitochondria-related genes. There was a negative correlation between the top1 gene, NUAK2, and fat mass (rho = -0.55, p = 0.01). The HET group had 105 DEGs, with OLR1, an atherogenic gene, as the most significant (P_adj = 0.003). Up-regulation of TNF signaling pathway was also detected, a finding confirmed by high TNF and low IL10 levels in serum.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Both CGL2 individuals and their unaffected relatives had abnormal gene expression pattern. Further epidemiological studies should seek to assess cardiovascular risk in heterozygote individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"395-400"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143993307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A decade of active surveillance for low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma in Argentina: persistent challenges in acceptance and discontinuation rates.","authors":"Anabella Smulever, Fabián Pitoia","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04296-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04296-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Active surveillance (AS) for low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has been practiced for over 30 years with encouraging results globally. However, its adoption remains limited in certain contexts. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term oncological outcomes of patients undergoing AS and compare changes in the acceptance and discontinuation rates in Argentina over the past decade.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective, observational cohort study (2014-2024) included 358 patients diagnosed with low-risk PTC measuring ≤1.5 cm across two university hospitals. Of these, 104 patients (29%) opted for AS and were followed up with thyroid ultrasounds and function tests annually for at least 24 months. Surgery was recommended for tumors showing a ≥3 mm increase in size, newly detected foci, or metastatic involvement. Outcomes were analyzed in two distinct phases: 2014-2019 (A) and 2020-2024 (B).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 104 patients under AS, 10.6% developed tumor growth of ≥3 mm, and 7.6% developed new PTC foci. The 5- and 10-year cumulative incidence of tumor growth was 7 and 8%, respectively. Lymph node metastases occurred in 0.9%. AS acceptance rates remained stable between Phase A (25%) and Phase B (30%) (p = 0.82). AS discontinuation rates were also similar: 19.5% in A and 12.6% in B (p = 0.63). Among patients discontinuing AS due to tumor progression, 31% underwent surgery. Anxiety was the main reason for surgery in 66% of cases in Phase A and 40% in Phase B. Lobectomies increased from 1.5% (A) to 9% (B, p = 0.8). No evidence of disease was achieved in 84% of cases at the end of follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite persistently low acceptance and adherence to AS, the long-term outcomes observed in this prospective study reinforce this approach as a feasible initial management option for low-risk PTC. These findings underscore the need for further efforts to improve the acceptance of AS among eligible patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"497-507"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144163032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vitamin D deficiency in relation to different phenotypes of prediabetes: a population-based study.","authors":"Chunhua Wu, Mengmeng Li, Wenjuan Yang, Zihao Shi, Shanhu Qiu, Qunyan Zhou","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04256-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04256-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Vitamin D deficiency is implicated in the development of prediabetes. However, it is unclear whether vitamin D deficiency showed any relationship with different phenotypes of prediabetes. This study was designed to address this issue.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We included participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2016. Prediabetes is classified into the following phenotypes: an isolated defect (that is, impaired fasting glucose [IFG], impaired glucose tolerance [IGT], or impaired hemoglobin A1c[IA1c]), two defects (that is, IFG+IGT, IFG+IA1c, or IGT+IA1c), or three defects (that is, IFG+IGT+IA1c). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 4126 participants (2332 with prediabetes and 1794 with normal glycemia) were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that prediabetes was associated with an increased odds of vitamin D deficiency than normal glycemia (OR 1.216, 95% CI 1.023-1.444). Further analysis showed that prediabetes phenotypes of IGT+IFG (OR 1.549, 95% CI 1.050-2.283) and IFG+IGT + IA1c (OR 1.507, 95% CI 1.062-2.138) had an increased odds of vitamin D deficiency. The odds of vitamin D deficiency was higher in individuals with glucose-defined prediabetes, but not in those with HbA1c-defined prediabetes when compared with individuals with normal glycemia.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Prediabetes was associated with an increased odds of vitamin D deficiency, and glucose-defined prediabetes might be a better predictor of vitamin D deficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"578-586"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144027719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"GLP-1 receptor agonists show no detrimental effect on sperm quality in mouse models and cell lines.","authors":"Deshan Yin, Fei Li, Li Xia, Tianjiao Wei, Chunhua Shan, Zhe Zhang, Rui Wei","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04245-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04245-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists exert multiple beneficial effects. However, their effects on reproduction system are controversial. Here, we aimed to investigate their effects on male reproduction and provide safety evidence for future clinical use.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Male diabetic mice and aged mice were treated with liraglutide or vehicle, and sperm concentration and motility were assessed. The expression and location of GLP-1R in testicular tissues and in four testicular cell lines (spermatogonia, spermatocytes, Leydig cells, and Sertoli cells) were detected. Cauda epididymis and testicular cells were treated with liraglutide, semaglutide or vehicle, and sperm motility and cell proliferation were detected to determine the direct effect of GLP-1R agonists. Global Glp1r knockout mice were constructed, and testicular morphology, sperm concentration and motility were detected to confirm the effects of GLP-1R signaling on male reproduction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Liraglutide significantly reduced blood glucose levels, but did not improve sperm parameters in diabetic mice. No significant differences were observed between liraglutide and control group in aged mice. GLP-1R was expressed in testicular tissues and all four cell lines, with the highest expression in Leydig cells. Liraglutide or semaglutide had no impacts on sperm count and motility in vitro, and had no effects on cell proliferation in four cell lines. The Glp1r knockout mice exhibited higher blood glucose levels and preserved normal testicular morphology, but their sperm concentration was higher than that in wildtype mice.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>GLP-1R agonists have no detrimental effect on sperm concentration and motility in vivo and in vitro, while GLP-1R absence increase the sperm concentration.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"614-626"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12289847/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144041513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Puberty, but not precocious puberty is influenced by weight gain in the first years of life.","authors":"Vittorio Ferrari, Alessandra Li Pomi, Daniele Ciofi, Malgorzata Gabriela Wasniewska, Stefano Stagi","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04254-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04254-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Factors favouring the secular trend of decreasing average age of puberty include eating habits, environmental endocrine disruptors, genetics, stress and lifestyle. The association between higher BMI and timing and tempo of puberty has long been documented in the general population but data for children with precocious puberty are poor.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To evaluate the relationship between the role of weight gain in the first years of life on the onset of central precocious puberty.</p><p><strong>Patients and methods: </strong>We analyzed the data of 120 Caucasian girls diagnosed with CPP between May 2020 and March 2021 (group 1) and a control group of 540 girls. Patients with CPP associated with hypothalamic-pituitary congenital malformations, neurological, neurosurgical and/or genetic diseases, psychomotor delay, oncological diseases, other endocrine impairments requiring hormonal treatments, or taking drugs that may interfere with pubertal development were excluded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In CPP girls (group 1), mean age of B2 was 7.67 ± 0.88 years; BMI was 0.14 ± 0.88 SDS, and average BW was -0.08 ± 1.04 SDS. In this group an evaluation of delta SDS BMIB2-BW did not reveal a statistically significant relationship between thelarche and increased BMI. In comparison, the mean age of B2 in the control group (group 2) was 10.06 ± 1.03 years, BMI was -0.02 ± 1.01 SDS, and mean BW was -0.03 ± 0.93 SDS and we found a clear correlation between delta SDS BMIB2-BW and thelarche age (R: 0.27; p < 0.0001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our data confirm that weight gain plays a crucial role in the trend of earlier pubertal development in the general population, but precocious puberty does not appear to be influenced by weight variation in the first years of life. It is therefore important to consider other factors which may contribute to triggering or aggravating this condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"641-646"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12289855/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cabergoline monotherapy in polycystic ovary syndrome patients with elevated prolactin: a viable option?","authors":"Aslı Sıgınır, Hayri Bostan, Emre Sedar Saygılı, Ceren Tufan, Ersen Karakılıc","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04279-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04279-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Cabergoline is widely used to treat hyperprolactinemia, but its effects on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remain unclear. Since hyperprolactinemia is present in nearly 30% of PCOS cases, this study aims to assess the impact of cabergoline on androgen levels and clinical outcomes in PCOS with elevated prolactin cases, discussing these findings with the results in prolactinoma cases.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 66 women aged 18-40 were included in this retrospective cohort study, with 36 in the PCOS with elevated prolactin group (median 24.0 (22.0-27.5) years) and 30 in the prolactinoma group (median 28.0 (23.7-33.0) years). Only patients who had been started on cabergoline treatment and had available follow-up data were included. Hormonal profiles and clinical findings, including hirsutism, and menstrual cycle regularity, were assessed before and after cabergoline treatment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After cabergoline treatment, significant reductions in prolactin and total testosterone levels were observed in both groups. In the PCOS group, total testosterone decreased from 0.65-0.49 ng/mL (p < 0.001) and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate levels from 407.5-301.0 µg/dL (p < 0.001). In the prolactinoma group, total testosterone decreased from 0.39-0.29 ng/mL (p < 0.001). Menstrual irregularities improved markedly in both groups, with prevalence decreasing from 83.3-5.6% in PCOS group and from 80.0-10.0% in the prolactinoma group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, in PCOS group, the prevalence of hirsutism was decreased from 86.1-61.1% (p = 0.007).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Cabergoline is effective in lowering prolactin and androgen levels while improving menstrual regularity in both PCOS and prolactinoma patients, highlighting its potential as a valuable therapeutic option for patients with PCOS with elevated prolactin.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"547-555"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12289812/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preoperative controlling nutritional status score for patients with medullary thyroid cancer.","authors":"Mijin Kim, Hee Kyung Kim, Chae A Kim, Meihua Jin, Min Ji Jeon, Ho-Cheol Kang, Dong Jun Lim, Eun Sook Kim, Byeong-Cheol Ahn, Won Gu Kim, Bo Hyun Kim","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04233-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04233-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is aggressive in nature compared with differentiated thyroid cancer, with a poor 10-year overall survival rate. Given the effect of the immune-inflammatory system on the survival of patients with cancer, the aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the preoperative Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score in patients with MTC.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This multicenter, retrospective study included 221 patients with MTC who underwent thyroidectomy at four tertiary hospitals. The CONUT score was calculated for all patients using preoperative serum albumin and total cholesterol concentrations and lymphocyte counts. Patients were stratified into high and low CONUT score groups based on a cut-off score of 2.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 164 (74%) and 57 (26%) patients were categorized into low and high CONUT score groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in the clinicopathological characteristics, including age, sex, primary tumor size, preoperative levels of calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen, and neck lymph node and distant metastasis between the two groups. The 10-year disease-specific survival rate in the high CONUT score group was significantly shorter than that in the low CONUT score group (85.7% vs. 97.3%; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that a high CONUT score was an independent prognostic factor for disease-specific survival (p = 0.008).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The preoperative CONUT score appears to be an independent prognostic indicator in patients with surgically treated MTC, with a high score indicating a poorer prognosis. Our findings underscore the importance of preoperative nutritional and immunological assessments in MTC management.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"476-483"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144054398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Thank you for sharing!\": A thematic analysis of comments on an endocrinologist-moderated facebook page.","authors":"Robbi Miguel G Falcon, Hannah G Babaran, Beatrice Dominique B Caragay, Rianna Patricia S Cruz, Alyssa Nadine A Ferrer, Bryan Allen Q Gonzalez, Iris Thiele C Isip-Tan","doi":"10.1007/s12020-025-04255-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12020-025-04255-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Thyroid diseases are a global health concern. The thyroid gland functions for homeostasis and metabolism, implying its disorders significantly affect quality of life. Effective long-term management is essential, with social support playing a critical role. Online communication has expanded social support options, enhancing patient self-management.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study qualitatively explores the dynamics of social support exchanged among patients seeking information on thyroid diseases in an endocrinologist-moderated Facebook page. It aims to identify and classify the prevailing themes of Facebook comments for social support on thyroid disease-related posts on a physician-moderated Facebook page, and explore the meaning of these experiences.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative study used reflexive thematic analysis on posts related to thyroid diseases on the Endocrine Witch Facebook page from January 1, 2019, to March 31, 2023. The analysis followed Braun and Clarke's six steps: familiarization, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and discussing the implications.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 4327 comments were analyzed, revealing three major themes: healthcare-related, personal experiences, and page moderator-directed comments. The healthcare-related theme included sub-themes of health information on thyroid diseases, clinic hours, and diagnostic and treatment clarifications related to the management of thyroid disorders and the general work-up done. The personal theme involved reactions towards the information shared and other patients' stories, anecdotes of patient's stories and encounters with thyroid diseases, and referrals to peers for information sharing. The page moderator-directed theme included comments of gratitude for sharing information and clarifying common public health concerns. These findings further reinforces the growing significance of social media's role in healthcare, particularly in augmenting peer and social support, especially for patients with chronic conditions such as thyroid diseases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Online social support environments provide valuable information and emotional encouragement for patients, especially for highly prevalent chronic diseases, where long-term outcomes are typically shaped over time. Further exploration of online thyroid patient interactions and the role of healthcare professionals is essential to enhance healthcare strategies and overall care quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":49211,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine","volume":" ","pages":"655-664"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143993304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}