Vincenzo Rochira | Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia (original) (raw)

Papers by Vincenzo Rochira

The study suggests a direct involvement of oestrogens in insulin sensitivity, and supports a poss... more The study suggests a direct involvement of oestrogens in insulin sensitivity, and supports a possible role of oestradiol to testosterone ratio, which may be as influencial as the separate actions of each sex steroid on glucose homeostasi

Journal of the International AIDS Society, 2008

Women with HIV-related lipodystrophy show impaired GH secretion at the stimulation test with GHRH... more Women with HIV-related lipodystrophy show impaired GH secretion at the stimulation test with GHRH+Arginin

To evaluate the association between erectile dysfunction and subclinical coronary artery atherosc... more To evaluate the association between erectile dysfunction and subclinical coronary artery atherosclerosis to endothelial dysfunction in HIV-infected people

Andrology

IntroductionAlthough a trustworthy connection between doctor and patient is crucial in clinical p... more IntroductionAlthough a trustworthy connection between doctor and patient is crucial in clinical practice, it could be hindered by different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Moreover, an effective doctor–patient interaction could be even more challenging in andrological fields, in which psychological and social components are predominant.AimTo analyse the doctor–patient relationship in the andrological field, applying both qualitative and quantitative analyses.Methodsmonocentric, cross‐sectional, observational study was performed between May and December 2018. During the study, all patients aged >18 years attending the Modena Andrology Unit for couple infertility or erectile dysfunction were enrolled and the doctor–patients interaction recorded. Patients were divided into two groups depending on their medical seeking and were further divided between native and non‐native speakers of Italian. All patients underwent a routine andrological examination. Every first medical consult...

Background. Probiotics are live microorganisms able to confer a health benefit to the host, when ... more Background. Probiotics are live microorganisms able to confer a health benefit to the host, when administered in adequate amounts. Despite the widespread use of probiotics, their pharmacological interference remains unclear. The relationship between probiotics and levothyroxine (LT4) requirement has not yet been investigated. Objective. To assess whether a mixture of highly charged Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria (VSL#3\uae) is able to influence LT4 metabolism acting on the gut microbiota. Methods. A prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled, investigator-started clinical trial was carried out. Patients with primary hypothyroidism were randomly assigned to the study (VSL#3\uae+ LT4) and the control group (LT4). A two months treatment phase was followed by two months of follow-up. Clinical examination, blood tests for thyroid function and for peripheral tissue markers of thyroid hormones effect were performed monthly for 4 months. LT4 dose adjustments were performed during the study when necessary. Results. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled in the study group and 41 in the control group. No difference in thyroid function (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3) and free thyroxine (fT4)) and peripheral tissue markers was found between groups and among visits. FT3/fT4 ratio was directly correlated to TSH at each visit in the control and in the study group, with the exception of the first evaluation of subjects treated with probiotics. LT4 daily dose adjustments occurred 10 times in 8 patients, more frequently in the control than in the study group, despite no differences in the mean LT4 daily dose. Conclusions. VSL#3\uae does not directly alter thyroid functional compensation. A probiotics- mediated influence on thyroid hormones homeostasis is suggested since probiotics supplementation could be able to prevent serum hormonal fluctuations

Estrogen modulates pituitary function, particularly GH and prolactin secretion in men, Aromatase ... more Estrogen modulates pituitary function, particularly GH and prolactin secretion in men, Aromatase deficiency constitutes a model to study the effect of the lack of estrogen on pituitary function. Men with aromatase deficiency have GH deficiency despite their increased height

Low circulating estrogens, but not testosterone are associated with impaired bone mineral density... more Low circulating estrogens, but not testosterone are associated with impaired bone mineral density in HIV-related osteoporosis in men, especially when serum estradiol falls below a threshold of about 15-20 pg/m

European Journal of Endocrinology, 2021

Objective Hypogonadism is common in HIV-infected men. The relationship between health status, sex... more Objective Hypogonadism is common in HIV-infected men. The relationship between health status, sex steroids and body composition is poorly known in HIV. The aim was to investigate the association between health status (comorbidities/frailty), body composition, and gonadal function in young-to-middle-aged HIV-infected men. Design Prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. Methods HIV-infected men aged <50 years and ongoing Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy were enrolled. Serum total testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2), estrone (E1) were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, LH and FSH by immunoassay. Free testosterone (cFT) was calculated by Vermeulen equation. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and abdominal CT scan. Multimorbidity (MM) and frailty were defined as ≥3 comorbidities and by a 37-item index, respectively. Results A total of 316 HIV-infected men aged 45.3 ± 5.3 years were enrolled. Body fat parameters were i...

Journal of Population Therapeutics & Clinical Pharmacology, 2020

Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2020

Background: Human reproduction is regulated by the combined action of the follicle-stimulating ho... more Background: Human reproduction is regulated by the combined action of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and the luteinizing hormone (LH) on the gonads. Although FSH is largely used in female reproduction, in particular in women attending assisted reproductive techniques to stimulate multi-follicular growth, its efficacy in men with idiopathic infertility is not clearly demonstrated. Indeed, whether FSH administration improves fertility in patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, the therapeutic benefit in men presenting alterations in sperm production despite normal FSH serum levels is still unclear. In the present review, we evaluate the potential pharmacological benefits of FSH administration in clinical practice. Methods: This is a narrative review, describing the FSH physiological role in spermatogenesis and its potential therapeutic action in men. Results: The FSH role on male fertility is reviewed starting from the physiological control of spermatogenesis, throughout ...

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2020

Context Despite the new opportunities provided by assisted reproductive technology (ART), male in... more Context Despite the new opportunities provided by assisted reproductive technology (ART), male infertility treatment is far from being optimized. One possibility, based on pathophysiological evidence, is to stimulate spermatogenesis with gonadotropins. Evidence Acquisition We conducted a comprehensive systematic PubMed literature review, up to January 2020, of studies evaluating the genetic basis of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) action, the role of FSH in spermatogenesis, and the effects of its administration in male infertility. Manuscripts evaluating the role of genetic polymorphisms and FSH administration in women undergoing ART were considered whenever relevant. Evidence Synthesis FSH treatment has been successfully used in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, but with questionable results in idiopathic male infertility. A limitation of this approach is that treatment plans for male infertility have been borrowed from hypogonadism, without daring to overstimulate, as is done in w...

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) supports spermatogenesis acting via its receptor (FSHR), which... more Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) supports spermatogenesis acting via its receptor (FSHR), which activates trophic effects in gonadal Sertoli cells. These pathways are targeted by hormonal drugs used for clinical treatment of infertile men, mainly belonging to sub-groups defined as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism or idiopathic infertility. While, in the first case, fertility may be efficiently restored by specific treatments, such as pulsatile gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) or choriogonadotropin (hCG) alone or in combination with FSH, less is known about the efficacy of FSH in supporting the treatment of male idiopathic infertility. This review focuses on the role of FSH in the clinical approach to male reproduction, addressing the state-of-the-art from the little data available and discussing the pharmacological evidence. New compounds, such as allosteric ligands, dually active, chimeric gonadotropins and immunoglobulins, may represent interesting avenues for future personali...

Frontiers in endocrinology, 2017

The relationship between probiotics and levothyroxine (LT4) requirement has not yet been investig... more The relationship between probiotics and levothyroxine (LT4) requirement has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to assess whether a mixture of highly charged Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria (VSL#3®) is able to influence LT4 metabolism acting on the gut microbiota. A prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled, investigator-started clinical trial was carried out. Patients with primary hypothyroidism were randomly assigned to the study (VSL#3® + LT4) and the control group (LT4). A 2-month treatment phase was followed by 2 months of follow-up. Clinical examination, blood tests for thyroid function and for peripheral tissue markers of thyroid hormones (PTM) were performed monthly. LT4 dose adjustments were performed when necessary. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled in the study group and 41 in the control group. No difference in thyroid function [thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4)] and PTM was found between gr...

The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting & Expo, June 4–7, 2011 - Boston, 2011

Background: The penis has been compared to a barometer of endothelial health, being erectile dysf... more Background: The penis has been compared to a barometer of endothelial health, being erectile dysfunction (ED) an early sign of endothelial dysfunction. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between ED and endothelial dysfunction in patients with HIV infection on ART. Methods: In this observational cross-sectional study we evaluated the prevalence and factors associated with ED in a cohort of 133 HIV-infected men. Evaluation tools included: the International Index of Erectile Function, ultrasound assessment of ...

Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA, Jan 28, 2015

By investigating the relationship between serum testosterone, estradiol, and bone mineral density... more By investigating the relationship between serum testosterone, estradiol, and bone mineral density (BMD) in a large cohort of HIV-infected men, estradiol was associated with BMD, relative estrogen deficiency being involved in bone loss in men with hypogonadism, in addition to all HIV-related factors. Increased aromatization in adipose tissue does not counteract HIV-related bone loss. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between serum testosterone, estradiol, and BMD in a large cohort of HIV-infected men. We investigated biochemical, hormonal parameters, and BMD in 1204 HIV-infected men (age 45.64 ± 7.33 years) participating in a cross-sectional, observational study. Among other parameters, the main outcome measures were serum total testosterone and estradiol, gonadotropins, 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], parathormone (PTH), calcium, phosphorous, femoral, and lumbar BMD. In men with HIV, the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia is 15.1 and 63.2 % with 25(OH)D...