Endocrine Abstracts

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are environmental contaminants that interfere with normal hormonal homeostasis and act as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC). These molecules can mimic hormone effects on metabolism. The links between metabolism and cancer are now well established. Metabolism generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which contribute to mutations and induces oncogenic transformation. In turn, cancer cells display high metabolic flexibility allowing them to...

Xavier Bertagna, Cochin Hospital, Paris, France. AbstractXavier Bertagna is Professor of Endocrinology, Chief of the Department of Endocrinology of Cochin hospital, Faculté de Médecine René Descartes, Université Paris, Paris, France.He trained at the Clinical Research Center (Dr. M. Chrétien), Montreal, Canada and at the Endocrine Division, Vanderbilt Medical School (Dr....

Adrenal tumors – like many endocrine tumors – bear two classical threats: hormone hypersecretion and/or oncogenic potential. Also, because they are rare, their recognition may be delayed; and syndromic- or malignant tumors may be misdiagnosed…adding further threats…This talk will concentrate on recent progress brought by genetic studies with the aim of improving our understanding of the pathophysiology of these tumors, our diagnosti...

Many difficulties can be encountered in the management of patients with Cushing’s syndrome or suspected Cushing’s syndrome.In the first step of the diagnosis strategy, establishing the state of chronic hypercortisolism may be hampered by a number of pitfalls: drug interaction (inducers of high CBG levels, liver enzyme inducers, glucocorticoids, antiglucocorticoid RU 486, Glycyrrhetinic acid); intercurrent pathologic states (obesity, thyroid dys...

Drug interactions, intercurrent pathological states may interfere with routine diagnostic tests. Authentic hypercortisolic states can be present without Cushing’s syndrome, such as in depression, anorexia nervosa, alcoholism, pregnancy. Mild forms of Cushing’s syndrome, or fluctuating cases are other usual pitfalls.When the diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome is firmly established there are still many potential pitfalls in the etiological diag...

Introduction: Interleukine-4 (IL-4) a T-helper type 2 cytokine (Th2), has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). However, the role of IL-4 in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) pathogenesis remains controversial. In this study, we investigated whether a constitutive IL-4 overexpression in the thyroid tissue (Thyr-IL4) could influence the development of thyroiditis in resistant (C57BL/6) or susceptible (NOD.H2h4) mouse strains.<...

The mammalian reproductive axis is activated at puberty by neuroendocrine events within the hypothalamus that initiate the pulsatile secretion of GnRH. GnRH acts on the anterior pituitary to stimulate production of the gonadotrophic hormones (LH and FSH) which bring about maturation of the gonads. Both naturally occuring and genetically modified mutant mice have provided insights into the molecular events that maintain the function of each part of this reproductive axis. The c...

Background: Severe hypertriglyceridemia (HT) increases the risk of pancreatitis, whereas mild HT may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The variety of hypertriglyceridemia origins often makes the etiological diagnosis complex.Case report: A 24-year-old female G3P0Ab2 with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) was referred at 27th week of gestation to the Endocrinology Department in July 2017 for glycemic instability and severe hypertriglyceridemia. T...

The in-hospital pharmacological management of patients with diabetes has recently been identified by the National Diabetes Inpatient Audit as a key safety issue. Over 30% of inpatient drug charts surveyed in the 2013 audit had at least 1 diabetes medication error in the preceding week. Patients with a diabetes medication error on their drug chart were also twice as likely to have one or more hypoglycaemic episodes during their hospital stay.A paper by Br...

Activation of the G-protein coupled receptor GPR54 (AXOR12, OT7T175) by peptide ligands (kisspeptins) encoded by the Kiss-1gene is central to acquisition of reproductive competency in mammals. Administration of exogenous kisspeptins stimulates GnRH release from hypothalamic neurons in several species including humans. To confirm that kisspeptins are the natural agonist of GPR54 in vivo and to determine if these ligands have additional physiological functions, we ...