Endocrine Abstracts

Membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are involved in a wide array of essential cellular functions. Identification of the topology of membrane proteins can provide important insight into their mechanisms of action and biological roles. This is particularly important for membrane enzymes, since their topology determines the subcellular site where a biochemical reaction takes place and the dependence on luminal or cytosolic substrates and co-factor pools. The metho...

Enzalutamide is an androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor approved for therapy of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. However, clinical application revealed that 30 to 40% of patients acquire resistance after a short period of treatment. Currently, the molecular mechanisms underlying such insensitivities are not completely understood, partly due to a lack of model systems. In the present study we established three different cellular models of enzalutamide resistance inc...

Introduction: Hyperprolactinemia is usually an acquired condition. Typical clinical manifestations include hypogonadism, infertility, and galactorrhea. Rarely, hyperprolactinemia has been attributed to a variant in the prolactin receptor gene (PRLR), presenting as agalactia, without hypogonadism, infertility, or galactorrhea.Aim: In the current study we aimed to delineate the clinical phenotype and the genetic basis of marked hyperprolactinemia ...

Hybrid closed-loop systems for managing type 1 diabetes are now available and rapidly being integrated into routine clinical practice. Insulin delivery is automated in a closed-loop system via an algorithm that uses CGM data to direct insulin delivery via an insulin pump, but users need to carbohydrate count and give pre-prandial insulin to achieve optimal outcomes. Understanding the principals of closed-loop insulin delivery, and how it differs from traditional insulin pump t...

Seventy percent of menopausal women experience vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and/or night sweats), and 10% will describe them as intolerable, but many will have a contraindication and/or aversion to hormone replacement therapy which is the most effective treatment. Therefore, for those women current treatment options are limited and include herbal remedies, centrally acting modulators of neurotransmitter concentrations (eg SSRIs/SNRIs), clonidine, and cognitive behavioural t...

Seventy percent of menopausal women experience vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes/night sweats), which can be highly disruptive and persist for years; 10% describe them as intolerable. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other available treatments have variable efficacy and/or side effects. A novel therapeutic could therefore benefit 10 million in the UK alone, and particularly those who have a contraindication or aversion to HRT. Neurokinin B signalling is upregulated in menop...

Rather than be another careers session of pathway diagrams and tales from many years ago, this short talk will cover honest experiences of current training including tips and tricks with hindsight (relevant to any specialty training), and the highs and lows that happen along the way....

Having access to reliable information is an essential element of the quality treatment and management of a health condition. However, all too often patients tell us they were given very little information, both at diagnosis and throughout their recovery and ongoing management. In a recent survey of 453 patients who had had thyroid surgery (54% for thyroid cancer), 31% told us they did not have enough opportunity to discuss the risks and benefits of the treatment options, 38% s...

Introduction: Liver is the most common site in patients with advanced small bowel neuroendocrine neoplasms (SBNEN) and distant metastases. On the contrary, lung metastases are relatively uncommon, occurring in 5–13.6% of patients. Although hepatic metastases often progress and have implications to the disease outcome, not enough data are available for lung metastases.Aim: Our aim was to assess the incidence of chest (including lung, mediastina/hilar...

Increased use of abdominal imaging has resulted in vast numbers of adrenal incidentalomas being identified (Bovio et al., 2006). Guidelines exist for identifying hormone excess and diagnosing malignancy but there is little evidence about how to manage phaeochromocytoma in patients who are poor surgical candidates. We present the case of a frail 88 year-old lady who was found to have a right adrenal incidentaloma during assessment for abdominal pain. Mrs R is able to m...