Endocrine Abstracts

Glucocorticoids act through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to regulate cell function. GR gamma (GRγ) is a constitutive exon3/4 splice variant, contributing 4–8% of the total GR transcripts and is highly conserved through mammalian evolution, but its biological function remains unknown. Using microarray analysis we identified the transcriptome response for GRγ in stable HEK-Flp cells. This revealed that although GRγ effectively modulated gene expression in...

Aims: To determine the relationships between calcium:creatinine (CaCr) clearance ratio and fractional excretion of calcium (FECa).Design: Ten-week study of 15 patients aged 25–93 years undergoing investigations for parathyroid hormone (PTH)-related hypercalcaemia and 39 healthy volunteers aged 20–61 years.Outcome measures: CaCr clearance ratio calculated from 24-hour urine collection and FECa from 5 ml fasting urine aliqu...

Aims: To assess the short-term (one day) and longer-term (10–113 days) test-retest reliability of calcium:creatinine (Ca:Cr) ratio calculated from 24-hour urine collection and its surrogate fractional excretion of calcium (FECa) from urine aliquots.Methods: On the first visit, eight subjects (aged 22–55 years) collected two fasting urine aliquots (5 ml) at the start and end of their non-fasting 24-hour urine collection for FECa<...

Objectives: Patients with diabetes have longer and more complicated hospital stays than non-diabetic patients. The 2001 UK National Service Framework (NSF) recommends that the management of these patients should be supplemented by diabetes nurse specialists (DNS). This study aimed to audit the implementation of this recommendation, how it can be targeted and the impact it has on patient care.Study design and setting: One month long cross-sectional study ...

Aims: To assess factors associated with excess rates of fractures in women with Turner’s syndrome.Settings: Adult Turner Clinic.Outcome measures: Bone fracture history, oestrogen, growth hormone, oxandrolone and thyroxine therapies, anthropometry, calcium, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone and karyotype, hearing impairment, spinal bone mineral density (BMD). This study was approved by Ethical Committee.Resu...

Background: Maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) is a rare form of diabetes due to defects in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Maternal transmission of diabetes and neurosensorial deafness are the main clinical features of MIDD followed by other mitochondrial disorders, myopathies, and macular dystrophy. 3243 A>G is the mutation most frequently associated with this condition, but also other mtDNA variants have been linked with MIDD. We describe the case presenting w...

BackgroundData on clinical characteristics and natural history of patients with non-functioning pituitary microadenomas (NFPmA) is limited to small-scale studies.MethodsA retrospective evaluation of initial clinical presentation and natural history of patients with NFPmA (conservatively managed, years; 2004–2020) was undertaken. Initial symptoms, tumor size, and pituitary function were assessed. Exclusio...

Introduction: The common causes of thyrotoxicosis are Graves’ disease, toxic multinodular goitre and toxic adenoma which account for >90% of cases of this condition. Iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis (Jod-Basedow syndrome) is infrequently considered as a cause of thyrotoxicosis. This case describes a lesser known cause of iodinated contrast-induced thyrotoxicosis.Case Report: A 47 year old man with known alcoholic liver disease and recurrent pancrea...

Case history: This 33-year old Scottish female presented in February 2017 with a 3-month history of vomiting, erythematous vesicular pruritic rash and three stone weight loss. The rash started 1 day postpartum in January 2015 and migrated from dorsum of feet to both lower legs, upper thigh and torso. A negative biopsy for pemphigus led the team to suspect necrolytic migratory erythema (NME) in November 2016. Her past medical history includes gestational diabetes with her third...

Case history: A 74-year old gentleman was referred from Urology clinic for hypercalcemia after being treated for left vesico-ureteric calculus causing mild hydronephrosis. Past medical history included asthma, eczema and hypertension. He had been taking calcium supplements for 5 years, but stopped 2 months prior to clinic. He was asymptomatic and quite well with no recent fracture.Investigations: Adjusted Ca ranged from 2.62 to 2.78 mmol/l, PTH from 2.6 ...