Endocrine Abstracts

Children diagnosed with either Growth Hormone deficiency (GHD) or Turner syndrome (TS) are both treated with GH titrated against either weight or area. The response to such treatment however, is highly variable and, at least in part, diagnosis dependent. The precise mechanisms underlying this variability are unknown. As basal GH levels differ between GHD and TS and, as GH elicits its effects through changes in gene expression, the basal gene expression profiles of GHD and TS s...

Ubiquitination (Ub) is the process that controls the level and activity of cellular proteins. Mono-ubiquitination of a protein alters its function, while poly-ubiquitination targets a protein for degradation (as the ‘kiss of death’). Alterations in the Ub system are associated with a wide range of disease, e.g. cancer, neurological diseases and viral infection.Disorders of growth where the phenotype is primarily short stature are usually caused...

Introduction: Paediatric obesity is a growing concern for the health service. There is currently no consensus for routine screening of metabolic profiles and medical treatment in obese paediatric patients.Aims/methods: We aimed to determine medium-term outcomes of Metformin treatment on BMI, glucose and insulin levels in obese paediatric patients. In a retrospective review, data were collected from obese paediatric patients on Metformin for insulin resis...

Introduction: There is limited data on the psychological sequelae of obesity in paediatric patients.Aims/methods: We aimed to assess the prevalence of psychological comorbidities in obese paediatric patients. Internationally validated self-report questionnaires were offered to 19 patients and their parents from a tier three paediatric obesity clinics. These included the Paediatric Index of Emotional Distress (PI-ED); Beck Youth Inventory exploring self-p...

Introduction: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is an important cause of hypoglycaemia in infancy requiring intensive medical and surgical support. Carbohydrate requirement (CHO) represents a simple index of severity but does not predict the failure of medical treatment and hence the requirement for pancreatectomy.Aims: To design and validate a severity tool for use in early onset CHI patients.Methods: To design the Manchester CHI s...

Introduction: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) may arise due to loss-of-function mutations in ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes which encode subunits of ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels. KATP channels couple nutrient metabolism with insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells but are also located in enteroendocrine L- and K-cells and may play a role in the control of GLP-1 and GIP secretion respectively. More than 70% of patients with CHI h...