Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Quality of life is currently considered a major factor in the assessment of disease outcome. The aim was to assess quality of life in acromegaly and the effect of somatostatin analogues on it.Design: This study included 101 patients with acromegaly, mean age 59.51±1.35 years (mean ± S.E.M.), with a disease duration of 12.88±0.96 years. All subjects completed the Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (AcroQoL) w...

Asfotase alfa (AA, STRENSIQ, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) is the first FDA-Approved treatment for patients with hypophosphatasia, the result of a mutation in the tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) gene. Because it contains the ALP active site, AA is able to catalyse the substrate as the antibody-conjugated ALP would within an assay. Therefore, AA present in a patient’s sample may generate a false positive or a false negative result. We investigated ...

GPR56 is an adhesion G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), which we have shown to be the most abundant GPCR in mouse and human islets. The extracellular N-terminal domain of adhesion GPCRs contains a tethered agonist, buried within the GPCR autoproteolysis-inducing domain. Synthetic peptides mimicking tethered agonist sequences can activate a variety of adhesion GPCRs including GPR56. Here we investigated the effect of a GPR56 tethered agonist peptide, P7, on β-cell function...

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaeological malignancy in the developed world: lifetime exposure to oestrogen is a key risk factor. Oestrogen action is mediated by ligand activated receptors encoded by the ESR1 (ERα) and ESR2 (ERß) genes: ERα plays a key role in regulating endometrial cell proliferation. ERß5, is a truncated variant isoform of ERß formed by alternative splicing of ESR2 that contains a DNA binding doma...

Introduction: Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) can be associated with an increased risk of germ cell tumours depending on the underlying diagnosis. To date however knowledge regarding the indications and timing of gonadectomy is lacking.Methods: The I-DSD Registry was interrogated for anonymised information regarding the diagnosis, karyotype, sex of rearing and timing of gonadectomy, if undertaken, of all individuals of any karyotype who were over the ...

Background: Self-administration of anabolic steroids among bodybuilders is an underestimated problem, often not admitted by patients.Case presentaation: A 19 year old male (planning to study medicine!) presented with gynaecomastia, general malaise and erectile problems. Investigations revealed acute hepatitis: ALT 2125 U/L [Ref. range (RR)<45] and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: LH – 1.6 IU/L [RR: 1.5-9.3], testosterone 0.214 ng/mL [RR: 2.49-8.36...

Phosphate is an essential ion for mineralization of bone. Hypophosphatemia leads to rickets and osteomalacia whereas hyperphosphatemia promotes ectopic calcification in soft tissues. FGF23 is a polypeptide hormone secreted by bone that regulates serum phosphate concentration. It acts on kidney to decrease phosphate reabsorption, and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D secretion which in turn reduces phosphorus absorption by the gut. Its action on the renal tubule appears to require PTH a...

Increased deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as collagens and hyaluronan is associated with diet-induced insulin resistance (IR) in skeletal muscle. Studies of the role of specific ECM components in muscle IR have been pivotal but incomplete. Here we used an approach (i.e. ECM-specific mass spectrometry-based proteomics) that gives a more complete view of ECM protein abundance with muscle IR. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed with either a chow or high fat (HF) ...

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) regulates secretion of the reproductive hormones luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in mammals. Homologs of GnRH have been identified in protostomian and deuterostomian invertebrates, and functional studies suggest an ancient role in regulation of reproductive physiology. The aim of this study was to characterise for the first time a GnRH-type signalling system in an echinoderm, using the starfish Asterias ...

Background: Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) plays a critical role in regulating glucocorticoid bioavailability. During inflammation, plasma CBG behaves as an acute phase “negative” protein due to the down-regulation of hepatic SerpinA6 (Cbg) expression and proteolytic cleavage of CBG. CBG contains a protease-cleavage domain (RCL) that promotes the release of CBG-bound steroids at sites of inflammation. Using an established adjuvant induced art...