Endocrine Abstracts

MicroRNAs are highly conserved non-coding RNAs that regulate diverse cellular processes. Altered microRNA expression is observed in many human cancers and microRNAs may have tumour suppressor or oncogenic properties. One group of putative tumour suppressor microRNAs is the let-7 family whose expression is reduced in several human tumours, and which inhibit the expression of several oncogenes including HMGA2 and K-Ras. Let-7 expression have also been observed to b...

Objective: Our objective was to examine recurrence of hyperprolactinaemia following discontinuation of dopamine agonist (DA) therapy in patients with macroprolactinoma who have had treatment for 3–15 years.Methods: We identified retrospectively adult patients (n=15) attending OCDEM (Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK) with a confirmed diagnosis of macroprolactinoma (established during the last 25 years), who had been treated with DA therapy for a...

Introduction: Radioactive iodine (RAI) is a commonly used treatment modality in Graves’ hyperthyroidism. Patient choice is a major factor in advising radioiodine but there are few data on patient satisfaction following treatment.Method: QuestionnaireAn anonymised questionnaire was distributed to 100 individuals on the thyroid register with RAI treated Graves’ hyperthyroidism. The survey included questions relating to side...

Objective: Aromatase deficiency in mice or men prevents conversion of androgens to oestrogens and results in central obesity and insulin resistance. In idiopathic obesity, higher aromatase mRNA levels in adipose tissue predict peripheral rather than central fat distribution, but any contribution of aromatase to metabolic complications is unknown. Here, we measured plasma steroids in a large cohort of men and post-menopausal women, in whom aromatase is the major source of oestr...

The prevalence of thyroid nodules is extraordinarily common. An increase in the use of head and neck imaging, including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and carotid Dopplers, has increased the number of non-palpable thyroid nodules identified. For most patients, their thyroid disease is non-neoplastic and asymptomatic. The challenge in the management of thyroid nodules is identifying patients with clinically significant disease, most notably thyroid neoplasia, without exce...

Background: Iodine-131 (I-131) has been used to treat hyperthyroidism for half a century. Recent recommendations from the RCP London and British Thyroid Association suggest 400 MBq in most cases, but 500–600 MBq for toxic multinodular goitre (MNG). We have reviewed our clinic data with particular reference to response to a standard dose, 400 MBq, given to treat hyperthyroidism.Method: Casenotes of 88 patients who received 400 MBq I-131 for hyperthyr...

Introduction: Riedel’s thyroiditis is a rare disorder of unknown aetiology and may be seen isolated or as a part of multifocal fibrosclerosis. Multifocal fibrosclerosis involves two or more fibrotic disorders including Riedel’s thyroiditis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, sclerosing mediastinitis, retro-orbital pseudotumour and sclerosing cholangitis. We report a case of recurrent Riedel’s thyroiditis as part of multifocal fibrosclerosis presenting with a woody neck s...

Introduction: It is well known that struma ovarii, choriocarcinoma and follicular thyroid carcinoma can cause thyrotoxicosis. We report a rare case of a man with carcinomatosis presenting with acute thyrotoxicosis, unilateral proptosis and neck swelling.Case report: A 48-year-old man presented with a 2 weeks history of neck swelling, profuse sweating, heat intolerance, agitation, weight loss and mild unilateral proptosis. He was a smoker with a 20 years ...

Human studies indicate that local glucocorticoid (GC) generation within osteoblasts plays a critical role in various bone diseases. Human osteoblasts express the enzyme 11b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11b-HSD1) that converts inactive GCs (cortisone, dehydrocorticosterone) to their active counterparts (cortisol, corticosterone). This activation capacity critically depends on expression of a cofactor generating enzyme hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Enzyme expression ...

Background: Measurement of urinary cortisol is commonly used in the investigation of suspected Cushing’s Syndrome and is most often performed using immunoassay. This approach exhibits significant assay variability necessitating the use of method specific reference ranges. A reference range for cortisol nmol/L: creatinine mmol/L ratio is reported based on the results from 104 early morning urine samples collected from healthy individuals and analysed using the AutoDelfia A...