Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare multisystem disease. Pituitary manifestations include failure of the anterior and/or posterior pituitary, with diabetes insipidus and gonadotrophine deficiency being most prevalent. We present a case of a female who had pituitary failure yet conceived naturally following chemotherapy.Case description: A 24-year-old female presented with polydipsia, polyuria, and lethargy. A water deprivation tes...

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterised by anovulation and insulin resistance but the effects on reproductive outcomes are unclear.Objectives: To determine the impact of PCOS upon fertility, pregnancy complications and delivery method.Methods: Data were extracted from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Patients with a diagnosis of PCOS (2000–2012) were matched to controls (1:2) by age (±1 year)...

The IGF axis is imperative for normal placental development and function. In the human placenta, IGF1R regulates the actions of IGFs and consequently placental growth. Some microRNAs (miRs) are also known to regulate human placental growth. miR-145 is known to exert its effects on human placental growth by targeting IGF1R. Whilst the expression of some components within the IGF axis are similar between mice and humans, murine expression and function of IGF regulatory miRs has ...

Introduction: Gestational diabetes (GDM) has been shown to cause adverse fetal outcomes including macrosomia, shoulder dystocia and stillbirth. The multinational Hyperglycaemia and Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study has shown there is a linear relationship between OGTT result and fetal growth. Investigating epidemiological risk factors is essential to ensure appropriate high-risk groups are being screened.Methods and materials: A retrospective case note revi...

Testosterone deficiency is common in men with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown that testosterone replacement improves several cardiovascular risk factors including insulin resistance, glycaemic control, cholesterol and inflammation. The mechanisms by which testosterone mediates these effects are unknown. LXR, a nuclear receptor also regulates these cardiovascular risk factors and the atheroprotective ...

Introduction: LH resistance is very rare and there are only a few case reports in the literature. We describe a patient who presented to us with secondary amenorrhea and very high isolated LH levels who subsequently had a successful pregnancy with IVF.Case report: A 16 year old girl was referred to us to investigate the cause of her oligomenhorrea. She had attained menarche at the age of 13 and had only 5 periods in 3 years. She had no symptoms/signs of ...

Skeletal muscle is the principal site for insulin-stimulated glucose disposal but its ability to utilise glucose is diminished by insulin resistance associated with obesity and consequent elevations of free fatty acids (FFAs). Chronic sub-clinical inflammation, characterized by increased macrophage infiltration into obese adipose tissue is a hallmark of the insulin resistance syndrome. However, little is known about the potential role of muscle macrophages in mediating local e...

Measurement of anti-thyroglobulin (TgAb) predicts interference in thyroblobulin (Tg) assays and is a tumour marker for differentiated thyroid cancer (dtc). However, there is poor concordance between methods. This is attributed to the nature of TgAb, the method and cut-off used. We have assessed concordance between three TgAb assays and investigated the cause of discordant results. TgAb was measured in sera from 606 different patients being treated for dtc using the Abbott Arch...

Inappropriately raised TSH levels in patients on thyroxine replacement therapy are frequently encountered in clinical practice. Following discussing patient compliance with medication, causes of thyroxine malabsorption including drug interactions, coeliac disease or autoimmune gastritis should be considered. We describe the investigation of a patient with persistently elevated TSH levels in spite of apparently taking adequate thyroxine replacement.Case H...

Introduction: There has been much interest recently in measuring both salivary cortisol and cortisone due to the presence of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 enzyme in the salivary glands. This enzyme facilitates the conversion of cortisol to cortisone; hence the concentration of cortisone in saliva may also be of interest. Studies have shown recently that salivary cortisone and cortisol are good markers of serum free cortisol status.Methods:...