Endocrine Abstracts

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia is characterised by the occurrence of tumours involving two or more endocrine glands within a single patient. MEN are autosomal dominant disorders. Four forms have been described: MEN 1 due to menin mutations, MEN2 (previously MEN2A) due to mutations of a tyrosine kinase receptor encoded by the rearranged during transfection (RET) protoncogene, MEN3 (previously MEN2B) due to RET mutations and MEN4 due to cyc...

Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is a glycoprotein which binds hormones such as testosterone. Around 97% of circulating testosterone is bound to SHBG and is therefore biologically unavailable; approximately 2–3% of testosterone is free or loosely bound to proteins such as albumin, and is biologically active, or bioavailable. Free testosterone is very technically challenging to quantify; in order to circumvent this problem, equations are used...

Pituitary irradiation is a known risk factor for the development of subsequent hormonal dysfunction. However, it has been noted that some patients do not appear to be affected after many years of follow up. The aim of this retrospective study was to identify protective factors from developing radiation induced hypopituitarism (RIH).Methods: This is a single center study of patients attending the late effects of ch...

We present two patients with an unusual cause of primary hyperparathyroidism.A 50 year old man was referred due to incidentally noted raised serum calcium consistent with primary hyperparathyroidism (adjusted calcium 3.52 mmol/L, phosphate 0.66 mmol/L, PTH (parathyroid hormone) 99.5 pmol/L, Vitamin D 46 nmol/L). An initial neck ultrasound demonstrated a 1.2x1.7 cm left sided presumed parathyroid nodule but also a cystic 3.3x3.2x1.7...

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia is characterised by the occurrence of tumours involving two or more endocrine glands within a single patient. MEN are autosomal dominant disorders. Four forms have been described: MEN 1 due to menin mutations, MEN2 (previously MEN2A) due to mutations of a tyrosine kinase receptor encoded by the rearranged during transfection (RET) protoncogene, MEN3 (previously MEN2B) due to RET mutations and MEN4 due to cyc...

Thyroid hormones (TH), among their pleiotropic actions, play a central role in the regulation of metabolism and in cognitive functions. Indeed, hypothyroidism is associated with a decrease in energy expenditure and lipid metabolism, and an impairment of memory. Metabolic deregulations induced by a high fat diet (HFD) generate peripheral inflammation, which promotes the development of neuroinflammation in various brain regions. This inflammatory state can disrupt neuronal homeo...

Background: For chronic non–life-threatening conditions such as growth hormone deficiency, adherence to treatment can be difficult to maintain at a high level especially when the benefits are not immediately apparent.1 Here, we briefly explore some of the components within an e-health ecosystem that aims at personalizing treatment and improving adherence among patients receiving recombinant human growth hormone (r hGH; somatropin, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmsta...

Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) should be informed about ‘sick day rules’ and risk of a life-threatening adrenal crisis if corticosteroids are abruptly stopped or if the steroid dose is inadequate.Aims and Methods: To assess current practice with regard to steroid advice given across medical specialties at Oxford University Hospital Trust. To assess patient knowledge both in a specialist Endocrine department and in a medical specialty ...

Estradiol (E2), produced by granulosa cells (GCs) of ovarian follicles, plays an essential role in folliculogenesis by controlling follicular development and selection. E2 actions are principally mediated by the two nuclear receptors, ERα and ERβ. These two receptors are differently expressed in GCs, with ERβ being predominant. After ligand binding and receptor dimerization, ERα and ERβ mainly regulate gene transcription through direct interaction with...

Background: An activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a common observation in obese individuals. GLP-1 agonists, such as semaglutide, and SGLT-2 inhibitors, such as empagliflozin, are well known to be beneficial in obesity, while other incretins, like peptide tyrosine tyrosine 3-36 (PYY 3-36), might be also useful for the treatment of obesity. However, the effect of these substances on the adrenal gland is largely unknown. We directly compared the effec...