Endocrine Abstracts

Copeptin and arginine vasopressin (AVP) derive from a common precursor molecule and show equimolar secretion and response to osmotic, haemodynamic and stress-related stimuli. Plasma concentrations of copeptin and AVP in relation to serum osmolality are highly correlated. In contrast to AVP, which can be difficult to measure, copeptin is stable in plasma and can be easily measured with a sandwich immunoassay. For this reason, copeptin has emerged as a promising marker for the d...

Disorders of salt and water homeostasis are common following traumatic brain injury. Diabetes insipidus is a well-recognized complication of TBI. Polyuria occurs immediately after significant brain injury in up to 22% of cases, nearly always occurring within the first 2–3 days. The great majority of cases resolve spontaneously, and cross-sectional studies of long-term survivors of TBI report low rates of chronic diabetes insipidus. It is likely that in the absence of form...

SIADH is the commonest cause of hyponatraemia in hospital practice SIADH must be distinguished from hypovolaemic and hypervolaemic hyponatraemia, and a diagnosis of euvolaemic hyponatraemia is established, the main differential is between SIADH and glucocorticoid deficiency.Not all cases of SIADH require active management. Drug induced SIADH usually responds to drug withdrawal, though active management may speed up return to eunatraemia if the drug has a...