Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Bilateral adrenalectomy (BLA) is a treatment option for patients suffering from endogenous Cushing syndrome (CS). It consists of the surgical removal of both adrenal glands. Even though BLA offers immediate control of cortisol excess, given the risk of adrenal insufficiency, it requires life-long glucocorticoid and mineral corticoid replacement. It may lead to perioperative and long-term complications which affect patients’ quality of life (QoL). Health state ...

Insulin resistance and its resultant hyperinsulinaemia seem to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which apart from its cosmetic and metabolic consequences also lead to fertility problems. Therefore, metformin – a biguanide used as the first line of pharmacotherapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is often prescribed to women with PCOS in order to decrease the consequences of hyperinsulinaemia and to restore ovulat...

The ‘European Young Endocrine Scientists’ (EYES) founded in 2011, is a committee under the patronage of the European Society of Endocinology (ESE). The primary goal of this committee is to increase the mutual exchange of ideas and knowledge between young endocrinologists – from basic researchers to clinicians – across Europe in the initial stages of their career. EYES enables young endocrinologists (<35 years) from all ESE member societies to actively c...

Melanocortin receptors (MCR), which belong to the superfamiliy of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), are preferentially coupled to Gs proteins and play a major role in the regulation of energy homeostasis. In line with this notion, mutations in the MC4R gene are the most frequent monogenic cause of severe obesity in human beings. Recently it has been shown that the MC4R receptor undergoes, similar to most GPCR, GPCR kinase (GRK) and arrestin-mediated ligand-promoted receptor ...

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by tissue overgrowth and stromal reorganization primarily due to cellular proliferation and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation. Given the recently reported beneficial effects of PDE5 inhibitors on lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to BPH this study aimed to investigate the influence of PDE5 inhibition on the prostate at a cellular level. We investigated the expression of PDE5 in the human prostate and demon...

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogenous endocrinopathy commonly diagnosed in reproductive age women, predisposing to the development of metabolic disturbances. However, the mechanisms underlying the connection between PCOS and metabolic disorders are still not well understood. The aim of the study was to investigate amino acid (AA) profile in women with PCOS and to assess its relation with metabolic disturbances.Methods: 326 women:...

Pituitary resistance to thyroid hormone (PRTH) is a rare, genetic cause of hyperthyroidism. It is characterized by a high concentration of free thyroid hormones, coexisting with elevated or normal concentration of thyroid stimulating hormone. The most prevalent features of this syndrome are typical symptoms of hyperthyroidism and goitre. Diagnosis of this condition does not exclude other comorbidities of the thyroid gland, including these of autoimmune origin. We present the c...

A 3-year-old boy born to non-consanguineous parents. He was diagnosed to have autism at 2 years of age. He had a history of pica. He was admitted with severe carpopedal spasms of hands and feet. Investigations revealed severe hypomagnesaemia, hypocalcaemia, hypokalaemia, hyponatremia, and moderately low vitamin D levels. Parathyroid hormone concentration was low. Urine analysis revealed loss of sodium, calcium, magnesium and sodium. Renal functions and renal ultrasound were no...

Introduction: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) can impair concentration and memory skills. If this is a case among adolescents it may impair learning abilities, which in turn may be the cause of poorer performance on various tests and exams. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of SCH in teenage girls attending the gymnasia in the city of Starogard Gdański.Material and methods: In total 487 girls (age range 11.5–14.7 ...

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare, inherited, metabolic disorder caused by deficient tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase activity. A heterogeneous presentation in adults includes musculoskeletal symptoms, impaired physical function, and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Asfotase alfa is the only approved treatment for pediatric-onset HPP. We evaluated, in a real-world setting, the long-term effectiveness of asfotase alfa on physical function and HRQoL among ad...