Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Non-classic adrenal hyperplasia (NCAH), comparatively a rare disease, is characterised by mild to moderate hyperandrogenemia, hirsutism, oligomenorrhea, insulin resistance which incidentally are the hallmarks of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)- a common disorder among reproductive aged women. The data on 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP)serum levels in NCAH has been reported globally but there is limited data available regarding the normal range among healthy Indian...

In cases of ret-oncogene positive Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC), national guidelines advocate screening of 1st degree relatives with the Pentagastrin Stimulation Test (PST) to identify those with C-cell hyperplasia, and therefore at risk of MTC. Prophylactic thyroidectomy is recommended in those with positive tests. We highlight the difficulties of quantifying risk in the relatives of a ret-negative patient.A 30 year-old man presented with a tender n...

Central cholinergic defects, as well as cognitive impairments, have been reported in humans with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The levels of acetylcholine are partly controlled by the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which breaks it down. We have previously reported evidence for abnormal AChE activity in the skeletal muscles of the obese diabetic (ob/ob) mouse which provides a model for NIDDM. The aim of the present study was to investigate the levels...

The incidence of recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPTH) (> 6 months from initial exploration) has been reported to be between 1–10%. Repeated neck explorations could be challenging for surgeons and ensuring normalised biochemistry is vital for peri-operative safety. Recurrent parathyroid adenomas can present with aggressive hypercalcaemia which can be challenging to control prior to surgery. We report a similar case below. A 72 year old lady had her first prese...

Background/aim: Visceral obesity rather than generalized obesity has been recognized as a risk factor for development of colonic adenomatous polyps. We aimed to to find out whether there is association between the obesity parameters determined by TANITA such as fat percent, body mass index (BMI) and visceral fat rating and prevalence of colonic adenomatous polyps.Material and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a consecutive series of 231...

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most recognized and clinically significant disorders of the endocrine system, Based on recent advances and involvement of oxidative stress in complicating diabetes mellitus, efforts are on to find suitable antidiabetic and antioxidant therapy. Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. is one of the most important Indian medicinal plants which has enormous traditional values against various diseases and many bioactive compounds have been iso...

Case report: Von Hippel-Lindau Disease (VHL) is an autosomal-dominant disease with almost complete penetrance, characterized by the development of several types of neoplasia. Non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNETs) are part of the syndrome in up to 16% of the patients. A 36 year old female with a known diagnosis of VHL (Mutation exon 3) was under surveillance. She had previous surgeries twice for haemangioblastomas, and an adrenalectomy for phaeochromocytoma ...

Background: Diagnosis of secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI) during pregnancy is challenging due to physiological adaptations and progressive increase of cortisol level throughout the pregnancy (1). The 250-mg standard ACTH stimulation test (CST) is recommended for evaluation of adrenal hypofunction in pregnancy however, measurement of serum cortisol (SC) maybe misleading in patients with partial SAI. Furthermore, utility of salivary free cortisol (SaFC) (2) and serum DHEA-s...

Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas account for about 0.1% of cases of persistent hypertension. Only 50% of these are being diagnosed as symptoms are often paroxysmal.We report a retrospective data analysis on 16 random patients (age 24–71 years, mean 51) diagnosed and treated for phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma in our centre over the past 20 years. Symptom duration was 6 weeks to 15 years with female preponderance 2:1 (69 vs 31% in males). Sy...

We have recently observed that the peroxisome proliferator receptor α was expressed by normal and tumoural pituitary tissues, in particular by somatotrophs. To elucidate its function, we have studied the effects of fenofibrate on cell proliferation and GH secretion in GH3 cells.Material and methods: GH3 cells were grown in Ham’s F10 and treated for 24, 48 and 72 h by different concentrations of fenofibrate (12.5–50 &#...