Endocrine Abstracts

We present a case of a six year old boy with an enlarging thyroid mass. He was asymptomatic, euthyroid and had no family history of thyroid disease.Examination and neck ultrasound showed hard mass replacing left thyroid lobe with no lymphadenopathy. FNA cytology suggested diagnosis of lymphoepithelial cyst of the thyroid.Left hemithyroidectomy and isthmusectomy was performed. At operation no lymphadenopathy was seen and right thyro...

A 29-year-old man of South Asian descent presented with pancreatitis. Adjusted calcium was 3.10 mmol/l and PTH 9.8 μmol/l. Of note was that his parents were first cousins, and a cousin had undergone parathyroidectomy for hypercalcaemia.Pituitary, adrenal and thyroid function, calcitonin, prolactin, phosphate, magnesium, alkaline phosphatase and urinary catecholamines were all normal. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D was 20 nmol/l (15–100) The patient was th...

Background: The pregnancy-specific condition pre-eclampsia (PE) affects ~2% of women contributing to neonatal and maternal morbidity and has been linked with a deficiency in selenium. The iodothyronine deiodinases all contain selenium and play crucial roles in determining the circulating and intracellular levels of the active thyroid hormone. It is hypothesised that due to the role of deiodinases in extrathyroidal production of T3, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) will be inc...

Background: Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of primary male infertility. Some studies suggest that administration of the amino acid derivative anti-oxidant, L-carnitine, may improve sperm quality. No previous study has investigated whether the anti-oxidant effects of L-carnitine relate to changes in sperm quality in men with infertility.Aim: Investigate whether L-carnetine significantly improves sperm function, and whether baseline lev...

Introduction: In sheep, modest maternal nutrient restriction over the period of rapid placental growth followed by normal feeding to term results in offspring with a larger placenta and increased expression of the glucocorticoid receptor in a range of tissues. The aim of the present study was to determine whether this subsequently alters the relationship between basal cortisol and blood pressure in later life.Methods: Fourteen Welsh Mountai...