Endocrine Abstracts

Testicular cancer has a peak incidence in young men between the ages of 15 and 40, with an increased frequency in individuals with disorders of the reproductive tract such as hypospadia and cryptorchidism. It has been proposed that carcinoma in situ cells are derived from testicular germ cells that have not differentiated appropriately during fetal life, perhaps as a result of disturbance of the hormonal environment. The aim of this study is to investigate whether estrogen may...

IntroductionInsulin-like growth factors-I (IGF-I) and -II (IGF-II) are important in regulation of metabolism and growth. We previously reported in normal weight normoglycaemic individuals that low circulating IGF-II predicts future weight gain. We subsequently investigated whether such relationships persisted in circumstances of abnormal glucose tolerance.MethodIn 224 type 2 diabetes subjects we assessed the ...

BACKGROUND: Male steroidal contraceptive regimens achieve azoospermia in 60-90% of Caucasians. The mechanisms underlying this heterogeneity in response are not clear. The aim of this retrospective study was to examine a number of polymorphisms in genes involved in androgen metabolism and action, in azoospermic responders (n=73) and oligozoospermic non-responders (n=44) from previous contraceptive trials. METHODS: Local Ethical Committee approval was obtained. DNA was extracted...

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a key factor in the regulation of blood pressure and therefore its' blockade may reduce the vascular complications which arise with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Adipose tissue expresses all the components of the RAS system that includes the pre-prohormone angiotensinogen (AGT) and its' active metabolite angiotensin II (ANG II), which mediates vasoconstriction and electrolyte balance and as such may contribute to obesity associated hyp...

Metyrapone is a potent inhibitor of the conversion of 11-deoxycortisol (11-DOC) to cortisol and is used in the treatment of Cushing's syndrome. This study has assessed the clinical significance of 11-DOC cross-reaction in five serum cortisol assays provided on automated immunoassay analysers. Cross-reaction was determined from the linear regression of increase in measured cortisol against increasing levels of 11-DOC (0, 1590, 4310, 6490, 7040 nmol/L) added to a serum pool. In ...