Endocrine Abstracts

The pathogenesis of gonadotrophin secreting pituitary tumours (gonadotrophinomas) remains poorly understood. BMP2, known to be important in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation, is essential for commitment of undifferentiated pituitary cells to the gonadotroph cell lineage. Attenuation of its expression is critical in allowing terminal differentiation. BMPs are associated with up-regulated expression of Id (Inhibitors of differentiation) proteins with predicte...

Cortisol-based therapy is still the most potent anti-inflammatory treatment available for skin conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of components of the steroidogenic pathway in keratinocytes, though surprisingly none have reported that these cells, which form up to 90% of the epidermis are able to synthesise cortisol1,2. Here, we demonstrate that primary human keratinocytes (PHK) are capable of de no...

Background: Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas are familial in up to 25% of cases and can result from succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) gene mutations.Objective: To describe the clinical manifestations of subjects with SDH-B gene mutations.Design: Retrospective case series.Patients: Thirty-two subjects with SDH-B gene mutations followed-up between 1975 and 2007. Mean follow-up of 5.8 years (S.D....