Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) is the commonest cause of hypercalcaemia, with an annual incidence rate (AIR) of 4/100 000 and peak age incidence of 50–60 years. Our hospital serves a population with age ≥18 of around 500 000. A corrected calcium (cCa) ≥3.00 mmol/l is a critical phoning limit in our biochemistry laboratory.Aim: To assess the incidence of hypercalcaemia in the community, the referral pattern of hype...

Background: 5α-Reductase type 2 deficiency (5ARD) is caused by mutations in the SRD5A2 gene. Inadequate masculinisation in XY individuals results from failure to convert testosterone (T) to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a potent androgen. A decreased serum T:DHT ratio is frequently taken to identify 5ARD, but requires hCG stimulation for prepubertal patients; findings are not always supported by genotyping. Urine steroid profiling (USP) by GC-MS is established as showing sig...

Parathyroid hormone is involved in calcium homeostasis through interactions with vitamin D. Because intact and truncated forms of PTH vary in their biological activity, assays that can accurately quantify the ratio of intact hormone to its fragments are of increasing significance in the diagnosis of endocrine, renal and bone diseases. Vitamin D and its metabolites circulate tightly bound to vitamin D-binding protein (DBP). Because DBP concentrations are altered in pregnancy, l...

Parathyroid hormone is involved in calcium homeostasis through interactions with vitamin D. Because intact and truncated forms of parathyroid hormone (PTH) vary in their biological activity, assays that can accurately quantify the ratio of intact hormone to its fragments are of increasing significance in the diagnosis of endocrine, renal and bone diseases. Vitamin D and its metabolites circulate tightly bound to vitamin D-binding protein (DBP). Because DBP concentrations are a...