Endocrine Abstracts

Background. The endothelial dysfunction prevalent in hypertension and diabetes is associated with an imbalance in the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (SO). NAD(P)H oxidase is the predominant source of SO in the vasculature. Objectives. To manipulate levels of SO using the NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitors, apocynin, phenyl arsine oxide (PAO) and 4(2aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride (AEBSF) and relate this to NO bioavailability. Methods. NO bioavailability was compared in...

Von-Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL) is an autosomal-dominant disorder associated with CNS haemangioblastomas, phaeochromocytomas, renal carcinomas and retinal haemangiomas. We present the case of a 33-year-old woman with VHL who developed clinical progression of a CNS lesion during pregnancy. The patient had undergone removal of a cerebellar haemangioblastoma at age 18, and bilateral phaeochromocytomas were removed at age 27. The only other abnormality on regular review was a mix...

Although improvements in obstetric and neonatal care in recent years have led to reduction in morbidity and mortality from pre-eclampsia, our ability to predict the condition has not improved significantly. Endothelial dysfunction underlies many of the manifestations of pre-eclampsia. In this study we will assess methods of detecting endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness in high-risk pregnant women in early and late pregnancy. Sixty women with 2 or more risk fa...

BackgroundPatients with Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) are known to have an excess risk of vascular disease. Previous work has shown an increase in their arterial stiffness. The effect of GH on blood pressure is still unclear.Materials and Methods16 patients with GHD (6 males) and no history of existing vascular disease or hypertension, between the ages of 18 and 65 were recruited (mean 45.4 plus/minus 3.5 y...

Introduction: Several biomarkers are elevated in late pregnancy in women with preeclampsia (PET), but none have been sensitive or specific enough to be used routinely in early pregnancy to predict the condition. We measured plasma levels of the anti-angiogenic peptides FMS-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFLT-1), soluble endoglin (sENG), placental growth-factor (PGF), and an array of cytokines and adhesion molecules in early and mid pregnancy to assess their ability to predict PET.</p...

Phaeochromocytoma is an extremely rare cause of gestational hypertension. Failure to diagnose the condition can be catastrophic to both mother and foetus, therefore an early diagnosis and close co-operation between physicians, obstetricians and anaesthetists is essential.We present the case of a 24 year old woman, who was referred to her local maternity hospital at 34 weeks gestation as she was small for dates. Clinical examination was unremarkable, and ...

Hypopituitary patients on conventional hormone replacement, excluding GH have a reduced quality of life (QoL) and an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. NICE guidelines on criteria for initiation and maintenance of therapy rely on QoL score defined by the Adult GHD assessment (AGHDA) questionnaire. However, it is uncertain how this score is related to other biological effects such as vascular risk.Methods: Sixteen hypopituitary patients were recr...

Hypopituitary patients receiving conventional hormonal therapy, excluding Growth Hormone, have an increased risk of vascular mortality. Significant endothelial dysfunction with impaired aortic distensibility has been demonstrated in these patients with some improvement in arterial stiffness after GH therapy. Inflammation is central in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and C-reactive protein is a validated marker for predicting cardiovascular risk.Fo...

A common NOS3 polymorphism (the gene which encodes endothelial nitric oxide synthase), a variable number of tandem repeats within Intron 4 has been associated with cardiovascular disorders in which nitric oxide bioactivity is impaired including myocardial infraction. Consistent characteristic changes in the pressure pulse wave shape have been associated with ageing, risk factors for cardiovascular disease and impaired NO bioactivity. Therefore pulse waveform analysis can be ut...

Transient insulin resistance (IR) is a recognized facet of metabolic phenotype in pubertal boys. However, it remains unknown how the Y chromosome and adolescence as a transition from pubertal period to adulthood affects markers of insulin resistance, particularly in relation to body mass index, blood pressure and androgens.We analyzed associations among indicators of insulin resistance, total adiposity, androgen profile and the Y chromosome in a sample of 1745 males divided in...