Endocrine Abstracts

Context: Pendrin is a transmembrane protein located at the apical end of the thyrocyte where it mediates the efflux of iodide through the thyroid follicular cell. Recently, pendrin was described as a significant antibody target in Japanese patients with Graves’ disease or autoimmune hypothyroidism using an immunoblotting assay. However, a subsequent study failed to verify this in autoimmune thyroid disease patients of Tunisian origin.Objective: The ...

BackgroundCushing’s disease (CD) is caused by high levels of blood cortisol resulting from excess secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from an anterior pituitary corticotroph adenoma. Clinical manifestations include diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and depression. If untreated, CD has an increased mortality of five-fold owing to cardiovascular comorbidities, stroke or raised vulnerability to infection. Currently, transsphenoidal surg...

Context: Cushing’s disease (CD) results from the release of high levels of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) from a pituitary adenoma. Increased ACTH secretion stimulates excess cortisol production, causing weight gain, hypertension, diabetes and depression. The only curative treatment is transsphenoidal surgery, but the rate of recurrence is high and there is a lack of suitable medical therapies. RNA-interference is a mechanism of post-transcriptional gene silencing th...

Data on coexisting Graves’ disease (GD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and hypoparathyroidism (hypop) are limited. Scanty case reports have described hypoparathyr or hypothyroidism (late complication) following external irradiation to the neck. The thyroid and parathyroid glands may be sensitive to the immunologic or irradiation damage.A 34-year old AA woman presented with tetanic-like cramps, easy skin bruising, fatigue, weight gain, nocturia...

Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS1) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the autoimmune regulator gene. Major disease components include mucocutaneous candidiasis, hypoparathyroidism and Addison’s disease. Acquired hypoparathyroidism (AH) occurs in 80% of APS1 patients and is associated with hypocalcaemia, hyperphosphataemia and low serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Reports suggest that these clinical symptoms are initiated by...

Context: Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is caused by mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene and is characterised by the presence of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, hypoparathyroidism and Addison’s disease. Patients typically display organ-specific autoantibodies which correlate with a particular clinical manifestation. Previous studies have identified the parathyroid-expressed calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) as an aut...