Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a clinical condition often recognized as a result of biochemical screening. While surgery is indicated in symptomatic hypercalcaemic states, the need and timing of surgery in asymptomatic patients is not always clearcut. We conducted a retrospective audit on the diagnosis and management of primary hyperparathyroidism between the years 2010 and 2014.Method: Patients were identified through our histopatho...

Introduction: Selenium supplementation is recommended for all patients with mild Graves’ orbitopathy (GO). The thyroid gland contains high levels of selenium, which has an anti-oxidant effect and a role in the metabolism of thyroid hormones. The study on which this recommendation is based was conducted in countries of a selenium-deficient region and did not measure subjects’ selenium concentrations. There is therefore no consensus on optimum dose, duration, or safety...

Section 1: Case history: A 19-year-old British-Asian man presented with a two-year history of gynaecomastia. He had no other symptoms of hypogonadism. He had an unremarkable past medical history, did not take any regular medications and denied the use of any illicit drugs. There was a family history of consanguinity, with his parents being first cousins. On examination, his BMI was 28 kg/m2 and he had post-pubertal-sized testes (20 ml) with normal secondary sexual c...

Case: A 19-year-old British-Asian man presented with a two-year history of gynaecomastia. He had no other symptoms of hypogonadism. On examination, BMI was 28 kg/m2 and he had post-pubertal-sized testes (20 ml) with normal secondary sexual characteristics. Hypogonadism was confirmed by two morning fasting total testosterone levels of 4.7 and 5.2 (RR 9.2–31.6 nmol/l). Haemoglobin was normal (152 g/l) and serum oestradiol was <100 pmol/l. He had inappropriate...

Background: Placentation (invasion of the placenta into the maternal endometrium) is hypothesised to be critical for healthy placental function and is abnormal in two thirds of miscarriages. Kisspeptin has emerged as a putative regulator of physiological placentation; it is highly expressed in placental syncytiotrophoblasts and could play an important paracrine role in the regulation of placentation. Circulating kisspeptin levels are considerably raised during healthy pregnanc...

Introduction: Hypothalamic amenorrhoea (HA) is a condition characterised by reduced GnRH pulsatility and is a common cause of anovulatory subfertility. Kisspeptin is an endogenous neuropeptide that regulates hypothalamic GnRH function. Hypothalamic kisspeptin expression is reduced, and kisspeptin receptor expression is increased, in a rodent model of HA. The kisspeptin analogue MVT-602 has a 3-4-fold longer half-life than native kisspeptin-54 (t1/2 0.5 h). We invest...

Introduction: Peptide-YY (PYY) is produced by intestinal L-cells following nutrient ingestion. PYY analogues are an emerging class of anti-obesity medication. Peripheral administration of PYY has potent anorectic effects in rodents and humans. Interestingly, rodent studies have demonstrated that PYY has additional effects on reproductive hormone secretion depending on the model studied. In humans, hypogonadism occurs in up to 40% of men with obesity. Therefore, the effects of ...