Endocrine Abstracts

Background: The 3 day human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) test is commonly performed to investigate male undervirilisation. However, the utility of routine HCG testing for male undervirilisation in early childhood and correlation with pubertal progress is unclear.Aims: To review performance of the 3 day HCG test for diagnosis and outcomes.Methods: Standard 3 day HCG test data were analysed in 130 boys of age <3 years with under...

Background: Harrington et al.1 suggest that basal LH of ≥0.3 IU/l as measured by ICMA (Immulite 2500) has 100% specificity and 90.5% sensitivity in identifying progressive central precocious puberty (CPP).Aims: To examine the utility of basal LH measured with the DELFIA assay for identifying CPP in girls.Methods: All girls under age 9 years (median 7.3 years) investigated for precocious puberty with a GnRH...

Background: The standard dose Synacthen test (SDST) is commonly used to identify glucocorticoid deficiency. A subnormal SDST in young infants raises the possibility of adrenal insufficiency (AI) due to pathology such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). A physiological delay in maturation of adrenal glucocorticoid secretion may be another explanation especially in asymptomatic infants with a transiently subnormal SDST.Aims: To review the diagnoses an...

Background: Childhood obesity is increasingly associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Metformin reduces the risk for T2D in adult obese non-diabetic patients, but the evidence in obese children and young people (CYP) is inconclusive.Design: The metformin in obese children and adolescents (MOCA) trial was a prospective, multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 1.5 g metformin daily in CYP with raised fasting or post-prandial insu...

Background and objective: Childhood obesity is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity and increased risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D). The objective of the MOCA trial was to investigate the effect of metformin in severely obese children and adolescents.Design and Methods: In a six month multi-centre randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial metformin (1.5 g daily) or placebo was given to children and adolescents (8–18 years) with insulin r...