Endocrine Abstracts

Thyroid gland secretes thyroid hormones, which play a critical role in growth, differentiation, reproduction and metabolism, whereas hypothyroidism in children is associated with short stature and normalisation of thyroid function with thyroxin replacement therapy increases linear growth velocity (LGV). In stimulating LGV, thyroxin may have its direct effects on bone cells or it may affect LGV through its effect on growth hormone (GH) secretion. The present study attempted to ...

In GH deficiency (GHD), which is a medical condition caused by problems in the pituitary gland, the body does not produce sufficient amount of GH, resulting in short stature in children. The treatment of GHD short children with exogenous GH increases linear growth velocity (LGV). The present study determined the effect of exogenous GH treatment on LGV, the dose(s) of exogenous GH that effectively impacts LGV and the stage(s) of puberty at which the effect of exogenous GH treat...

The acceleration in linear growth at puberty is attributed to the combined physiological effects of both somatotropic and gonadal axes. In synergy, growth hormone (GH) and gonadal steroids (testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2)) stimulate longitudinal bone growth through direct stimulation of chondrocytes and osteoblast. Nutrition such as sufficient amount of nutrients including calcium, phosphate, sodium, potassium and iron and vitamins like vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin C p...

The short children have lower social competence and show more social problems than children with normal stature. The physical appearance has consequences in terms of how short stature children are judged and treated by others as they can be teased or bullied due to short stature, which may affect future prospects of finding a job or a spouse. These psychosocial stressors are risk factors for the psychological adjustment for children of short stature. Stress responses are activ...

Puberty onset is sensitive to the energy reserves of the organism, especially in females where there is an association between obesity and early puberty. Studies have shown that in the presence of growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHSR1a) mutations, there is a decrease in ghrelin-mediated appetite, resulting in relatively low BMI, which contributes to the delayed onset of puberty. Furthermore, delayed puberty is observed in clinical conditions associated with low IGF1, ...

The combined physiological effects of somatotropic and gonadal axes have been demonstrated to cause acceleration in linear growth at puberty. In synergy, growth hormone (GH) and gonadal steroids (testosterone [T] and estradiol [E2]) stimulate longitudinal bone growth through direct stimulation of chondrocytes and osteoblasts. Amongst others, the secretion of GH is stimulated by ghrelin through its receptor called GH secretagogue receptor 1a (GHSR1a). Ghrelin is a peptide secre...

The first signs of puberty are visible around the age of 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys. If signs of puberty appear before the designated ages in girls and boys, puberty is viewed as precocious. In peripheral precocious puberty, androgens concentrations increase due to testicular tumours or congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Two mutations, R356W and Q318X, and one 8 bp deletion in CYP21A2 gene, causing CAH type of precocious puberty were examined. Blood samples were o...