Endocrine Abstracts

Bisphosphonates are widely prescribed for the treatment of a number of commonly occurring conditions. With the advent of a number of different bisphosphonate preparations, and an increasing evidence base for their application in clinical practice, there is a need to appreciate the various practical aspects of their use.Their indications and administration methods will be reviewed along with some of the clinical evidence supporting their use to improve ou...

Introduction: Hypophosphatemic rickets is uncommon and is either genetic, usually of the X-linked kind (OMIM 307800)or acquired, often related to underlying malignancy (tumor-induced osteomalacia, TIO). Adult-onset cases of unknown aetiology have been described, although they are uncommon.I report such a case occuring after pregnancy.Case Report: A 39 year-old Serbian woman developed proximal limb weakness and limb girdle pain 6 months after a normal vaginal delivery of a ...

Case Report:A 69 year old man was referred for assessment of hypoglycaemic events. Type 2 diabetes was diagnosed 4 years previously and treatment with metformin 2000mg per day had provided adequate control (HbA1c 7.5%). In the 4 months prior to referral, the patient had lost 8kg in weight and had had more than 10 episodes of sweating, tremor and disorientation. Eventually capillary blood glucose measurements were undertaken which suggested hypoglycaemia which was confirmed...

Screening of patients with diabetes for psychological distress should be undertaken regularly by the diabetes nurse specialist. Patients requiring intensive treatment of their diabetes experience emotional and mental health issues at a rate higher than the general population and recent clinical research shows value in cognitive and behavioral therapy. We undertook a survey of a mixed population in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to assess diabetes distress scores among our patient...

Urocortin 3 is a CRF-related ligand highly specific for the Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor Type 2 (CRFR2). CRFR2 is implicated in the regulation of stress-related behaviours and the neuroendocrine response to stressors. Close anatomical association between major Urocortin 3 terminal fields and CRFR2 in the limbic system and hypothalamus indicate this system is well placed to be involved in modulating of the physiological stress response. Transgenic mice ubiquitously o...

Case report: A 29-year-old female with a 17-year history of severe enduring anorexia nervosa attended our unit. Osteoporosis was diagnosed aged 24 and she had developed a left calcaneal fracture after minimal trauma 3 weeks prior to presentation. Her bone mineral density at this time confirmed the presence of osteoporosis at the lumbar spine and total hip (T-score −3.3 and −2.9 respectively) and her body mass index was low at 15.1 kg/m2. She dec...

The CRF-related ligand Urocortin 3 (Ucn 3) is expressed in discrete subcortical areas with highest mRNA levels in the medial amgydala (MEA), hypothalamic median preoptic nucleus (MePO) and the rostral part of the perifornical hypothalamic area (PFN). Close anatomical association between major Ucn 3 terminal fields and the type 2-CRF receptor in hypothalamus, lateral septum and medial amygdala suggest it is well placed to modulate physiological processes including behavioural, ...

Urocortins are the endogenous ligands for the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type-2 which is highly expressed in skeletal muscle where it regulates glucose metabolism and muscle mass. Transgenic mice overexpressing Urocortin-3 (UCN3+) show accelerated peripheral glucose disposal and increased skeletal muscle mass with myocyte hypertrophy associated with decreased energy efficiency and improved glucose tolerance. We aimed to determine whether this phenotype would confe...

Stimulation of the corticotropin-releasing factor type 2 receptor (CRFR2) by its putative ligands the urocortins may influence cardiovascular function by regulating vascular tone and angiogenesis.We examined whether chronic exposure to the CRFR2-selective ligand Urocortin 3 altered the ability of the receptor to modulate vascular functions by assessing arterial contractility and angiogenesis in response to Urocortin 3 both in control mice and in transgen...

Case history: A 66-year-old man presented with a 1 month history of a productive cough, in the context of a 20 pack-year smoking history. CT chest revealed minor bronchiectasis and an incidental 3 cm right adrenal lesion. He was referred to the endocrine clinic for further evaluation. On questioning, he reported no symptoms suggestive of adrenal hormone hypersecretion and, aside from a short history (<1 month) of sweating episodes at night, he described no other constituti...