Endocrine Abstracts

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) when used in the treatment of prostate carcinoma produces a severe state of hypogonadism. Several but not all epidemiological studies have reported that there is an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) including myocardial infarction, life threatening arrhythmias, diabetes and sudden cardiac death (1). Studies have also shown that ADT causes adverse effects many within three months on several key cardiovascular risk factors. Th...

Male hypogonadism can occur either due to disorders at the hypothalamic or pituitary levels or as a result of primary testicular failure. Conventionally, testosterone is replaced by depot intramuscular injections of testoterone esters or as implants producing non-physiological levels of serum testosterone. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) given twice-weekly s.c., stimulates endogenous testosterone secretion through its LH like action resulting in physiological serum testost...

Context: Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has shown benefit on insulin resistance, glycaemic control and cardiovascular risk markers in hypogonadal men with diabetes. Arterial stiffness and intima-media thickness (IMT) are vessel wall properties associated with future cardovascular risk which allow the progress of atherosclerosis to be assessed non-invasively. Low testosterone has been associated with the presence and progression of carotid atherosclerosis as assessed by...

The objective of the study was to assess the effect of intra-muscular testosterone on constitutional symptoms, sexual symptoms, memory and in men with hypogonadism and poorly-controlled type-2 diabetes. This is a randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled add-on trial of intramuscular testosterone undecanoate(Nebido®) administered every 12 weeks in 65 hypogonadal men with poorly-controlled diabetes. Phase-1 patients were randomly assigned to either treatment ...

Testosterone deficiency is common in men with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown that testosterone replacement improves several cardiovascular risk factors including insulin resistance, glycaemic control, cholesterol and inflammation. The mechanisms by which testosterone mediates these effects are unknown. LXR, a nuclear receptor also regulates these cardiovascular risk factors and the atheroprotective ...

Background: The effect of long term opioids on the hypothalamo-pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is conflicting. We present a case of a 21-year-old female who presented with adrenal insufficiency (AI) secondary to chronic tramadol use.Case summary: Our patient presented with a three year history of non-specific abdominal pain, lethargy and dizziness. No cause was found for these symptoms despite thorough investigations. One month before referral to Endoc...

A previously well 55 year old man presented to his family practitioner with asix week history of dyspepsia. He denied any other symptoms including no weight loss. Clinical examination was normal.A gastroscopy was organised which revealed a 10 millimetre sessile polyp located at greater curvature at the lower body of the stomach. The polyp was removed by snaring. Histological examination of the polyp revealed heterotopic pancreatic ...

A 55 year old lady was referred by her general practioner with a six months history of generalised lethargy and cold intolerance.This was associated with abdominal bloating and constipation.She had been more irritable recently and was getting depressed. She also described symptoms suggestive of carpal tunnel syndrome. The only past history of note was of lactose intolerance.There was no family history of thyroid disorder.On examination she was clinically...

One third of pituitary adenomas surgically removed are invasive, the presence of which increases the patients' risk of morbidity and mortality. IL6 has been shown to have conflicting effects on growth of human pituitary adenoma cells in culture but may act not only with mitogenic effects but on facilitating tumour invasion into surrounding tissue. We have previously shown IL6 mRNA expression correlates with invasive status and tumour volume(1). IL6 and IL1 are known to stimula...

There is increasing evidence that cytokines may play an important role in the pathogenesis of human pituitary adenomas. We have measured the production of interleukin-1 alpha from 30 cultured human pituitary adenomas and looked at the relationship of its secretion to interleukin-6 and soluble gp130. Tumours were also analysed for interleukin-2 secretion. We also used the HP75 cell line to look at the effects of varying levels of interleukin-1 on interleukin-6 secretion.<p...