Endocrine Abstracts

The first characterised mammalian Toll-like receptor (TLR) was described in 1997, i.e. TLR4, which can detect lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria. Since then several proteins structurally related to TLR4 were identified (TLR1-10). For example, TLR2 can bind to lipopeptides from Gram-positive bacteria. For both receptors human polymorphisms have been identified (TLR4 up to 14% and TLR2 up to 10% in Europe) and linked to several clinical conditions such as asthm...

The kisspeptin/Kiss1R and neurokinin B (NKB)/ tachykinin receptor 3 (TACR3) system in the hypothalamus are essential for reproduction. Recent study suggested that the two peptide systems were both expressed in the ovary, particularly in the granulosa cells. To investigate the two systems in regulating the ovarian function, we collected the granulosa cells and follicular fluids from the 80 infertile patients (42 infertile control women and 38 PCOS women) undergoing IVF in Pekin...

The kisspeptin/Kiss1R and tachykinin 3 (TAC3)/tachykinin receptor 3 (TACR3) system in the hypothalamus are essential for reproduction. Recent study suggested that the two peptide systems are both expressed in the ovary, particularly in the granulosa cells. The expression profile of the two systems in human granulosa cells has not been fully investigated yet. We collected the granulosa cells from normal infertile control patients and patients diagnosed with PCOS in Peking Unive...

Introduction: Insulin stress test (IST) has long been the gold standard for testing the hypothalamus-pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. There are concerns about the safety of IST as hypoglycaemia can give rise to various symptoms including seizure and coma although this is rarely seen in clinical practice. Hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemic clamp is a common research procedure used to induce hypoglycaemia in a step-wise fashion to study the effect of hypoglycaemia.<p class="a...

Introduction: Meningitis is a recognized complication of the treatment of pituitary adenoma. It is usually considered as a peri-operative problem but does need to be considered as a potential complication at other points in the treatment pathway. We present two patients with meningitis where the link to pituitary pathology was originally unrecognized.Case report:Patient 2: 41 years old lady, presented with a history of nasal drip u...

Estrogens are important for the development of the adult female phenotype and are intracellular mediators of androgen effects in many tissues. Measuring several estrogenic compounds in blood or other body fluids may be helpful for the assessment of estrogen status. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) is a versatile technique, which allows for the measurement of conjugated and unconjugated steroids in a single sample volume without derivatization...

Background: Germline mutations in the Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog Hamartoma tumour (PTEN) gene are associated with a number of conditions, collectively known as PTEN hamartoma tumour syndromes (PHTS). Individuals with PHTS are at increased risk of a number of cancers primarily in adulthood including differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) with an estimated lifetime risk of DTC of up to 38%. International guidance recommends screening commencing from 17 years while the 2017-U...

Although classical and non-classical signaling of testosterone (T) has been observed in the testis, the enigma of the non-classical pathway is not fully resolved. While some researchers favor the androgen receptor (AR), others propose a membrane-bound receptor for non-classical T signaling. Although silencing of the AR in Sertoli cells (SC) resulted in infertility and suggested no involvement of the non-classical pathway, recent experiments using an inhibitor of the non-classi...

Context: Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS1) is characterised by multiple autoimmune endocrinopathies and results from mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene. Approximately 80% of patients present with hypoparathyroidism which is suggested to result from autoimmune responses against the parathyroid glands. The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), which plays a pivotal role in maintaining calcium homeostasis by sensing blood calcium levels and regula...

Rationale and hypothesis: Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS1) is a rare autosomal recessive disease which is characterised by chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and multiple autoimmune endocrinopathies and results from mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene. Approximately 80% of APS1 patients present with hypoparathyroidism which is suggested to result from aberrant immune responses against the parathyroid gland. As patients typically display org...