Endocrine Abstracts

Estroprogestins (EP) are the short-acting hormonal contraceptives most commonly used in Europe, and include combined oral contraceptives (COCs), the patch, and the vaginal ring. Although the safety and efficacy of EP have being extensively investigated, scarce and controversial evidence is available on their impact on female sexuality. The potential negative effects of EP on female mood and desire are hypothesized to derive from sex steroids altering the interplay between neur...

Research into ageing has been transformed by the discovery of single gene mutations that extend healthy lifespan in laboratory model organisms. Furthermore, the highly conserved, nutrient-sensing, insulin/IGF/TOR signalling network has proved to play a role in ageing in organisms including yeast, invertebrates and mice, and possibly also humans. This signalling network also mediates at least some of the effects of dietary restriction, which also improves health during ageing a...

The classic Drosophila model system has been utilized by the Heck laboratory for the characterization of novel and conserved genes essential for cell cycle and cellular physiology. The invadolysin mutation was first identified in D. melanogaster, which gave rise to abnormally-condensed chromosomes and had a lethal effect on the late larval stages. Invadolysin is a novel zinc-metalloprotease that we have shown to link cell division and cell migration ...

Introduction: Differential diagnosis between secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPTH) and possible pseudohypoparathyroidism can be challenging in case of insufficient diagnostic tools and co-existing medical conditions. We report a diagnostic road to final diagnosis.Case report: A 48-years old white male-to-female transgender patient was admitted to our clinic for evaluation due to mental deterioration, general fatigue, slowly progressing bilateral upper ar...

Introduction: Patient with co existing oncological disease can easily be misunderstood by endocrinological pathology as hypothyroid, both representing similar appearances. The aim of this case report is to stress the importance of multidisciplinary teamwork, meaning of follow up, and increase knowledge about side effects of hormonal therapy which could affect endocrine system.Case report: A patient 55 years old female complaining about weakness, dry skin...

Introduction: The plasma cortisol response to the ACTH test is known to vary significantly by assays. An automated cortisol immunoassays with increased specificity due to the shift from polyclonal to MABs, and standardized against mass spectrometry was recently introduced, with an expected decrease in cortisol concentrations by 20%. Cut-offs used in clinical practice for patient evaluation will thus have to be adjusted. We aimed to assess the normal cortisol response to ACTH s...

Background: Treatment of precocious puberty with GnRH analogues is well established. But there are concerns about weight gain in patients on this treatment. There have been conflicting reports about the effect of GnRH analogues on weight.Aims: To assess the change in BMI in children treated with GnRH analogues within a UK Endocrine Service and to analyse the patient/parent experience of the treatment.Methods: A retrospective study ...

Heterophilic antibodies are human immunoglobulins with antigenic determinants directed against non-human species. These antibodies can interfere with the measurement of analytes in routine clinical laboratories, in particular in 2-site immunoassays. Skybio heterophilic blocking tubes-50 (HBT-50) are one way of overcoming this interference but, it has been reported (Sturgeon and Viljoen, Annals Clin Biochem, 2011, 48, 418), some samples may require two treatments to completely ...

Background: Group education for patients with diabetes is a well validated method of enhancing self-management skills. More recently some departments have used group education to teach endocrine patients how to administer IM hydrocortisone.Innovation: Patients on steroid replacement, identified by the endocrine nurse and GPs, were invited to attend a group session. The aim was to ensure every relevant patient in the locality had the opportunity to be edu...

Introduction: Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is a rare inherited syndrome characterised by refractoriness of target tissue to thyroid hormone. Over 80% of cases are due to mutations in the thyroid hormone receptor beta (THR β) gene with over 100 mutations identified to date. The clinical manifestations vary from common feature as goitre to less common sinus tachycardia, learning disabilities, growth and developmental delay. Aim: We rep...