Endocrine Abstracts

The IGFs are present ubiquitously at very high levels throughout the body and affect virtually every aspect of cell function. These high levels are maintained due to their association with 6 distinct binding proteins (IGFBP-1 to -6) which specifically bind IGFs (but not insulin). The IGFs are not stored within any cells but are stored in the circulation due to their binding to IGFBP-3 which then results in its association with a large glycoprotein, the acid labile subunit (ALS...

We report the case of a 26 year old man who presented to his GP with infertility; biochemical investigations revealed elevated serum free thyroid hormones (FT4 41 pmol/l (12–22); FT3 13.4 pmol/l (2.8–7.1); and a normal TSH (2 pmol/l (0.27–4.2). He was referred to the endocrine department.On examination, he was found to be clinically well though thin (BMI 18), anxious and tremulous. His heart rate was 110 bpm and blood pressure was normal. ...

Introduction: Hypercalcaemia in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is usually mild and transient, but may be severe in about 5% of new presentations. Often some children will not respond well to traditional therapies.Case report: We describe three cases of acute hypercalcaemia and their management in a regional Paediatric unit. Case 1: A 16-month-old known WBS girl, presented with irritability, reduced feeding. Corrected serum calcium was 4.51 mmol/l. She wa...

Recent acute in vivo studies have shown that structural modifications of dogfish glucagon improves peptide stability and these analogues can act as dual agonists at both glucagon and GLP-1 receptors. Here, we compared the effects of chronic (51 days) twice daily administration of [D-Ala2]dogfish glucagon (Pep-N) and [D-Ala2]dogfish glucagon-exendin-4(31–39) construct (Pep-C), exendin-4(1–39) or saline treat...

An association of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter gene that codify for 17b-HSD5 enzyme (71A>G) with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been suggested in previous studies. Given the role of 17b-HSD5 in androgenic metabolism producing testosterone from precursors, the aim of this study was to assess whether non-obese PCOS women with the variant allele G have different response on hirsutism and on hormonal and metabolic variables to oral contracepti...

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is more frequent in women than in men.The aim of the study was to analyze whether factors connected with the female sex could increase the risk of DTC.Material and methods: Ninety nine patients with a mean age±S.D. of 40.5±5.9 years with DTC and 51 healthy women with a mean age of 36.52±8.3 years were examined. Gynecological and obstetric histories were taken and ser...

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine whether insulin resistance is important in well controlled, uncomplicated patients with type 1 diabetes on long term CSII, compared to matched healthy controls.Research design and methods: We studied 8 patients (4 men and 4 women) with type 1 diabetes on stable continuous subcutaneous insulin pump therapy and 8 healthy controls, matched for age, gender and BMI. Insulin sensitivity was measured by h...

Context: Previous studies have suggested that infections are an important cause of death in patients with Addison’s disease, but epidemiological studies on the frequency of infections in this population are scarce.Design and setting: We conducted a cohort study, using data from the Dutch PHARMO record linkage system, linking patients’ demographics and medical histories to the use of prescription drugs, diagnostic and therapeutic data from hospi...

Introduction: In case of inoperable disease or tumor recurrence, therapy with mitotane (MIT), sometimes in combination with doxorubicin (DOX), etoposide (ETO), cisplatin (CIS) or streptozocin (STREP), is frequently applied in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). The multidrug resistance pump MDR1 is responsible for resistance of tumor cells to cytostatic drugs. The activity of MDR1 is inhibited by the calcium-channel blocker verapamil. There are equivocal data in the ...

Background: Estrogen replacement therapy is the most effective treatment for postmenopausal (PMP) flushing, but its use is often contraindicated. An effective and safe alternative is urgently needed.Aim: To explore the effects of the LHRH receptor antagonist cetrorelix in women with severe PMP flushing who have a mean daily flush score >15.Methods: Open-label treatment with cetrorelix 250 μg twice a day in nine women with ...