Endocrine Abstracts

Acromegalic patients have increased morbidity and mortality, which correlate with post-treatment growth hormone (GH) level. Target post-treatment plasma GH level should be less than 2.5 nanograms per millilitre, which predicts normal life expectancy.We evaluated the prevalence of complications and treatment outcome in 76 acromegalic subjects who attended our unit for surgery between 1978-2002. 60 patients are followed up in a specialised pituitary clinic in Beaumont Hospit...

The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of BMP-2 to induce gonadotroph-specific gene expression during pituitary development are poorly understood. We have characterised BMP receptor (BMP-R) expression in two gonadotroph models, the alphaT3-1 and LbetaT2 cells, which represent different stages of gonadotroph development. Signal transduction via BMP-R requires a heterodimeric complex between type I (A or B) and type II receptors. RT-PCR for BMP-R, using sub...

Introduction: Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance are risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED). ED is associated with hypoandrogenism, endothelial dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and reduced quality of life (QoL). We aimed to compare effects of lifestyle modification-induced weight loss on insulin resistance, endothelial and sexual function, LUTS and QoL in obese non-diabetic men with and without ED.Methods: Seventy abdominally o...

Introduction: Androgen deficiency (AD) is associated with endothelial and erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and reduced quality of life (QoL) in obesity. We aimed to compare effects of weight loss induced by lifestyle modification on endothelial and erectile function, LUTS and QoL in obese men with and without AD.Methods: abdominally obese Asian (body mass index≥30 kg/m2, waist circumference [WC] ≧ 90 cm) m...

Requirement for daily rhGH injections is a treatment burden that can compromise adherence and efficacy in patients with GHD. Somavaratan is a novel long-acting rhGH fusion protein in clinical development for pediatric and adult GHD. In a multicenter, randomized Phase 1b/2a study, somavaratan significantly improved height velocity (HV) and IGF-I in pre-pubertal children with GHD. Preliminary efficacy and safety in subjects who have completed 3 years of somavaratan treatment are...

Background: Low thyroid hormone concentrations in the first few weeks of life in preterm infants may be linked with poor neurodevelopment. We conducted a multi-centred randomised controlled trial of thyroxine (T4) supplementation in babies born under 28-weeks’ gestation (TIPIT study). A post hoc subgroup analysis was undertaken to examine brain growth and development.Methods: Seventy-eight infants received T4 supplementation an...