Endocrine Abstracts

Anorexia nervosa is a common psychiatric disease, with a prevalence of 1–2% of college-aged women, characterized by chronic starvation. Nutritional deprivation is complicated by serious and multi-axis endocrine dysregulation. This includes abnormalities in GnRH secretion resulting in hypothalamic amenorrhea, with resultant estrogen and androgen deficiency, which is usually but not always reversible with weight and psychiatric recovery. GH resistance at the level of the li...

Treatment of hypoparathyroidism with vitamin D analogs and calcium does not restore normal physiologic regulation of calcium homeostasis in the bone and kidney and may lead to renal insufficiency due to progressive nephrocalcinosis. Replacement with PTH potentially addresses this problem but until recently, hypoparathyroidism was the only classic hormonal insufficiency state not treated with its missing hormone.Over the past two decades, we have evaluate...

Patients with pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma need to be well-blocked or have their blood pressures well-controlled before surgery. After surgery, blood pressures should be closely monitored as well. This presentation will discuss pre-operative blockade, how to properly administer medications before surgery, and what to look for post-operatively in patients undergoing surgical resection of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma....

Bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) in female rats cause neurodegeneration in the nervous system of rodents and imitates systemic disorders in postmenopausal women’s organism. Synaptic modulation by estrogen is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms of estrogen replacement therapy. The aim of present work was to determine the action of Sinestrol on rats’ hippocampal synaptic transmission, plasticity and cell survival in condition of bilateral OVX. Electrophysiologi...

The value of mentoring by an experienced, usually older colleague, is widely acknowledged, but just as important is the value of sharing experiences, knowledge and support within a peer group. Peer-to-peer collaboration, or peer mentoring, provides opportunities for networking, friendship, education and career development and advice. Formal groupings and networks often exist locally in the form of student or postdoc societies. The Young Endocrinologists of the Society for Endo...

Fetal growth restriction is associated with abnormal placental cell (cytotrophoblast) proliferation. Using an explant model of human first trimester placenta, we have demonstrated that the IGF-I and -II stimulate proliferation in cytotrophoblast and are probably essential for normal placental growth. IGF activates signalling through IGF1R/Akt/ ERK pathways, thus the ability of the placenta to modulate expression of components of these pathways is important for normal pregnancy...

Background: Hypercalcaemia is a well-recognised feature amongst children with Williams-Beuren syndrome with a reported incidence between 0-43%1. In most cases this is mild however in some, reportedly 6.1% (Sindhar et al.1) it is severe enough for it to be actionable and cause nephrocalcinosis. We present 2 cases of severe hypercalcaemia requiring treatment with bisphosphonates. Case 1: A 16 month old male admitted following...

Prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCa) is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in US men. Organ-confined PCa can be effectively managed, but there is no durable treatment for advanced disease. Advanced PCa is treated through androgen deprivation therapy, often coupled with direct AR antagonists, as PCa is exquisitely dependent on androgen receptor (AR) activity for survival. Furthermore, recent studies identified AR as a major effector of DNA repair,...

Introduction: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of acquired hypothyroidism in children and adolescents affecting ten time more females than males. Diagnosis is based on clinical features and antibodies against thyroid peroxidase (TPO) or thyroglobulin (TG). Addison’s is an autoimmune disease resulting in primary adrenal insufficiency. It is extremely rare in children and easily misdiagnosed. Levothyroxine may precipitate adrenal crisis in individuals w...

Background: Neuroendocrine tumours are rare tumours that arise from neuroendocrine cell types which are widespread throughout the body. These tumours can develop in many different organs and secrete a variety of hormones making biochemical monitoring of treatment/progression challenging. Previously patients at Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre were monitored using either a full gut hormone profile (GHP) or chromogranin A and B (CGs) measured at Charing Cross Hospital. A n...