Endocrine Abstracts

Background: The differential diagnosis of the polyuria-polydipsia syndrome is challenging. The water-deprivation test is the current gold standard, but the test is cumbersome, and the diagnostic performance is poor. Copeptin, which is a split product of the vasopressin pre-propeptide, appears to be a robust biomarker in the circulation and a promising tool for the diagnosis of patients with polyuria and polydipsia, especially when measured in conjunction with intravenous infus...

Background: Fasting is associated with suppression of IGF-I production, which is likely to be the stimulator of GH secretion and the subsequent increase in lipolysis. The GH signalling events subserving this switch in the actions of GH have not been studied.Aim: To assess whole body substrate metabolism and GH signalling proteins in skeletal muscle and fat in healthy human subjects in the postabsorptive state and after 38 h of fasting.<p class="abste...

Background: GH potently stimulates collagen turnover which underlies its anabolic effects on bone in children, whereas it may promote fibrosis in adults. Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAPα) is involved in collagen turnover by its collagen-cleaving and fibroblast-stimulating activity, which predominantly is expressed in association with fibrosis. FAPα also cleaves and inactivates fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a multi-faceted metabolic hormone. We have p...

Context: Acromegaly is a rare and insidious disease associated with severe somatic morbidity but data on socioeconomic status are scarce.Objective: To study the socioeconomic status in acromegaly in a population based, nationwide follow-up study.Patients and Methods: All incident cases of acromegaly (n = 576) during the period 1997–2010 were included, representing 10.116 years at risk. For every patient, 100 pers...

Background: Insulin resistance as part of the metabolic syndrome is associated with ectopic lipid deposition. Growth hormone (GH) status also modulates ectopic lipid accumulation but how this associates with insulin resistance in patients with GH disorders is not well established.Aim: To study body composition, ectopic lipid deposition and insulin sensitivity in acromegaly and adult GH-deficiency before and after treatment.Subjects...

Background: Adult GHD results from insufficient growth hormone (GH) secretion from the anterior pituitary gland and may represent either a continuation of childhood-onset GHD or GHD acquired during adulthood. Clinically, adult GHD is associated with central adiposity, decreased lean muscle mass, increased fat mass, decreased bone mineral density, and reduced quality of life. Current standard of care consists of GH replacement via daily injections. Lonapegsomatropin (SKYTROFA; ...

Purpose: Although quality of life (QoL) is improved in patients with acromegaly after disease control, QoL correlates only weakly with traditional biomarkers. Our objective is to investigate a potential relation between the new serum biomarker soluble Klotho (sKlotho), GH and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and QoL.Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we investigated 54 acromegaly patients biochemically well-controlled on combination tr...

Background: Craniopharyngioma may be associated with severe morbidity. Few data exist on incidence rate (IR) and possible changes with time. The epidemiology of craniopharyngioma in Denmark has never been evaluated in detail.Objectives: To review the literature on craniopharyngioma incidence and to study the epidemiology of craniopharyngioma in Denmark during a recent 20-year period.Material and methods: Publications including data...

Background: Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a rare disorder characterized by pronounced and symptomatic hypo secretion of growth hormone (GH) from the anterior pituitary gland. Biochemical tests are used as part of the diagnosis in both children and adults but controversies remain as regards whom, when, and how to test, and also how to interpret a given biochemical test result.Aim: To map the current clinical practice of GHD diagnosing in children and...

Background: The risk and course of glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency (GIA) are unclear and current evidence is retrospective and based on small and selected study populations. However, the prevalence of glucocorticoid use is at least 3 %, which underscores the need for unbiased and prospective assessment of the prevalence and clinical consequences of GIA.Objectives: To identify biomarkers of GIA as regards diagnosis, prognosis and responsivene...