Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Low energy availability (LEA) in female athletes can result in HPG axis suppression. Basic military training (BMT) is physically arduous and associated with amenorrhoea and low-trauma fractures. We hypothesised that women undergoing BMT would demonstrate evidence of LEA and suppressed HPG function.Design: Prospective study of 61 women undertaking 11-month BMT. Subjects acted as their own controls at baseline (all measures). Body composition m...

Background: Endocrine systems are known to be disrupted in acute illness, and we previously demonstrated that plasma steroid concentrations correlated with severity in patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Given their similarity to some clinical hormone deficiencies, we hypothesised that ‘long-COVID’ symptoms may be related to ongoing endocrine dysfunction.Methods: Plasma steroids, precursors and metabolites were quantified by LCMS/MS in multi-c...

Background: Secretion and metabolism of glucocorticoids and sex steroids is disrupted in critical illness, and may be further disrupted in COVID-19. The host receptor (ACE-2) is expressed in endocrine tissues including adrenal cortex and gonad, and its occupancy may dysregulate the renin-angiotensin system. We hypothesise that severe COVID-19 results in glucocorticoid and sex hormone deficiency, and aldosterone excess.Methods: Plasma was obtained from 27...