Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Although type 1 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes in children, with the steady increase in type 2 and rare forms of diabetes, it may be sometimes difficult to ascertain the type of diabetes at the time of presentation. Some children present with a combination of features and do not fit into one of the classical types of diabetes. The rapid progress in the molecular genetics has helped to identify the specific diagnosis for these rare forms of diabetes....

Insulin oedema is uncommon and poorly understood. It has been reported mainly in the adult literature. We present one of the youngest cases reported in the literature.A previously obese 9-year-old boy gradually lost weight over 18-month period and experienced polyuria and polydipsia for several months. He presented in diabetic ketoacidosis (blood glucose 24 mmol/l, pH 7.13, bicarbonate 6.6 mmol/l, potassium 3.13 mmol/l, urinary ketones 3+) which resp...

We audited the management of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) at our institution between 2000 and June 2004, to determine our adherence to the Consensus Development Conference on the Management of Asymptomatic PHP (2002) guidelines.Sixteen patients were referred with PHP during the period in question, 12 female. Average age at diagnosis was 59 years (range 36-81), average PTH level 155 ng/mL, and average corrected serum calcium 2.76 mmol/L (normal 2.1-2...

We have previously shown that β-endorphin reduces muscle fatigue and increases glucose uptake in contracting and non-contracting skeletal muscles of the mouse. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of these peptides on glucose uptake and muscle fatigue in normal mice and obese-diabetic mice (which provide a model for non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM). The uptake of glucose into contracting and non-contracting muscle was assessed using the non-metab...

Central cholinergic defects, as well as cognitive impairments, have been reported in humans with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The levels of acetylcholine are partly controlled by the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which breaks it down. We have previously reported evidence for abnormal AChE activity in the skeletal muscles of the obese diabetic (ob/ob) mouse which provides a model for NIDDM. The aim of the present study was to investigate the levels...

The central obese phenotype characteristic of Cushing's syndrome emphasises the role of glucocorticoids (GC) in regulating adipose tissue mass and distribution. We have shown that GCs stimulate adipocyte differentiation, but equally inhibit adipose stromal cell (ASC) proliferation. These effects are regulated at a pre-receptor level through 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, but the 'post-receptor' signalling pathways remain unclear. To define novel GC targets in huma...

Perinatal glucocorticoid (GC) treatment accelerates lung maturation but may compromise health in adulthood, possibly via changes in hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) activity. This study used western blot analysis and a well established in vitro method to investigate the effects of perinatal GC treatment on the expression and function of annexin 1 (ANXA1), a 37kDa protein which mediates facets of GC action in the neuroendocrine and host defence systems. Male rats were treate...

Introduction: One in 700 children of school age have diabetes. Children spend on average a quarter of their waking lives in school. It is important that children receive adequate support and supervision in school for the effective management of diabetes.Aim: To evaluate the support given by the schools for lunch time insulin injections, from the perspective of parents of children with diabetes.Methods: Questionnaire completed by di...

We aimed to establish the extent of adult cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) in Ireland, and examine the differences between patients with CFRD and those with normal glucose handling.We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who attend the national referral centre for adult CF. Data including lung spirometry, sputum microbiology, bone mineral density and genotype were collected. Patients were diagnosed as having CFR...

Exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids (GCs) at critical stages in development is thought to compromise immune function in adulthood (1), but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Accordingly, we have examined the effects of perinatal dexamethasone treatment on the expression in the adult thymus of (a) inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS-2, paradoxically also expressed constitutively in the thymus) which liberates NO, a factor involved in the negative selection...