Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by biochemical and clinical androgen excess and disturbed ovarian function and is associated with disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism. Isoflavones are phytoestrogens exerting endocrine effects on human hormone and metabolic signaling and may influence symptom penetrance in PCOS. We investigated whether women with PCOS and healthy controls have alterations in their capacity to metabolize hormonally active dietar...

17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) is currently used as a diagnostic parameter in children and young adults when a milder form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH, late-onset) is suspected. A basal serum level of 17OHP (2 ng/ml; 6.0 nmol/l, respectively) has been discussed as cut-off for suspected late-onset disease. We analysed 17OHP in a cohort of children and adolescents without CAH and in confirmed CAH patients to define reference ranges for these age...

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5–20% of women of reproductive age worldwide and is associated with disorders of glucose metabolism. Hormone and metabolic signalling may be influenced by phytoestrogens, such as isoflavones. Their endocrine effects may modify symptom penetrance in PCOS.We investigated, whether women with PCOS and healthy controls differ in their capacity to metabolize dietary isoflavones and whether this capacity...

Apart from the crucial effects of vitamin D on bone health, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with various chronic conditions such as metabolic or reproductive disturbances. The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents the most common endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age. Women affected by PCOS frequently suffer from oligo- or anovulation as well as from obesity and insulin resistance. There is accumulating evidence showing an association of vitamin D s...

BackgroundMetformin is a widely used and effective agent in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Yet, the mechanisms of action and the occurrence of side effects (e.g. abdominal bloating and pain), are still poorly understood. Since organic cation transporters (OCTs) are responsible for the hepatic and renal transport of metformin, we investigated a series of short nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the OCT genes in PCOS ...

Background: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), the most prevalent autoimmune disorder of the thyroid (AITD) is characterized by the presence of circulating autoantibodies, induced by a not fully understood dysregulation of the immune system. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, which can play a pivotal role in immune functions and the development of autoimmunity. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate whether a panel of nine selected miRNAs differs in ser...

Context: The aldosterone to active renin ratio (AARR) is the recommended screening test for primary aldosteronism (PA), but prospective study data on its sensitivity and specificity are sparse.Objective: We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of the AARR for detecting PA.Design: This is a prospective diagnostic accuracy study.Setting: This study was conducted from February 2009 to August 2015 at the outpatie...

Introduction: Soluble ST2 (sST2) is the truncated soluble form of the ST2 receptor in the circulation. It is a decoy receptor of IL-33 and thereby inhibits the effects of IL-33/ST2 signaling. Elevated levels of sST2 have been associated with various adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Recently, potential associations of sST2 with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been described in the general population. In this study, we determined possible cross-sectional associa...