Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Several studies have shown that medical radiation exposure in childhood might cause alteration in body composition, although all such studies were of a small scale and individual radiation doses were not estimated.Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate whether or not atomic-bomb (A-bomb) radiation exposure is associated with alteration of body composition using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).<p class="abs...

The testis and epididymis collaborate in the male gamete development. The testis has the specific function to generate spermatozoa and spermatozoa undergo numerous changes passing through the epididymis. p63 in the basal layer of epithelium plays a key role in maintaining cellular populations, whereas Notch 1 and its ligand Jagged 2 have an important role in the cell differentiation and Jagged 2 is up-regulated by TAp63, which transactivates p53 target genes and induces apopto...

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) has been reported to affect about 10% of patients with essential hypertension. In Western countries, about one third of them have aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA), and mutations of the KCNJ5 gene have recently been identified in approximately 30% of APAs. In contrast, most Japanese (~80%) with PA have APA. Therefore, Japanese PA may have different characteristics from patients in Western countries, and those with mutations of the KCNJ...

More than half of patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) develop gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEPNETs). Among GEPNETs in MEN1, insulinoma is the second common functioning tumor and often diagnosed by its pathognomonic clinical feature, i.e. hypoglycemia. Compared to other functioning and nonfunctioning GEPNETs in MEN1, insulinoma is known to develop in younger age. We have recently constructed a database of Japanese patients with MEN1 and her...