Endocrine Abstracts

The present study aimed to explore the relationship of sarcopenia, with or without the presence of obesity, with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2981 subjects in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. The diabetes status of each subject was determined by using a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, and body composition was estimated via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The skeletal muscle mass index (SMI, %) was obtained by c...

Thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), the major transport protein for thyroid hormone in circulation, is synthesized in the liver. Complete TBG deficiency was first reported in 1964, and in 1991 a single nucleotide deletion was found in the first base of the codon for amino acid 352 of the common-type TBG molecule. This mutation causes a frameshift in translation and premature termination. Most people with abnormal TBG concentrations are euthyroid. Cases of Graves’ disease wi...

The prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is generally estimated at 5–7% in women of reproductive age. But studies regarding the prevalence of PCOS have largely been confined to non-Asians. We aimed to estimate prevalence and phenotype of PCOS in Korean women. Cross sectional study was done between November 2008 and May 2009. A questionnaire based on menstrual history and clinical manifestations of hyperandrogenism was utilized to find out ‘probable cases&#1...

Somatostatin analogues (SSA) are widely used for the treatment of patients with acromegaly, and the responses are variable. We investigated the possible predictive factors of the response to SSA therapy in Korean acromegalic patients. Twenty-eight patients were retrospectively analysed, who were treated by surgery and adjunctively SSA. Somatostatin suppression tests (SST, hourly GH measurements for 3 h following 100 μg somatostatin injection) were done before SSAs were gi...

Aims: To investigate the mechanism of α-lipoic acid (ALA) on preventing diabetes, we evaluated the effect of ALA on growth regulation and composition of skeletal muscle.Methods: OLETF and LETO rats, aged 24 weeks, were treated with or without ALA (100 mg/kg body weight/day in drinking water) and / or insulin (insulin glargine, 2 U/kg body weight/day; subcutaneous injection) for 8 weeks.Results: The treatment of ALA with or wit...