Endocrine Abstracts

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the occurrence of anterior pituitary, pancreatic islet and parathyroid tumours. Mice (Men1+/−) deleted for an MEN1 allele develop these tumours. The MEN1 gene encodes a 610 amino acid protein that has been reported to upregulate caspase 8 expression and promote apoptosis. To characterize the functional effects of menin loss in vivo, we asse...

We present a fascinating and instructive case of unexplained suppression of thyroglobulin (Tg) levels following resection of a presumed carcinoid tumour, subsequent re-examination of which revealed it to be a solitary metastasis from a follicular thyroid carcinoma.The patient, RB is a 79-year-old woman who presented 11 years ago with a 2-week history of neck swelling. Examination revealed a 5 cm diameter nodule in the left lobe of the thyroid, confirmed ...

Hypothalamic–pituitary insufficiency may have diverse causes. Infectious diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) may also affect the hypothalamus and/or the pituitary, although this has not been reported very often and not yet been studied systematically. It was the aim of this study to determine the incidence of hypothalamic–pituitary insufficiency in patients with previous infectious diseases of the CNS of different etiology.Patient seri...

Background: AMPK is a metabolic enzyme regulating the energy supply of the cell but it has antiproliferative effects as well via the up-regulation of the p53-p21 axis and inhibition of the mTOR-pathway. Somatostatin (SST) analogues reduce hormone secretion from somatotroph adenomas and tumour growth inhibition can also be achieved. SST affect several signalling pathways including the mTOR-pathway. mTOR is a mediator of a pro-proliferative pathway that can be inhibited by activ...

Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and heterogeneous malignancy with incompletely understood pathogenesis and poor prognosis. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are routinely performed for imaging of the adrenal mass and for standard staging of chest and abdomen as lung and liver are the primary organs for metastatic spread in ACC. Contrast ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure which has been shown to have a high sensitivity an...

In a double-blind study, 106 patients (44 males, 62 females, age 20-64 years) with Addison's disease, were randomised to receive either 50mg of micronised DHEA or placebo orally daily for 12 months. Psychological and biochemical parameters were measured at baseline, 3 to 6 month intervals and post-washout; bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition were assessed by DEXA at baseline and 12 months.DHEAS levels rose significantly and were maintained th...

Background: The 5-year survival rate for patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) is less than 30%. Notch signaling is a transmembrane receptor pathway with four distinct isoforms, activation of which is linked to cellular differentiation, cell fate, and viability. Both Notch1 and Notch3 signaling have been shown to be dysregulated in pNETs. Notch3 activation has been shown to repress Notch1 activity in other cancers. We hypothesize that activation of No...

Introduction: The gut hormone peptide YY 3-36 (PYY3-36) is secreted postprandially from intestinal L-cells to signal satiety. Peripheral administration of PYY3-36 suppresses food intake in rodents and humans. PYY3-36-based drugs are therefore promising anti-obesity treatments. It has been proposed that circulating PYY3-36 supresses appetite via the Y2 receptor (Y2R) in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC). The vagus nerve, the majo...

Background: The PAOLA study assessed the efficacy/safety of pasireotide LAR vs continued treatment with octreotide LAR/lanreotide Autogel in patients with inadequately controlled acromegaly. An exploratory objective was to measure changes in various associated biomarkers, including IGF1 and IGFBP2 (released from white fat cells and known to prevent insulin resistance), glucose and HbA1c.Methods: Adult patients (GH >2.5 μg/l and IGF1 >1.3&#21...

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recognized as common liver disorder that represents the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome including visceral obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the progressive form of liver injury with the risk for progressive fibrosis, cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease. The pathophysiology that leads to NAFLD and NASH is not well understood. We hypo...