Endocrine Abstracts

Cell autonomous sex identity (CASI) of birds is the concept that sex-steroids have little or no effect on the development of secondary sexual characteristics in birds, and that sexual dimorphisms are determined by the sex-chromosome content of cells in individual tissues. In avian species males have a ZZ sex chromosome, while females are ZW. Sexual dimorphisms in chickens, such as muscle mass, comb and wattle size and hackles and spur development are believed to be determined ...

Autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1 (ADH1), caused by gain-of-function variants in the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR, gene: CASR) and is characterized by hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, low parathyroid hormone (PTH), and hypercalciuria. Calcilytics (negative allosteric modulators of the CaSR) decrease the sensitivity of activated receptors to extracellular calcium and normalize blood and urine abnormalities in ADH1 rodent models. Encaleret is an oral calcilytic u...

Background and Aims: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is characterised by autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta-cells resulting in insulin deficiency. Evaluation of novel therapies for T1DM requires reliable methods to measure beta-cell function, which is unattainable using traditional non-invasive imaging techniques. A new approach is manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI). As a calcium analogue, manganese is taken up into pancreatic beta-cells during insuli...

Background: Patients being treated for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) receive a dose of Radioiodine for remnant ablation. Occasional patients appear to have little or no iodine uptake at all in the thyroid bed or else where even shortly after thyroidectomy.Objective: To evaluate the influence of ‘Coexisting Thyroiditis’ on radioiodine uptake in thyroid cancer ablation doses.Methods and Design: Retrospec...

Background: Patients being treated for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) receive a dose of Radioiodine for remnant ablation. Occasional patients appear to have little or no iodine uptake at all in the thyroid bed or else where even shortly after thyroidectomy.Objective: To evaluate the influence of ‘Coexisting Thyroiditis’ on radioiodine uptake in thyroid cancer ablation doses.Methods and Design: Retrospec...

CRN04894 is a potent, orally bioavailable nonpeptide that is a highly selective antagonist for melanocortin type 2 receptor (MC2R). This receptor is found exclusively in the adrenal cortex and is the primary mediator of adrenal activation. We report results from a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled (6 active:3 placebo/cohort), multiple ascending dose (40, 60, and 80 mg) study in health volunteers evaluating safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of oral, on...

A 33 year old primip presented to the local ophthalmic hospital at 34+4 weeks’ gestation with two weeks of blurred vision. Examination revealed a bitemporal hemianopia and reduced visual acuity. She was previously fit and well, and a pre-eclampsia screen was negative. An MRI scan demonstrated a haemorrhagic pituitary lesion extending into the suprasellar cistern with mild compression of the optic chiasm. Pituitary function tests showed a raised prolactin 3844 mU/l, isolat...

Introduction: Germline mutations in succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB) are one of the commonest findings in familial paraganglioma (PGL) syndromes and account for one quarter of PGLs associated with germline mutations. Although the penetrance is low, the malignancy conversion is high; up to 30%. With the increasing availability of genetic testing and the identification of ‘asymptomatic carriers’ of the SDHB gene mutation, it is therefore impor...

LH hyper-secretion, driven by increased GnRH pulsatility, underpins excess testosterone secretion – a key clinical feature of PCOS.The kisspeptin-neurokinin B (NKB)-GnRH pathway has emerged as the pivotal regulator of reproduction. We hypothesised that pharmacologic blockade of NKB may address the central pathophysiology of LH hyper-secretion and hyperandrogenism in PCOS. We undertook a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled multi-centre Phase...

Introduction: Phaeochromocytoma localisation is generally reliably achieved with modern imaging techniques, particularly in sporadic cases. Diagnostic doubt can arise due to the presence of bilateral adrenal abnormalities, particularly in patients with mutations in genes predisposing them to the phaeochromocytoma development. In such cases, surgical intervention is ideally limited to large or functional lesions due to the long-term consequences associated with hypoadrenalism. ...