Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The hCG stimulation test is a useful indicator of functional testicular tissue and may also have a place in treating undescended testes (UDT). However, its utility is limited by the inconsistency in the regimens used. We have looked at the clinical and biochemical response in a group of children with UDT who had a prolonged hCG stimulation as part of their clinical management.Methods: The retrospective review in 17 cases with a median EMS (...

Biochemical assessment of control of CAH includes measurement of adrenal-derived androgens in blood. Some androgens like 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) have a diurnal rhythm and show a widespread of values in well controlled children. Testosterone in children (except pubertal boys) may be useful in monitoring control as it may reflect the potential for androgen action better than weaker androgens. Our salivary testosterone (SalT) assay measures free testosterone and is sensiti...

Background: GCs retard growth prenatally in many mammals. Little is known of the prenatal effects of GCs in mice though this species is optimal for genetic and transgenic studies. IGFBP-2 is the predominant prenatal IGF binding protein and it may influence IGF action.Aim: To determine the weights, crown rump lengths (CRL) and serum IGF-I, Insulin and IGFBP-2 levels on 1 day old mice exposed to GC prenatally.Methods: Pregnant mice w...

Introduction: Transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) RNA has identified a set of androgen-responsive non-coding RNAs.Aim: To quantify the androgen-responsive gene expression and investigate its relationship to the testosterone (T) rise following hCG stimulation in boys with no genetic evidence of androgen insensitivity.Methods: Boys with suspected DSD who were evaluated at the Royal Hospital for Childre...

Introduction: Delayed puberty is a common indication for referral to paediatric endocrine services. Although guidelines exist for management of testosterone replacement in adults, currently it is not clear what the optimum regimen for testosterone therapy is for children or how best to monitor boys throughout treatment.Aims: To identify the characteristics of testosterone therapy in boys referred for delayed puberty.Methods: Retros...

Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is due to parathyroid hormone (PTH) resistance that results in hypocalcaemia, hyperphosphataemia and elevated plasma PTH concentrations. Some PHP patients also have Albright’s hereditary dystrophy (AHO), which is characterised by short stature, round faces, dental hypoplasia, brachydactyly, subcutaneous ossifications and reduced mental acuity. The 3 major types of PHP referred to as PHP type 1a (PHP1a), PHP1b and pseudopseudohypoparathyroidi...

Introduction: Congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis (CNPAS) is an increasingly recognised cause of upper airway obstruction associated with holoprosencephaly, of which solitary median maxillary central incisor (SMMCI) is the least severe form. Studies have described pituitary abnormalities in up to 40%. We aimed to determine the use of baseline endocrine investigations and MRI brain in assessing endocrine dysfunction.Method: Retrospective casenote ...

Introduction: With improvements in assays and the increasing need for non-invasive, out-patient based investigations, there is a renewed interest in the use of urinary gonadotrophins (UG) for assessing pubertal progress. This study aims to establish the correlation between serum and urinary LH and FSH in patients undergoing investigation or management of pubertal disorders.Methods/design: Retrospective evaluation of eight patients undergoing investigatio...

Background: By providing a non-invasive, functional insight into brain chemistry, MRS has the potential to provide objective longitudinal data on mammalian brain development.Aims: To assess the sexual dimorphism in rodent brain chemistry and development using in vivo MRS.Methods: 26 (19 males) Sprague–Dawley rats were scanned at 6 weeks and 12 male rats at 10 weeks using a 7T MRI scanner. Testosterone concentrations w...

Background: A recent RCT of rhGH in IBD over 6 months showed that improvement in linear growth was associated with a reduction in insulin sensitivity.Objectives: To investigate the effects of prolonged rhGH on growth and glucose homeostasis in children with IBD.Patients and methods: Eleven children (10CD/1UC) (9 m) with a median age of 14.7 years (range, 8.9, 16.2) who received rhGH (0.067 mg/kg per day) as part a 6-month RCT were ...