Endocrine Abstracts

A 30year old Afrocarribean man with sarcoidosis presented with unexplained weight gain from 98kg to 112kg over 6 months. He had previously documented bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, erythema nodosum, arthralgia, a positive gallium scan and a raised serum angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE).He also described hypersomnolence, impaired concentration, decreased libido and intermittent headaches with no other neuro-psychiatric symptoms. He was not on any regu...

A 30year old Afrocarribean man with sarcoidosis presented with unexplained weight gain from 98kg to 112kg over 6 months. He had previously documented bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, erythema nodosum, arthralgia, a positive gallium scan and a raised serum angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE).He also described hypersomnolence, impaired concentration, decreased libido and intermittent headaches with no other neuro-psychiatric symptoms. He was not on any regu...

The mitochondrial enzyme 25-hydroxyvitamin D(sub)3 1-alpha-hydroxylase plays an important role in the synthesis of active 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(sub)3 in both renal and extra-adrenal tissues such as granulamatous tissue. There is an increased expression of 1-alpha-hydroxlase in sarcoidosis. This can result in hypercalcaemia secondary to elevated 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(sub)3.We present a case of a 81 year old retired GP with long-standing hypercalcaemia associated with a ...

Background: The aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR) is a useful screening test for primary aldosteronism. Renin can be measured as activity or concentration; the accuracy of the ARR depends on these measurements and the factors that may affect them. We carried out two studies; the first assessed the correlation between plasma renin concentration (PRC) and renin activity (PRA) and the agreement between them using two anticoagulants (EDTA and lithium heparin). The second evaluated ...

Growth hormone (GH) is thought to have a dual effect (direct and indirect) on bone metabolism. We sought to explore the inter-relationships and potential determinant factors of several markers of bone turnover in GH deficient adults (GHD), as well as possible acute changes arising from GH.24 GHD subjects [14 M, 10F; age (range, 24-74 yrs)] were studied after consent and ethical approval. They were randomised into three groups (GP) of 8 subjects, each to ...

Insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been shown to co-vary with renal function in a number of physiological and pathological conditions. However, this relationship and possible co-variants have not been specifically explored in untreated growth hormone deficient adults (GHDA). To examine this issue, we studied 24 GHDA subjects (14M, 10F) in the fasted state twice after obtaining consent and ethical approval. The Cockcroft and Gault equation was used to calculate creatinine...

Lipid peroxidation is linked with several metabolic diseases. Lipid peroxidation causes cellular damage through reactive aldehyde species such as 4-hydroxyonenal (4-HNE). The exact mechanism(s) by which 4-HNE causes damage in the intravascular compartment is not exactly known. Using an in vitro system, we investigated the damage induced by 4-HNE on the blood by measuring protein carbonyl groups and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) following 4-HNE treatm...

IntroductionAdequate supply of zinc, selenium, and vitamin D is essential for resistance to other viral infections, immune function, and reduced inflammation. Low levels of micronutrients are associated with adverse clinical outcomes during viral infections. Vitamin D improves the physical barrier against the virus and stimulates the production of antimicrobial peptides. It can prevent cytokine storms by reducing the production of inflammatory cytokines....

BackgroundSodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been shown to reduce deaths and cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but are currently not used as first-line therapy.ObjectiveTo evaluate the cost-effectiveness of introducing empagliflozin into the current standard care (metformin monotherapy) for patients with newly diagnosed T2DM and existing cardiovascular...

IntroductionMultiple Endocrine Neoplasia type-1 (MEN-1) is an inherited autosomal dominant condition with a high degree of penetrance characterized by tumour occurrence in the form of pancreatic neuroendocrine (pNET), parathyroid and anterior pituitary gland tumours, among others. Treatment for MEN-1 associated endocrine tumour, particularly pancreatic, is more challenging than in those without MEN-1, given its multicentric nature and aggressive behaviou...