Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction and aim: In the UK, 15% of couples are affected by infertility which is due to primary or secondary male factors in 30%. Induction of spermatogenesis with gonadotrophins is a long established endocrine treatment for gonadotrophin deficiency. However, there are concerns that some patient groups have very low success rates. The aim of our audit was to define success of spermatogenesis and fertility rates amongst these men.Methods: We retrospec...

Background: The melanocortin system is known to be involved in hypothalamic regulation of energy balance, which is implicated in reproductive success. However, the peripheral role for melanocortin receptor (MCR) signalling in the reproductive system has not been described. During a clinical trial of repeated high dose tetracosactide (ACTH1–24) injection, four of nine premenopausal women with Addison’s disease developed menstrual disturbances. We wondered i...

A 55-year-old female presented to the Endocrine Clinic with Graves’ disease which was treated with carbimazole for 18 months. Her initial symptoms were facial sweating and dry lips on background of a multinodular goitre confirmed on thyroid ultrasound. TSH was <0.01 mU/l, free T4 was 42.2, and free T3 18 pmol/l. Thyrotoxicosis recurred in an attempt to taper down the dose of carbimazole and a decision was made to proceed with radioactive iodine t...

Introduction: The silent corticotropinomas (SC) account for 1.1–6% of surgically removed pituitary adenomas and 17–22% of ACTH-immunoreactive tumours. They do not cause prominent clinical features of hypercortisolism, nor biochemically evident, but show positive immunostaining for ACTH similar to functional corticotropinomas, They usually present as non-functioning adenomas (NFPA) with local mass effects and/or visual impairment.Aim: To describ...

Relevance: Question of standards of iodine intake in pregnant and lactating women remains relevant.Aim of study: to determine status and function of thyroid gland in pregnant and lactating women with and without antibodies to thyroid gland, on the background of taking different doses of iodine in 3 different regions of Russia with different iodine status.Materials and methods: This study included 414 women in the different trimeste...

Purpose: To study reproductive endocrine complications (REC) of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at a woman epilepsyMaterials and methods: One hundred and fifty five women at the age of 16–45 years were included in prospective observational uncontrolled comparative study of the antiepileptic drugs reproductive side effects. Three groups were divided: 1 gr., monotherapy AEDs; 2 gr., polytherapy; 3 gr., no AEDs used. REC lasted more than 6 months were accou...

Objective: To examine whether prolactinoma patients have an altered personality profile.Methods: In this cross-sectional study 84 prolactinoma patients were enrolled. As reference groups, we compared 58 patients with non-functioning pituitary adenomas and secondly 168 age and gender matched healthy control subjects. Personality traits were measured with the standardized Eysenck (EPQ) and Cloninger personality (TPQ) questionnaires.R...

Glucocorticoids act directly on pancreatic islets suppressing insulin secretion from the beta cells through a genomic mechanism of slow onset. We present here data on immediate actions of dexamethasone on two models of insulin secretion: RINm5F and INS-1 beta cell lines. Under normal glucose concentrations, dexamethasone rapidly (within minutes) decreased insulin secretion about 30%. Under hypoglycaemic conditions (glucose reduced to 50% for 1 hour) dexamethasone increased ins...

In our study we included retrospective analyses of 101 patients (mean age 35 years, 85 women and 16 men) with Cushing’s disease (CD), who underwent transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) treatment. CD is based on clinical suspicion, hormonal research of cortisol (F), ACTH, 24-hous urine F, results of dexamethasone suppression tests low (1 mg) dose (LDDST) and high (8 mg) dose (HDDST) and MR-imaging (MRI). Before the operation all patients have high F, ACTH, negative LDDST and posi...

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy triggered by gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. Its prevalence is ~7 times higher in type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients compared to the general population; in addition to adherence to a gluten free (GF) diet, these patients use carbohydrate counting to estimate their pre-meal insulin dosages. We aimed to (a) compare the nutritional composition between some GF and non GF carbohydrate-rich products av...