Endocrine Abstracts

Rapid activation of diverse signal transduction pathways is thought to play an integral role in the cellular responses to many steroid hormones, including progesterone. This sex steroid is essential for normal reproduction in nearly all species. The recent cloning of a G-protein coupled receptor with the properties of a membrane progestin receptor (mPR) in fish and the subsequent identification of three mammalian homologues (mPR-alpha, -beta, and -gamma) raised the possibility...

Aims: To assess factors associated with excess rates of fractures in women with Turner’s syndrome.Settings: Adult Turner Clinic.Outcome measures: Bone fracture history, oestrogen, growth hormone, oxandrolone and thyroxine therapies, anthropometry, calcium, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone and karyotype, hearing impairment, spinal bone mineral density (BMD). This study was approved by Ethical Committee.Resu...

Long-acting somatostatin analogs are now increasingly being prescribed as adjuvant and primary therapy for the treatment of acromegaly. Many studies have shown them to be both effective and safe, by suppressing GH levels and normalizing serum IGF-1 levels in most cases.The aim of the study was to analyze the case report of a female patient with active acromegaly and evaluate the efficacy of long-acting synthetic analog of somatostatin (Sandostatin LAR) for biochemical control ...

Gitelman’s syndrome (GS) is an autosomal recessive primary renal tubular disorder with hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hypocalciuria, and magnesium deficiency. The association of GS and type 1 diabetes is rare1, and bilateral hydronephrosis and hydroureter has not been reported.A 18-year-old female with known GS diagnosed at 17 years of age and type 1 diabetes diagnosed at 15 years of age was admitted to Leicester Royal Infirmary for pre...

Congenital hypoplastic anemia (Diamond-Blakfan Syndrom) is genetically determined disorder which is manifested in early childhood with selective deficiency of erythrocyte line in bone marrow. Severe anemia usually appears between 2nd and 6th month of life. Survival depends on blood transfusions, which in consequence lead to hemosiderosis. Hypopituitarism, hypogonadism and diabetes mellitus and other endocrinopathies are the complications of hemochromatosis.<p class="abstex...

Introduction: Thyroid eye disease affects an estimated 400,000 people in the UK and for a sizeable minority this is an extremely unpleasant condition. Radioactive iodine treatment with I131 for thyrotoxicosis can cause sight-threatening flare-up of dysthyroid eye disease. Patients with dysthyroid eye signs should undergo specialist ophthalmology assessment prior to administration of I131.Case history: A 56 year old gentleman presented with symptoms of th...

Introduction: Hypopituitary patients receiving conventional hormone substitution, but without GH replacement, have an increased mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Inadequate hormone replacement is a possible cause of this increased mortality. GH deficiency in adult patients has been associated with several cardiovascular risk factors, including hyperlipidemia, increased abdominal adiposity, and impaired insulin sensitivity.Aim of the study: The aim ...

Background: Graves’ disease (GD) is an autoimmune disease caused by antibodies directed to the TSH receptor (TRAb), which can be activating (TSAb), neutral, or blocking (TBAb). This balance determines the final clinical result. Typically TSAbs dominate, resulting in hyperthyroidism. Rarely, TBAbs prevail and result in hypothyroidism (1). The TRAb assay routinely used in the clinic does not allow to differentiate between stimulating or blocking characteristics.<p class...

Aim of the study: to analyze surgical outcome in patients who underwent unilateral or bilateral adrenalectomy for hypercortisolism.Methods: retrospective study including patients operated on between January 1994 and June 2005.Results: adrenalectomies for hypercortisolism were performed in 18 patients (5 males, 13 females, mean age 43.6±16.1 years). Indications were cortisol producing adenoma (n=10), adrenocortical carcinoma (n...

We have investigated the effects of estradiol valerat plus dienogest and raloxifene on serum high sensitive C - reactive protein (hsCRP) levels in healthy postmenopausal women. This study was approved by the local ethics committee. Forty eight healthy postmenopausal women were randomly divided into three groups. While group I (n=16) was given 60 mg raloxifene, group II (n=16) received continuously 2 mg estradiol valerat plus 2 mg dienogest. Group III (n=16) received no medicat...