Endocrine Abstracts

AIM: 1) To determine GH dose requirement in GH deficient patients aged over 60 years. METHODS: The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee. Patients were started on Genotropin 0.4 units (0.13 mg)/day after baseline assessment. Serum IGF-I was repeated at 2-weekly intervals. Maintenance GH dose was achieved when serum IGF-1 was between the median and upper end of the age-related range. RESULTS: 16 patients (10 men & 6 women) were recruited. Their median (range) age...

Objectives: Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) almost universally complain of exercise intolerance due, in part, to alterations of skeletal muscle. In men, testosterone is an important determinant of muscle bulk and strength. Relative androgen deficiency in men with CHF could contribute to exercise intolerance. We studied the relationship between plasma levels of testosterone and measures of skeletal muscle bulk and strength and exercise capacity in men with CHF.<p ...

Background: The 250microgram synacthen test may give false negative responses, and will not allow easy discrimination between primary and secondary dysfunction. Furthermore, the use of synacthen is contra-indicated on the data sheet in certain common conditions such as asthma, and may not easily be interpreted in women taking oral oestrogen. Some patients with incipient adrenal failure may have elevated plasma ACTH, whilst passing the synacthen test. We have routinely measured...

Self-limited delayed puberty is a condition that is frequently familial with strong genetic determinants. It has been linked to coding region sequence variation by next generation sequencing of affected individuals, identifying genetic regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pathways underlying this condition. However, the role of epigenetic modifiers of human pubertal timing is underexplored. The Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is unique as it is active ...

Vitamin D supplementation in childhood improves the achievement of peak bone mass. We investigated the effect of calcitriol on bone turnover in recent-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D). Moreover, the association between osteocalcin (OC) and metabolic control was examined.We conducted a post-hoc analysis of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of calcitriol supplementation to preserve β-cell function. Twenty-seven recent-onset T1D, mean age 25.6...

Background: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) have highly heterogeneous growth rates, yielding broad ranges of radiographic imaging intervals in standard guidelines, creating uncertainty for clinicians and patients. Chromogranin A (CgA) is released by GEP-NET cells and has been associated with increased tumor burden. However, clinical utility of CgA measurement has been limited by the lack of prospective validation studies and by different sensitivity for...

Ample literature exists on thyroid functioning and adjustments in Iodine-sufficient pregnant women. But information from endemic-iodine zones is meagre. In this study we attempt to understand how the thyroid copes with the dual challenge of iodine deficiency posed by physiological status of pregnancy and that by Iodine-deficient environment.Objective: To compare TSH and FT4 profiles and their mutual correlation in iodine-deficient and iodine-sufficient s...

Background: Recombinant human GH (rhGH) may improve bone mass in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Objective: To investigate rhGH on bone and body composition in paediatric IBD.Method: Bone biomarkers were evaluated in 12 children, 11CD (10M), median age 14.4 year (8.9, 16.2) who received rhGH (0.067 mg/kg per day) as part of a 6 months RCT. Eight received rhGH for 24 months and had DXA evaluation. Results were reported a...

Background: Puberty is understood to be commonly effected in adolescents with Crohn’s Disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the extent of this effect and related problems with growth, have rarely been quantified.Objective: To determine the impact of CD and UC on pubertal growth.Methods: Retrospective study of 148 children with IBD (casenotes available, 135) who fulfilled the criteria for describing growth spurt pa...

Risk of cardiovascular disease is higher for patients with diabetes and dyslipidemia. Known risk factors include elevated triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), LDL, and low HDL. The log(TG: HDL), known as Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP), is inversely correlated with LDL particle size (r=-0.78) and provides another marker of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Low-risk CHD cohorts have negative AIP values; high-risk cohorts have positive values. Patients with type 2 diab...