Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To investigate the influence of vitamin E (VE) and selenium (Se) on apoptosis of human thyrocyte induced by H2O2.Methods: The human thyroid epithelium cells (TEC) from normal para-adenoma tissues of patients with thyroid adenoma resection were cultured. In prevention groups, vitamin E (50 μmol/l), selenium (10–7 mol/l) or serum-free medium was respectively added into thyrocytes of monolayer culture before H...

Background: IRS consists of ≥3 of the following components: obesity (BMI >98th centile), abnormal insulin glucose homeostasis, hypertension, dyslipidaemia. Elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a marker of NAFLD.Objective: To define the prevalence of IRS and NAFLD in obese children referred to our centre.Methods: subjects: mean BMI-SDS +6 (+0.6 to +14), median age 13.4 years (3–19), female 66%, British Asi...

Background: Among infants presenting with prolonged hyperbilirubinaemia there is anecdotal evidence that some babies who were Newborn Screening-negative for congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) have CHT diagnosed at the time of presentation with jaundice.Aims: To determine the prevalence of CHT in babies presenting with prolonged jaundice and to assess the predictive value of lowering the TSH cut-off for a screen-positive result on the ability to identify bab...

Introduction: The true prevalence of clinically relevant pituitary adenomas has been reevaluated at 1/1064 of the population (1). Among them, prolactinomas represent the majority with a prevalence of 1/2000. They occur usually in females, aged 20–50 Y.O., and 80% are microadenomas. Nearly 5% of prolactinomas appear in a familial or genetic setting (MEN-1 or FIPA) (2). Cabergoline is proposed as the first line therapy and is usually efficient to normalize prolactin (PRL) l...

Introduction: Metformin is now one of the most common treatments for PCOS. However controversy exists about the usefulness of metformin in PCOS women with normal insulin sensitivity and normal weight. The aim of this study was to compare efficacy of metformin treatment for the purpose of restoration of ovulation in lean and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.Design: Thirty-six unovulatory women with PCOS (21 lean with mean body mass index (BMI) 2...

Due to the non-specificity of symptoms in male neonates affected by salt-wasting (SW) CAH, it is hypothesised that a proportion die prior to diagnosis in countries lacking a newborn screening (NBS) programme, such as the UK. The aim of this study was to analyse 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) in stored NBS blood spot samples, to detect undiagnosed cases of CAH. Samples were retrieved from storage for neonates who were born between 1994 and 2006, who subsequently died before 7 ...

Objective: To determine the vitamin D status in pregnancy and to evaluate the effects of daily and of single-dose vitamin D supplementation.Design: A prospective randomised study, in an inner city ante-natal clinic.Participants: Forty-five women in each of the four ethnic groups, Indian Asians, Middle Eastern, Black and Caucasian, were studied (incomplete delivery data at time of submission).Intervention: Wom...

Objective: The cardiovascular effects of testosterone treatment are debated. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is an independent marker of cardiovascular risk. We investigated the effect of testosterone therapy on OPG levels in ageing men with low normal bioavailable testosterone levels.Design: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of six months testosterone therapy (gel) in 38 men aged 60–78 years with bioavailable testosterone <7.3 nmol/l...

This work aimed at gathering own data on adrenal response to low-dose Synacthen test, CRH test and about periferal metabolism of cortisol in autoimmune type 1 diabetics with onset in adults. Seventy diabetics were investigated; age 44±10 years (mean±S.D.), age at diagnosis 28.5±10 years, disease duration 15±8 years, BMI 24.5±2.7 kg/cm2, HbA1c 7.2±1.2%. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee. Adrenal reserve was t...

Aim: Serum TSH is the target value by which adequate thyroid hormone supply can easily be monitored in patients with primary hypothyroidism. It is controversial when TSH should be measured before thyroxine dose adjustments are made, 4–8 weeks are recommended. To define the time when dose adjustments of thyroxine are feasible more clearly, we looked at the time required to reach stable TSH levels.Methods: We prospectively studied a case series of pat...