Endocrine Abstracts

A role for glucocorticoids (GCs) in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism and the development of diabetes was first described over 70 years ago. Whilst there is little doubt that systemic GC excess leads to insulin resistance the tissue specific mechanisms underpinning their effect on insulin sensitivity remain to be understood. We have defined tissue specific effects of GCs on insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo. In skeletal myotube...

The current model of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) action is well established, whereby GR remains inactive in the cytoplasm until bound by ligand, then rapidly translocates to the nucleus to regulate target genes. However, our recent observations challenge the simplicity of this model and suggest a greater range of GR action.We have identified a novel pathway in which the GR is recruited to the plasma membrane through binding to the lipid raft marker cave...

Feline hyperthyroidism (FH) is the commonest endocrinopathy in cats. The mean age at presentation is 13 to 14 years of age, and the incidence has been estimated at 1 cat per 300 cats examined. Hyperthyroidism due to thyroid stimulating autoantibodies (a feline Graves’ disease) has not been reported in cats. FH is analogous, clinically and pathologically, to human toxic nodular goitre (HTNG), though there is no known sex predisposition in cats, unlike the female predisposi...

Thyroid diseases are common disorders. Globally, hypothyroidism is still frequently caused by iodine deficiency. In iodine sufficient areas, the most common cause of hypothyroidism is thyroid autoimmunity. Subclinical hypothyroidism is defined as elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels with free thyroxine (fT4) estimates within the reference range. It is a common disorder that increases with age affecting up to 20% of the elderly, with a higher prevalence in women. S...

Section 1: Case history: A 55 year woman presented with a one month history of fatigue, anxiety, tremor and diarrhoea. She was diagnosed with Grave’s thyrotoxicosis and commenced on Carbimazole 30 mg daily. Thyroid hormones normalised, but after three weeks of therapy she developed rapidly progressive ascending numbness and weakness predominantly affecting her legs. Examination revealed distal symmetrical lower motor neurone weakness and widespread loss of light touch sensatio...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by variable combination of more than 20 types of endocrine and non-endocrine tumors: typically parathyroid glands, pancreatic islet cells and anterior pituitary gland are involved. We studied 20 patients (10M and 10F), affered to our Pituitary Unit in a period of 10 years. All patients had clinical diagnostic criteria suspected for MEN1 (presence of two endocrine tumors at least) and und...

PRRT is a treatment choice for inoperable or metastasized neuroendocrine tumours and this therapy seems more effective in the biochemical and volume control of disease than SSA. We investigated the role of medical therapy with SSA and PRRT in patients with well and moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumours. We evaluated 55 patients with well or moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumours; 31 patients with either metastatic, unresectable or functioning tumours were ...

GH excess is considered as one of the causes of secondary osteoporosis with an increased risk of vertebral fractures in men and post-menopausal women with acromegaly. GH excess in acromegaly is also frequently associated with type 2 diabetes which is considered as a risk factor for fragility fractures in the general population. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated whether type 2 diabetes may influence the prevalence vertebral fractures in acromegaly. Fifty-seven males w...

Hyperprolactinemia may cause bone loss in pre-menopausal women and men. Data on fractures are scanty and it is still unclear which is the skeletal impact of hyperprolactinemia in post-menopausal women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of vertebral fractures in post-menopausal women with hyperprolactinemia.Forty post-menopausal women (median age 57 years, range: 47–81) with prolactin (PRL)-secreting adenoma and 119 control post-me...

Patients with acromegaly resistant to conventional drug treatment currently can advantage with GH-receptor antagonist pegvisomant. To date, at doses up to 40 mg/day, it is capable of normalizing circulating IGF1 in until 97% of patients. Here we present the multicenter experience in Rome with Pegvisomant as a therapeutic option in acromegaly. This is an observational study including a total of 61 patients (21 males and 40 females) treated with pegvisomant for up to 7 years. Of...