Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Bone mass is low and fracture risk is higher in obese children. We wished to ascertain the relationships of obesity-related changes in hormones with skeletal microstructure.Method: Children aged 8–15 years matched by gender and pubertal stage were recruited into lean and obese groups (18 pairs). We used high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT – resolution-82 μm) to assess three-dimensional cortical a...

Introduction: Testicular germ cell tumours are the most frequent cancer of young men. Epidemiological and clinical data have suggested that fetal or perinatal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) with estrogenic effects, could participate to testicular germ cell carcinogenesis. However, EEDs (like bisphenol A (BPA) are often weak ligands for classical nuclear estrogen receptors.Using a human seminoma cell line (JKT-1), devoid of ERα...

Tolvaptan (a selective V2 receptor antagonist) is licensed for the inpatient management of SIADH induced hyponatraemia, a common complication in patients with malignancy. Licensed daily doses start at 15 mg but there is evidence that some patients have a rise in serum sodium (Na) of >12 mmol/l per 24 h in response to this. Lower initial doses (7.5 mg) may therefore be appropriate1,2.Methods: A retrospective case note audit was performed. T...

Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety in adult outpatients with diabetes and identify the correlation with diabetes management behaviours and clinical outcomes.Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were performed on 142 diabetic patients (type 1 diabetes n=67, type 2 diabetes n=60) attending outpatient clinic. Depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and the General Anxiety Di...

Hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is an important factor in setting the redox status of the endo-/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR) lumen by generating the NADPH:NADP+ ratio for 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) mediated glucocorticoid (GC) activation. H6PDH knockout mice (H6KO) clearly demonstrate the obligate nature of 11β-HSD1 for H6PDH, and display a vacuolating of type IIb fiber myopathy, elevated glycogen storage and type II to type...

Aim: The aim of our study was to assess the correlation between pre-operative fine needles aspiration based cytology with post-operative histology in patients with thyroid nodules.Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who had thyroidectomy (hemi, subtotal, or total) was conducted and information on histology was obtained. Pre-operative FNA (done once or twice) was also obtained and compared with histology. Patients operated for Graves’ disea...

Introduction: Available clinical literature raises the possibility that stress-responsive mechanisms differ by gender, especially in older individuals; however the accompanying evidence is both limited and discrepant. We hypothesize that gender determines the degree of ACTH inhibition by and recovery after an experimental cortisol clamp in older subjects.Subjects and design: We conducted a prospectively randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross...

Liquorice (scientific name Glycyrrhiza glabra) is historically used for gastrointestinal complaints. Now it is primarily used as a flavoring agent in the tobacco, confectionery and to some extent in the pharmaceutical and beverage industries. Excessive intake of liquorice may cause a primary hyperaldosteronism-like syndrome characterized by sodium and water retention, hypertension, hypokalaemia, metabolic alkalosis, low-renin activity, and hypoaldosteronism. We descri...

Hypoparathyridsm and pseudohypoparathyroidsm are the common causes of pathological calcification in the brain though 0.3–1.5% cases are physiological. The clinical presentation of hypoparathyroidsm can vary with the calcium levels and chronicity of hypocalcaemia. We describe a 39-year-old female who had type one diabetes for the last 23 years. She was repeatedly hospitalised with collapse episodes thought to be hypoglycaemic though never proved. She also had primary hypop...

Patients with glucocorticoids (GC) excess develop central obesity, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in up to 20% of cases. Current dogma suggests that GCs cause insulin resistance in all tissues. However, we have previously demonstrated that GCs induce insulin sensitisation in adipose tissue in vitro, whilst causing insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. In rodent hepatocytes, GCs enhance insulin stimulated lipogenesis but studies in human hepatocytes have not...