Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Radiolabeled somatostatin analogs provide a means of delivering targeted radiation with a high therapeutic index to NETs that express somatostatin receptors (SSTRs). We hypothesize that the addition of an effective radiation sensitizer could help improve the antitumor activity of Lutathera. Radiation is a potent inducer of DNA damage. The primary repair mechanism of radiation-induced double-stranded breaks (DSBs) is the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway, in ...

Background: Bariatric surgery remains the most effective method of weight loss and can result in partial or complete resolution of multiple obesity-related comorbidities. Bariatric surgery should be performed in conjunction with a comprehensive preoperative assessment and a follow-up plan consisting of nutritional, behavioral, and medical programs. The bariatric surgical procedures are associated with significant long-term complications, primarily malnutrition.<p class="ab...

Background: It was noted in the last few years there was an increased incidence of vasculitis and vasculitic reactions in patients with thyrotoxicosis. Those vasculitic reactions ranged from simple purpuric skin lesion to sever intra-alveolar hemorrhage and even to Steven Johnson Syndrome, Most of those vasculitic reactions occurred in patients receiving propylthiouracil or methimazole. But many other cases were detected in thyrotoxic patients even be...

Case history: A 59 year old Afro-Carribbean male with a 25 year history of cardiac enlargement and hypertension, on multiple anti-hypertensives, presented with increasing breathlessness and several years of markedly reduced exercise tolerance. He was intolerant of spironolactone and eplerenone. His past medical history included hypertersion, obstructive sleep apnoea, Steven-Johnson syndrome secondary to allopurinol, thyrotoxicosis treated with radio-active iodine, monoclonal g...

Introduction: Most pituitary adenomas are benign. However, there are invasive forms with rapid growth rate and particular histological signs (atypical adenomas), making them considered pituitary carcinomas without metastases.Observation: A 63-year-old patient was followed for 10 years for Cushing’s disease in the pituitary macrodenoma. Clinical evaluation found Cushing syndrome, pituitary tumor syndrome associated with diplopia, and trigeminal neura...

Introduction: Under-nutrition is a greater risk factor for low productivity andpoor health as diabetes1. In Benin 11.9% of males and 9.5% of females were underweight2 and 5.3% of the population have diabetes3. There is no data available on underweight among diabetic in Benin.The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of underweight among diabetic and the associated factors.Method: It was a...

Background: The published data on the natural history of (presumed) non-functioning pituitary microadenomas (micro-NFAs) is possibly compromised by small sample sizes, short follow-up and inclusion of cases with other pathologies in the analyses.Objective: To clarify the long-term outcomes of micro-NFAs in a large cohort of patients.Methods: We conducted a multi-centre, retrospective, cohort study involving 22 UK endocrine departme...

Background: Large series of patients elucidating the natural history of conservatively managed non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas (macroNFPAs) and relevant prognostic factors are not available.Objectives: Clarify long-term outcomes of macroNFPAs in large cohort of patients.Methods: Multi-centre [21 UK endocrine departments-UK NFPA consortium], retrospective, cohort study of ca...

The glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU486, binds to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) with high affinity, and allows both nuclear localisation and also DNA binding. However, the DNA bound GR does not activate target gene transcription. This suggests that the ligand-binding domain of the GR is required to interpret agonist and antagonist ligands, and transmit those signals to the basal transcriptional machinery. Adaptor proteins play an important role in transducing the effe...

Glucocorticoids (Gc) are highly potent anti-inflammatory agents. They act through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a protein capable of multiple protein interactions. The pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-a and IL-1 signal, in part, through activation of NF-kB. Nf-kB transactivation is inhibited by activated GR. It has been suggested that the GR, and the p65 (RelA) component of NF-kB form a direct contact independent of Gc ligand, and that Gc binding results in inhibition of p6...