Endocrine Abstracts

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals which in low concentrations can disturb gene expression in a range of endocrine glands and organs including the fetal and adult adrenal glands, potentially resulting in altered steroidogenic flux. With exposure to endocrine disruptors affecting both animals and humans, it is important to assess both the mechanisms and consequences of disruption in steroidogenic pathways, particularly as foetal development may be especially sensitive to endocr...

TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas (TSHomas) are rare. Previously, the reported prevalence was one case per million populations although this is probably an underestimate. A recently published study reported a prevalence of TSHomas in Sweden of 2.8/million inhabitants.Methods/design: Observational study conducted in four tertiary referral centres in Ireland. We retrospectively collected data on the prevalence, demographics, hormonal profile, tumour charact...

Background: For patients in an adrenal crisis, the timely administration of parenteral hydrocortisone can be life-saving. Data from the Addison’s Disease Self-Help Group found that a large proportion of adrenal crises occur out of hospital, with many patients relying on the emergency services for initial parenteral hydrocortisone administration. Despite regular patient education (including parenteral hydrocortisone self-administration) and recommendations to wear steroid...

MIH for Molar Incisor Hypomineralization is a recently described pathology affecting around 18% of six year old children. Although a number of putative factors have been hypothesized, etiology of MIH remains unknown. The parallel increase of exposure to endocrine disruptors (EDs) and the prevalence of MIH led us to investigate a possible relationship between both events.Rats were orally exposed daily to low dose of bisphenol A (BPA), genistein, vinclozol...

Observational studies suggest reduced vitamin D levels are associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. We examined the relationship with insulin resistance (assessed using a two-step euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp technique) in 92 overweight, non-diabetic individuals with no history of cardiovascular disease - mean age 56 years (range 40–77 years), 64% males, 36% females, BMI 30.9 kg/m2 (range 26.4–36.9 kg/m2), fasti...

Introduction: Recently low circulating levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) have been shown to be a strong predictor of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Genetic studies suggest that this may be a primary causal abnormality and the mechanism may relate to effects on insulin resistance.Methods: Insulin resistance was assessed using a two-step euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp (EHC) in 87 (59 male and 28 post-menopausal female) overweight ...

Introduction: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, but highly malignant endocrine tumor. Surgery is the primary choice of treatment. In case of inoperable disease or tumor recurrence, therapy with the adrenolytic drug mitotane is usually applied. Plasma mitotane concentrations of >14 mg/l (50 μM) seem required for an effect on tumor mass. Despite its clinical use, the effects of mitotane on cell proliferation and hormone production have been poorly investigated <...

Hypopituitary patients are at increased vascular risk. This may be partly attributable to changes in insulin action. It has been suggested that the addition of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), which is low in patients with secondary hypoadrenalism, to routine replacement may have beneficial effects on glucose metabolism. Previously, patient populations and techniques used to assess insulin action varied and overall results have been conflicting.W...

Introduction: Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signalling involved in many physiological and pathophysiological processes requires the complex formation of FGF receptor, FGF and heparan sulphate, which is regulated by multiple extracellular inputs. FGFR1 as KAL-2 gene and anosmin-1, an extracellular matrix protein encoded by KAL-1 gene are associated with Kallmann syndrome characterised by anosmia and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Anosmin-1 induces neurite outgrowth and cytoske...

Acromegaly is a rare disease characterised by excessive Growth hormone (GH) production from a pituitary adenoma. Subfertility is common in acromegaly and has various aetiologies, therefore pregnancy in acromegaly is rare. We present a case series of 19 pregnancies in 13 women with acromegaly from the newly formed Irish National Pituitary Registry. Twelve women had pituitary macroadenomas, one woman had a microadenoma. The age of the women ranged from 28 to 40 years with a medi...