Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Unconjugated oestriol (uE3) is often measured in maternal serum during second trimester prenatal screening. While oestriol itself has little physiological importance, low values can indicate the presence of a disorder in feto-placental synthesis with potential health implications. Fetal steroids pass through the maternal circulation and into the urine so analysis of maternal fluids can be used for diagnosing causes of low oestriol.<p class="...

Etomidate, an imidazole derived anaesthetic agent, potently inhibits adrenocortical 11-beta-hydroxylase at non-hypnotic doses in Cushing's syndrome. We report its use in controlling hypercortisolism in a patient with aggressive Cushing's disease requiring pelvic surgery for endometrial carcinoma.IJ, a 42-year old female was diagnosed with Cushing's disease in 1998 in Malaysia. 8am cortisol was 800nmol/l, midnight cortisol 659nmol/l and ACTH 103ng/l. MRI ...

Objective: To determine if autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) was worthwhile to do in type 1 diabetes adolescents with diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis.Research Design and Methods: We enrolled 28 type 1 diabetes patients aged 14–30 years in a prospective AHSCT phase II clinical trial. Hematopoietic stem cells were harvested from the peripheral blood following a pretreatment consisting of a combination of cy...

Introduction: Thyroxine is essential for growth and brain development in neonates. Early detection of hypothyroidism by measurement of free T4 (fT4) is therefore paramount. Moreover, the initial monitoring of Thyrax suppletion requires accurate fT4 measurements.Methods: In the Maasstad Hospital fT4 has been measured with the Immulite 2500 and from 2010 onward with the Dimension VISTA. Both instruments show good...

Urocortin 3 is a CRF-related ligand highly specific for the Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor Type 2 (CRFR2). CRFR2 is implicated in the regulation of stress-related behaviours and the neuroendocrine response to stressors. Close anatomical association between major Urocortin 3 terminal fields and CRFR2 in the limbic system and hypothalamus indicate this system is well placed to be involved in modulating of the physiological stress response. Transgenic mice ubiquitously o...

Introduction. We present a rare and unusual case of direct trauma to the pituitary region.History. A 22 year old female, 8 weeks post-partum, fell downstairs on to a metallic clothes drier. A metal spike 3mm wide and approximately 20cm long penetrated her right eyebrow. Computed tomography showed a haemorrhagic track involving the hypothalamic region, and extending to the left internal capsule. Irritability and instability of vital signs necessitated in...

Background: Conservation of genes involved in TH transport, metabolism and action can reveal clues about the origins of TH signaling. A deiodinase homologue (DdDio) was previously identified in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum (Singh, 2014). Dictyostelium cells live as single cell amoebae in soil where they feed on bacteria. However, upon starvation a developmental program is initiated that results in the formation of a multicellular fruiti...

Introduction: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a rare cause of primary amenorrhea (1,2). We report a 16-year-old girl with normal secondary sexual characteristics, but no menses due to an autoimmune POI and associated with autoimmune gastritis. This is the first report of such constellation in an adolescent – both conditions separately already being rare in the pediatric population.Case presentation: A 16-year-old girl was referred to our de...

Introduction: Glycemic control has a major effect on fetal growth in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1), worse control leading to increased growth (large for gestational age (LGA) or very large for gestational age (VLGA) fetus). Current guidelines promote strict control (HbA1c ≤ 48 mmol/mol) before and during pregnancy. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has been instrumental in achieving this goal. We performed a retrospective chart review of pregnancy outcomes ...

Primary hyperaldosteronism is a common cause of secondary hypertension. Distinguishing between the two subtypes (unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma and bilateral idiopathic hyperaldosteronism) is crucial for patient’s management. Adrenal venous sampling is an important method for evaluation of the condition, but selective successful right adrenal venous sampling is often reported to be a difficult procedure. A retrospective review of 51 cases suffering from primary ...