Endocrine Abstracts

A genome-wide association study indicated a correlation between a locus at 5q32 and high aldosterone to renin ratio in subjects from KORA F4 survey. As we considered the genes in this locus for their potential relevance for the etiology of primary aldosteronism, we observed significantly higher expression of one of them, SLC26A2, in mouse adrenal glands, even though the gene’s function in the adrenal was not reported in the literature. Using the human adrenocortical cell ...

It has been suggested that the association between osteoporosis and cardio-vascular diseases is not just due to the aging process. The osteoprotegerin (OPG)/RANKL system has been identified as a possible mediator of arterial calcification suggesting common links between osteoporosis and vascular diseases. Moreover, breast arterial calcification (BAC) is reported to be associated with an increased prevalence of both cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular morbidity. In c...

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a major cause of morbidity in β thalassaemia major patients. Our institution serves one of UK’s largest populations of thalassaemia patients. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in thalassaemia major patients and identify risk factors for low bone mineral density (BMD).Methods: BMD of lumbar spine and neck of femur were measured using dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). ...

Introduction: Pseudohypoparathyroidism type la (PHP-1a) is an uncommon disorder that results from an inactivating mutation in the GNAS gene. It can present with resistance to several hormones, in addition to parathyroid hormone (PTH). A characteristic skeletal phenotype also results, referred to as Albright’s hereditary osteodystrophy, that occurs because of the crucial role of Gs-α signaling in the growth, differentiation, and structure of these tissues.<p class...

Introduction: Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) constitutes a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by end-organ resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH), due to a defect in the stimulatory G protein-activated cAMP formation. PHP type Ib is characterized by renal resistance to PTH, without the phenotypic features of Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO).Case report: A 31-year old woman was referred to our clinic for investigation of severe hypocal...

Introduction: A potent and selective DPP-4 inhibitor improves islet function by enhancing α- and β-cell responsiveness to glucose in the diabetic patients. Renal impairment is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Vildagliptin is used to treat T2DM as monotherapy or in combination with other antidiabetic drugs, since that it efficiently decreases glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values. Additionally, vildagliptin has been shown to be safe in patients w...

Introduction: People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus are frequently admitted to a hospital, usually for treatment of conditions other than the diabetes. Whether in hospital or not, glycemic control is likely to become unstable in these patients because of the stress of the illness or procedure, the concomitant changes in dietary intake and physical activity, and the frequent interruption of the patient’s usual antihyperglycemic regimen. Once in the hospital, the l...

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is the common denominator of three multigenic disorders: type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and PCOS. IR can result from genetic abnormalities involving proteins of the insulin signalling pathway, including PC-1 and IRS-1. The IRS-1 G972R variant had the highest world frequency and correlated with IR in PCOS Sicilian women (Horm Metab Res, 2010).Objective and methods: To determine: i) the rates of the G972R IRS-...

Introduction: FSH is a key player in reproductive functions, the expression of its unique subunit FSHB is regulated by the FSHB promoter. Recently, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at a highly conserved position in the FSHB promoter (rs10835638; −211G>T) has been found to be associated with decreased serum FSH levels in men and with male infertility. Because to date no information is available on possible endocrine consequences of this SNP in women, we conducte...

IGF1 represent an important key player in several physiologic process, so it can be implicated in different pathologies among delays of growth. A comparative study was realized comparing a group of healthy Algerian children of normal size (n: 266) and a group presenting a GH deficiency (GHD n: 107)to a group of healthy westerners children of normal size(Serie of ROSENFIELD).The results are as follows: Before the age of 04 years, there is a ...