Endocrine Abstracts

Low testosterone is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) diseases such as atherosclerosis. Testosterone replacement improves several CV risk factors including lowering cholesterol. Liver X receptor α (LXRα) is present in various cell types such as macrophages where it stimulates cholesterol efflux and this ability means LXRα agonists are a potential therapy for atherosclerosis. It was therefore proposed that testosterone acts to reduce ...

Introduction: Cord blood gases are measured following partition and are used as surrogate markers in the assessment of fetal oxygenation status at delivery and in identification of risk for neonatal encephalopathy. Low maternal prolactin levels were associated increased risk of respiratory distress syndrome. This study measured cord blood prolactin levels and correlated values with blood gases to examine possible value in assessment of fetal stress during deli...

Background: Reports from several countries have suggested an increased incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at presentation of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Published data on this from the United Kingdom is sparse. We examined the frequency and severity of DKA at diagnosis of T1DM in children presenting to a university hospital during the first year of the pandemic in comparison to preceding years.Methods: In England, ...

Background: Current guidance recommends screening for coeliac disease (CD) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) using measurement of serum anti tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin A (tTG-IgA). It is recognized that tTG-IgA levels can fluctuate and there are reports of transient rises in tTG-IgA levels in response to acute stress, such as infection and acute coronary syndrome. The effect of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) on tTG-IgA has not been reported. We investiga...

Background: Our department cares for 273 children with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). All T1DM patients are issued with an uploadable glucose meter from diagnosis. 101 patients (37%) use insulin pump therapy and 126 (46%) use a continuous glucose monitoring device. Anecdotally we noted many patients were not uploading their data prior to coming to clinic. This contributed to reduced patient flow through diabetes clinics and also to reduced patient and carer engagement with their diab...

Diabetic polyneuropathy is the most prevalent complication of diabetes. Diabetic foot lesions become limb threatening from a combination of injury, infection and impaired micro and macrocirculation. When diabetic patients go on holiday they usually change their routine and may become careless in routine care of their feet. We report a case series of seven middle aged Irish born diabetic male patients who developed serious foot lesion on holiday. They were identified from the p...

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are a group of conditions caused by atypical development of chromosomal, gonadal or anatomical sex which pose complex, long-term diagnostic, investigative and management challenges requiring expert teams and close collaboration with families and peer groups. The lack of nationally agreed clinical standards for the management of DSD has been recognised by the British Society of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, and these are now in develo...

Background: Zoledronic acid infusions are licensed for the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone disorders. Hypocalcaemia, a common side effect, increases the risk of complications. The risk of hypocalcaemia is further increased by a deficiency in 25-OH Vitamin D (VD). Pre-dose screening (PDS) is necessary to detect sub-optimal levels of serum VD and adjusted calcium (AC) early to avoid delayed treatment.Objectives: Audit adhere...

Background: Zoledronic acid infusions are licensed for the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone disorders. Hypocalcaemia, a common side effect, increases the risk of complications. The risk of hypocalcaemia is further increased by a deficiency in 25-OH Vitamin D (VD). Pre-dose screening (PDS) is necessary to detect sub-optimal levels of serum VD and adjusted calcium (AC) early to avoid delayed treatment.Objectives: Audit adhere...

Background: Numerous studies have reported the role of the N-terminal of pro-opiomelanocortin (N-POMC1-76) and its smaller fragments; 1-28 and 1-49, in adrenal steroidogenesis and mitogenesis. A full understanding of this area will help to understand the pathophysiology of certain adrenal tumours but exactly how these peptides elicit this effect is unclear. We have recently identified an orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) as a possible N-POMC receptor. Preliminary data s...