Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Patients with secondary adrenal insufficiency show increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Higher doses of glucocorticoid replacement are related to an unfavourable metabolic profile. In the absence of randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of hydrocortisone dose on haemodynamics and blood pressure regulation, we determined effects of a higher vs a lower glucocorticoid replacement dose on blood pressure, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) ...

Background: Kisspeptin is a peptide product of the KiSS-1 gene and a key regulator of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. Pregnancy is associated with raised plasma kisspeptin concentrations. However, there is significant variation in the plasma kisspeptin levels quoted in previous studies. We investigated the effects of pre-analytical factors including processing time and anticoagulant type on plasma kisspeptin-immunoreactivity (IR) measurement.Meth...

BackgroundEctopic ACTH syndrome (EAS) is a rare cause of endogenous hypercortisolism.ObjectiveTo analyze clinical, biochemical features and treatment outcomes of patients with EAS.Materials and methodsRetrospective, observational study on 129 patients (79 women, 50 men) with EAS diagnosed between 1990 and 2020. Plasma levels of ACTH (reference range: morning 7.2&#...

Background: Cortisol profiles during treatment with standard hydrocortisone (StdHC) formulations are unphysiological. Some patients, with low cortisol levels between doses, experience symptomatic hypocortisolaemia and may benefit from modified release hydrocortisone (MRHC). Plenadren is a MRHC licensed for once daily dosing in adults.We offered Plenadren to patients with symptomatic hypocortisolaemia, documented to occur at times of low cortisol levels, ...

Empagliflozin is a potent, highly selective sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor in development for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study assessed the effects of empagliflozin on the QT interval. Thirty healthy subjects (14/16 female/male; mean [range] age 34.5 [18–52] years) received single doses of 25 mg (within therapeutic range) and 200 mg (supratherapeutic) empagliflozin and 400 mg moxifloxacin as positive ...

Introduction: Primary adrenal lymphoma is rare, representing less than 1% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas.1 The clinical presentation is non-specific, symptoms of adrenal insufficiency may occur with bilateral lesions, and work up can be tricky.2Background: A 60-year-old man was admitted mid-January 2020 for acute left abdominal pain. He had no medical history and didn’t smoke or take any medication. He had no history of recent trauma...

PTH promotes conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D), thus stimulating intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption. Because of low PTH levels in hypoparathyroidism, patients are prescribed calcitriol. Patients are predisposed to hyperphosphatemia owing to loss of PTH-stimulated phosphate excretion by the kidneys. Effects of rhPTH(1–84) on vitamin D metabolism and serum phosphate were studied.In ...

Aim: Estimation of the effectiveness of a single low dose 0.05 mg rhTSH in increasing radioiodine uptake (RAIU) before 131I therapy for multinodular toxic goiter with low initial RAIU.Patients: 24 patients (21 women, 3 men) with multinodular toxic goiter without prior antithyroid drug therapy. The initial 24 h RAIU was 21.1±8.44%; range, 6–39% and thyroid volume 64.14±22.49 ml; range, 24.8–109 ml.Meth...

Alarin is the most recently discovered member of the galanin peptide family, and is encoded by a splice variant of galanin-like peptide (GALP) mRNA. Galanin and GALP are known to regulate energy homeostasis and reproduction. Galanin is thought to mediate its effects via the three-galanin receptors. GALP also binds to these known galanin receptors, but evidence suggests that it may also act via an as yet unknown GALP specific receptor. The role of alarin in energy homeostasis a...

The pre-receptor regulation of glucocorticoids is mediated by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11β-HSD). The type 1 isoform is primarily responsible for the generation of active cortisol in tissues such as liver and adipose, whereas 11β-HSD2 regulates sodium and ion transport. Recently, we have shown the presence of functional 11β-HSD1 in the ciliary body of the eye where it is important in control of sodium transport, aqueous humour production and intrao...