Endocrine Abstracts

Variation in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene associates with relative glucocorticoid resistance, hypertension and increased cardiovascular disease risk in humans. To investigate the contribution of cardiac GR to this phenotype we have characterised adult male mice with cardiomyocyte and vascular smooth muscle deletion of GR (SMGRKO) and have found left ventricular function to be impaired.SMGRKO mice, generated by crossing GR ‘floxed’ mice...

Context: Growth of meningiomas has been previously described in patients receiving oestrogen/progestogen therapy.Methods: Case history, laboratory findings, imaging and histology are discussed.Case history: A 45-year-old woman with a known history of 21-hydroxyase deficiency (of the non-salt wasting variety) and long-standing non-adherence with corticosteroid therapy presented to the Endocrine Clinic for follow-up care. She complai...

Introduction: This study explores the role of different fat depots in the aetiology of abnormal glucose homeostasis in childhood ALL survivors treated with BMT and TBI using detailed body composition assessments with MRI and DEXA scanning.Method: 52 (16–26 year old) childhood ALL survivors treated with (group 1, n=21, M=11) and without (group 2, n=31, M=13) BMT and TBI and 20 obese subjects (group 3, M=10) were inv...

Introduction: Measures commonly used to assess adiposity are often considered to reflect visceral adiposity and hence used as indicators of cardiovascular risk. This study compares common clinical adiposity measures with abdominal MRI, a direct measure of visceral fat, to assess if this relationship applies in patients with abnormal body composition.Method: Fifty childhood leukaemia survivors (16–26 years) treated with bone marrow transplantation/to...

Introduction: The stress response post-operatively increases glucocorticoid concentration and a higher cortisol response is associated with better recovery. The measurement of cortisol concentrations post-operatively can be unreliable due to altered binding protein concentrations. Free serum cortisol is felt to be the better marker of bio-active glucocorticoid concentrations but is difficult to measure. Salivary cortisol and cortisone have been shown to correlate well with ser...

Salt-sensitive hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity. Humans and mice with glucocorticoid receptor haploinsufficiency (GR+/−) are hypertensive, which in mice reflects activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Furthermore, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene polymorphisms associate with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Here we investigated the effect of dietary salt intake on blood pressure, heart and kidney in GR+/− mice...

Background: GH therapy during the transition period is important for somatic maturation. Identification of factors associated with low IGF-I levels may be useful in optimising GH replacement therapy.Objectives: To explore the prevalence and determinants of insufficient GH replacement during transitionMethods: Childhood-onset GH deficient (CO-GHD) patients (n=65) who stopped therapy, and were started on adult GH dose during t...

Introduction: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk of vitamin D (VitD) deficiency because of chronic ill health and advice to limit sunlight exposure. Studies have demonstrated associations between VitD deficiency and cardiovascular disease. Some CCS has increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity, but data on VitD status are limited.Aim: To evaluate VitD status in CCS.Method: We compared VitD levels in CCS (n=83 (M=4...

Human GH is a member of a family of closely related hormones that include prolactin and placental lactogen. GH regulates a wide variety of physiological processes, including growth and differentiation of muscle, bone and cartilage cells. The use of GH for the treatment of children with impaired linear growth has been accepted as an important therapeutic modality for many years. In addition, beneficial effects of GH replacement therapy in hypopituitary adults are well establish...

Introduction: Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is a common disease. It arise due to interactions between genetic background and environmental factors. However this interactions remain unclear. As it induces other autoimmune diseases, parvovirus is an attractive candidate.Objective: To investigate the presence of parvoviral DNA in postoperative thyroid tissues.Materials and methods: We collect prospectively postoperative thyroid sp...