Endocrine Abstracts

Background: It is controversial whether symptoms of hypothyroidism and quality of life (QoL) in people with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) are impaired and whether treatment with L-thyroxine alleviates these. Previous studies of L-Thyroxine therapy have shown conflicting results. No previous study has simultaneously 1investigated effects of treatment on quality of life (QoL), health status, symptoms and treatment satisfaction.Methods: One hundred patie...

Background: Inappropriately high aldosterone in patients with primary hyperaldosteronism (PHA) is due to increased aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) activity. Selective in vivo imaging of overexpressed CYP11B2 in adrenals with positron emission tomography (PET) has not yet been achieved due to close homology of enzymes involved in aldosterone and cortisol (CYP11B1) synthesis.Aim: Synthesize a fluorine-18 labelled highly selective CYP11B2 inhibitor,...

MEN1, autosomal dominant, is characterized by combined tumours of the parathyroid glands, pancreatic islet cells, and the anterior pituitary, sometimes associated with other endocrine (adrenocortical, foregut carcinoid) and nonendocrine (lipoma, angiofibroma, collagenoma, ependymoma, meningioma) tumors. It is caused by inactivating mutations of the MEN1 tumour suppressor gene (chromosome 11q13), encoding menin. Menin, involved in activation of gene transcription, regu...

The cytoplasmic domains of EGF-like ligands have important biological functions. Stable transfectants of the human follicular thyroid carcinoma cell line FTC-133 over-expressing the cytoplasmic domain of proEGF (FTC-133-proEGFcyt) demonstrated a transcriptional up-regulation of the lysosomal hydrolases cathepsin- (cath-) B and -D and alterations in the processing of cath-L protein. Cath-L has strong elastinolytic activity and was the only of the three cathepsins to be secreted...

Objective: An audit comparing how the treatment of hypothyroidism has changed since the introduction of the Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) in April 2004 according to UK guidelines published by the Association of Clinical Biochemists and the British Thyroid Association (BTA) in 2005.Method: Data were collected from all patients with primary hypothyroidism in a fully computerized practice of 9830 patients under the care of 9 general practitioners. The mos...

Methimazole-induced cholestatic jaundice is a rare adverse effect, dose-dependent, occurring within the first 3 months of use, usually reversible within 3 months after discontinuing drug therapy.Case report: Woman, 64 years, history of hyperthiroidism since August 2009, under therapy with methimazole 5 mg/day. The patient was referred to endocrinology department in March 2010, with history of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes mellitus, ...

Objective: To evaluate whether patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) have been successfully transitioned to adult endocrine care.Methods: All patients with CAH who had attended the paediatric adrenal clinic at RMCH and were currently between 16 and 30 years of age were identified. Current status of adult endocrine care was recorded.Results: Sixty-eight patients were identified. There was inadequate information on 16 pa...

Background: Exendin-4 (Ex-4) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM). Aim of this study was to characterize the effects of Ex-4 expressed continuously from salivary glands (SG), following adeno-associated virus-mediated (AAV) gene therapy in two different model of obesity and T2DM. Several trials support an AAV good safety and little toxicity profile. Serotype 5 (AAV5) presented enhanced gene transfer activity in SG and an efficient pro...

The occurrence of vitamin D (vitD) insufficiency (plasma 25OHD<50 nmol/l) and deficiency (25OHD<25 nmol/l) in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) varies worldwide in prevalence, severity and symptoms. Epidemiological studies support that the clinical presentation of PHPT is more severe in patients with coexisting vitD deficiency. Most PHPT patients in Europe only have slightly decreased plasma 25OHD levels compared with gender-, age- and season matched controls, and sev...

Introduction: Cushing disease (CD) is a rare pathology and associated with serious complications and an increased mortality (standardized mortality ratio 2.8) (1). The mortality risk is twice as high (standardized mortality ratio 5.7) if CD is biochemically not well controlled. Transsphenoidal tumor resection is the first line treatment. However, the need for second line treatment is high, as 5-50% of patients in remission after surgery relapse and consist of ...