Endocrine Abstracts

There are a range of screening and diagnostic tests for the investigation of short stature, some of which are unpleasant and even dangerous for the patient. Growth hormone (GH) heterogeneity and wide assay biases cause additional complications for interpretation of results. We have used questionnaires to assess protocols and practice in the investigation of short stature by paediatricians and clinical biochemists in Wales.Responses from laboratory staff ...

Introduction: Milk – alkali syndrome is a rare and distinctive disorder caused by ingestion of large amounts of calcium and absorbable alkali resulting in hypercalcemia. It is characterized by a triad of hypercalcemia, metabolic alkalosis and renal failure. It was first described in 1920s, as it was mainly caused by administration of milk and bicarbonate for treatment of peptic ulcers. Since the usage of new treatment modalities for peptic ulcer disease, the incidences of...

The glucocorticoid receptor is constitutively expressed and fundamental to life. Activity of GR is partially governed by interacting partners whose actions skew the frequency with which GR produces meaningful transcriptional outcomes. Moreover, the tissue-specific actions of GR are themselves defined, with binding patterns being distinct in various tissue types. These features mean full molecular understanding of this steroid hormone receptor remains incomplete. As glucocortic...

Background: Insulin resistance is a hallmark of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Insulin sensitisers, most notably metformin, are thus used to treat the condition, but may be accompanied by gastrointestinal side-effects. The novel isomeric insulin sensitising agents D-chiro-inositol (DCI) and Myo-inositol (MI) improve insulin resistance by acting at the peripheral and ovarian level, respectively, whilst largely being devoid of adverse effects.<p class="...

Background: Insulin resistance is a hallmark of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Insulin sensitisers, most notably metformin, are thus used to treat the condition, but may be accompanied by gastrointestinal side-effects. The novel isomeric insulin sensitising agents D-chiro-inositol (DCI) and Myo-inositol (MI) improve insulin resistance by acting at the peripheral and ovarian level, respectively, whilst largely being devoid of adverse effects.<p class="...

Background: Central diabetes insipidus (DI) has now been described in a handful of case reports as a symptom of Covid-19 infection - associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)1 - and as a possible late onset sequela secondary to Covid-19 infection. It has also once been reported following immunization with mRNA Covid-19 vaccination. Our Trust serves a population of 612,000 and we have recently observed two cases of central DI, one post Covid-19 infection and on...

A 51-year-old lady presented as an emergency with disabling, recurrent hypercalcaemia in July and August, 2015 with a peak corrected calcium of 3.94 mmol/l (normal range 2.2–2.6). She had been diagnosed with a stage 1A endometrial cancer, treated with hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in April 2014. Significant pelvic and left groin lymphadenopathy was noted, and was found to be enlarging on surveillance CT of July 2015. She was also found to have a left ki...

Hypercalcaemia is a recognised feature of hyperthyroidism due to accelerated bone turnover caused by thyroid hormone. When present, it is generally mild, usually with levels < 3.00 mmol/l. We present a case of a 19 year old male with thyrotoxicosis, who had severe hypercalcaemia and was also found to have possible co-existent adrenal insufficiency at the same time.He presented with a 4 month history of weight loss, anxiety, tremors and palpitations. ...

Introduction: The prevalence of OSAS in the general population is ~ 3%. Associations between T2D and OSAS have been shown, but the prevalence of OSAS in T2D in Wales is not known.In OSAS recurrent episodes of collapse of the upper airway (apnoeas) occur during sleep. The resulting transient hypoxia and increased sympathetic drive leads to repetitive arousals. Sleep fragmentation results in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Snoring, witnessed apnoeas, a...

Introduction: The importance of good glycaemic control in Type 1 diabetes (T1D), including its association with reduced cardiovascular disease, is well established. Current education programs focus on carbohydrate counting and its matching to the insulin dose. We set out to investigate the association between Mediterranean diet (MD) and the glycaemic control in patients with T1D.Study design: This was a cross-sectional study that was a collaboration betw...