Endocrine Abstracts

Reactive Hypoglycaemia (RH) is a controversial condition that has been popularised in the media and lay literature. A recent survey of randomly selected women in Nottinghamshire revealed that 37.8% experience symptoms that they attribute to a 'low blood sugar', with over 18% experiencing symptoms more than once a week (1). The aim of this study was to investigate whether a non-patient group who report symptoms synonymous with RH have concomitant hypoglycaemia.<p...

Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the investigation of choice for patients with thyroid nodules in secondary care. Ideally the following standards should be met: assessment within 2 weeks of referral; FNAB performed in the first visit; consent obtained and documented; communication of the result in person.A cohort of 64consecutive patients (57 female) was identified. The median age was 49 (16-78). Thyroid function tests were normal in 89% of patien...

PCOS is associated with increased biochemical risk markers for cardiovascular disease, particularly low HDL cholesterol and increased triglycerides. There is accelerated progression to type 2 diabetes and hypertension in middle age. These biochemical abnormalities associate with insulin resistance which is present to a greater extent than can be explained by obesity alone. Notwithstanding, hard endpoint data in terms of increased cardiovascular mortality remains elusive. Infla...

Introduction. Lipocortin-1 (annexin-1 and p35) is a 37-kDa Ca2+-dependant membrane-binding protein that hasanti-inflammatory, anti-mitotic and anti-proliferative properties.With these properties in mind it was hypothesised that lipocortin-1 may have an important role in the endometrium. Therefore, the aim ofthis study was to determine the distribution of lipocortin-1 in normal and abnormal endometrial tissue.Methods. Formalin fixed paraffin embedded sect...

Somatostatin (sst) modulates exocrine and endocrine secretions, cellular proliferation and apoptosis, via a series of 5 G-protein linked transmembrane receptors (sstrs 1-5). Sstrs 2 and 5 have been reported on vasculature but their role remains obscure. Here, we report the expression of sstrs in endothelial cells in vitro, during both proliferative and quiescent states to determine whether these receptors may change dynamically. Endothelial cells were harvested from ten...

Wolffian duct (WD) development is believed to be testosterone dependent. However, patients with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) and a causative mutation in the androgen receptor (AR) still develop WDs. Exceptions to this observation are those patients with severe N-terminal mutations. We investigated the role of the AR in WD development in these patients.AR expression in genital skin fibroblasts (GSF) from eleven patients with CAIS was studied by Western hy...

Sex differentiation is the development of the internal and external genitalia following gonad determination. Genital ridge formation is regulated by WT1, SF1 and LHX9 whereas SRY is a major player in testis determination. Quite how SRY functions as a transcription factor is still unknown twelve years after the (i)SRY(/i) gene was cloned. How testis determination is regulated is incomplete, as the cause of sex reversal is unknown in the majority of patients with XY gonadal dysg...

Recent advances in reproductive immunology have caused a fundamental shift in our appreciation of the nature of human pregnancy. For nearly 50 years, the subject has been dominated by Medawar's 'fetal allograft' hypothesis, in which an analogy is assumed between the fetus and a tissue transplant. In this framework, all maternal immune mechanisms are considered potentially harmful for the fetus and, therefore, must be overcome, bypassed or suppressed. Much progress has been mad...

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and obesity is constantly growing in Latvia. Obesity in children is a globally progressing public health problem that can lead to serious metabolic abnormalities - insulin resistance and associated metabolic syndrome.Our objective was to determine the risk factors that contribute to the development of arterial hypertension in schoolchildren. 238 schoolboys between the ages of 7 and 19 were scree...

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and obesity is constantly growing in Latvia. Obesity in children is a globally progressing public health problem that can lead to serious metabolic abnormalities - insulin resistance and associated metabolic syndrome.Our objective was to determine the risk factors that contribute to the development of arterial hypertension in schoolchildren. 238 schoolboys between the ages of 7 and 19 were scree...