Endocrine Abstracts

J Wass, Department of Endocrinology, OCDEM, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK AbstractJohn Wass is the Professor of Endocrinology at Oxford University and Head of the Department of Endocrinology at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Churchill Hospital Oxford, UK. He qualified at Guy’s in 1971 and did his endocrine training at Bart’s. He got his MD from the University of London in 1980....

External beam radiotherapy has been used in the management of hormonally active and non-functioning pituitary adenomas for nearly a century. Administered postoperatively, radiotherapy significantly reduces the likelihood of tumour re-growth following surgery for non-functioning pituitary adenomas. In patients with acromegaly, Cushing’s disease and resistant prolactinomas, conventional fractionated radiotherapy suppresses functional hypersecretion. However, over the years,...

The art of writing papers is extremely important to scientists. Communication of scientific information matters as much as doing the experimental work, and the most definitive form of communication is the research paper that has been peer-reviewed and published in a journal. A well-written paper is a pleasure to read, and can be an inspiration to colleagues – it’s the envy of most of us who take many years to learn how to do it well.In preparin...

There is increasing interest in clinical assessment of body composition, however uncertainty remains regarding the appropriate techniques. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is often described as a gold standard, in view of its high precision (reproducibility). However, for the molecular model of body composition (dividing the body into water, fat, protein and mineral) the in vivo gold standard comprises the multi-component model, and recent comparisons of DXA again...

The DCCT conclusively confirmed that long-term microvascular complications of Type 1 diabetes can be prevented by restoration of near-normal glucose levels. Despite ongoing refinements in management including structured re-education, optimized insulin analogue regimens, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion and even steps towards the bioartificial pancreas, exogenous insulin replacement is inextricably linked to risk of severe hypoglycaemia.Transplant...

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Germ cell-somatic cell communication in the ovary is essential for follicle and oocyte development. This communication may take place via gap junctions or via paracrine mediated signalling through the secretion of growth factors. Over the past ten to fifteen years there has been a major change in how the oocyte is perceived within the context of the ovarian follicle. The original view of the oocyte as a passenger benefiting from the nutrients provided by gap-junction coupled s...

Secondary hyperparathyroidism, an inevitable consequence of untreated chronic uraemia, is an adaptive response to sustained phosphate retention, failure of calcitriol synthesis and hypocalcaemia. For many years the therapeutic approach to these abnormalities has been relatively constant, comprising, respectively, dietary phosphate restriction with oral phosphate binders, replacement of the deficient active vitamin D ligand, and calcium supplementation by the oral and/or transd...

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