Endocrine Abstracts

Both diabetes and Addisons’ are conditions which can be associated with muscle weakness and altered potassium levels. This is a case of recurrent muscle paralysis in a patient with both conditions with the underlying abnormality being the neurological condition of hypokalaemic periodic paralysis.A 23-year-old Caucasian gentleman was admitted to medical admissions with sudden onset weakness of his lower legs. On examination he had reduced power of hi...

GH influences multiple metabolic pathways. Excess GH (acromegaly) causes a distinct form of cardiomyopathy, which may progress to fulminant heart failure. AMPK is an energy conservation enzyme that modulates multiple areas of the cell stress response, inhibiting anabolism and promoting catabolism. AMPK is activated by phosphorylation at Thr172 and measurement of Thr172 phosphorylation is thought to correlate with enzyme activity. We investigated the influence of GH on cardiac ...

Pituitary folliculo-stellate cells express annexin-A1 (ANXA1), a mediator protein necessary for glucocorticoid(GC)-induced negative feedback of adreno-corticotrophic hormone (ACTH) release. ANXA1 acts via formyl peptide receptors (FPR in man, Fpr in rodents). Whilst pituitary tissue does not express Fpr1, functional data suggested Fpr2/Fpr3-selective ligands mediate feedback-like inhibition of ACTH.Hypothesis: Fpr2-selective ligands inhibit secretagogue-...

Introduction: Cushing’s disease (CD) is associated with persistent risk of cardiovascular complications, which were found to be four times higher than in age- and sex-matched population. The main cause is cardiovascular disease with thrombotic complications due to the activation of changes in haemostatic and fibrinolytic system with high level of cortisol secretion.Objective: To study hemostatic and fibrinolytic state in patients with CD.<p clas...

Sepsis is a major clinical problem, caused by a hyperactive immune response following infection. Worldwide prevalence is estimated at 1.8 m/year and mortality at around 40%1. Protective effects of the endogenous anti-inflammatory protein annexin A1 have previously been shown in many models, including sepsis2. We therefore chose to investigate the role of the annexin A1 peptide mimetic, Ac2–26, in murine experimental endotoxaemia, and to ascertain whe...

Sepsis continues to be a leading clinical problem, with ~1.8 million people worldwide affected. This continual increase in sepsis and related deaths is in part due to age, increased frequency of invasive procedures and widespread bacterial antibiotic resistance, with mortality often related to underlying disorders that often accompany sepsis. Sepsis affects the brain, and the impairment of brain function is often associated with severe infectious disease1. The endog...

Intratumoural hypoxia is associated with aggressive and metastatic phenotypes with poor prognosis. The transcription factor HIF-1α is a key regulator of hypoxia-mediated gene expression that is documented to promote tumour growth and metastasis in a wide range of cancers. However its role in the development of thyroid carcinomas is relatively unknown. We have previously shown that HIF-1α is highly active in a range of thyroid cancer cell lines with highest activity o...

Background: Serum biomarkers which correlate with pituitary tumour growth would be valuable in the treatment and follow-up of patients with pituitary adenomas, particularly non-functioning adenomas. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) mRNA is upregulated in almost all tumours, whereas matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP 2 and 9) have been demonstrated to be important in tumour vascularisation and invasion, particularly in prolactinomas.Aim: The ...

Objective: Our objective was to examine recurrence of hyperprolactinaemia following discontinuation of dopamine agonist (DA) therapy in patients with macroprolactinoma who have had treatment for 3–15 years.Methods: We identified retrospectively adult patients (n=15) attending OCDEM (Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK) with a confirmed diagnosis of macroprolactinoma (established during the last 25 years), who had been treated with DA therapy for a...

Sexual dimorphisms have been observed in numerous diseases, particularly those associated with inflammation. Generally, males are more at risk of developing infection and subsequent mortality1, whilst women are more prone to develop autoimmune disorders2. Hormones, particularly oestrogens, are thought to play a significant role effecting these dimorphisms, and oestrogens have been shown to reduce the severity of sepsis3.I...