Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The understanding and approach to management of DSDs has undergone rapid changes in recent years with focus on early diagnosis followed by disclosure and decision making with family members. However in certain regions specially in developing countries, lack of awareness and the social environment contribute to late diagnosis and problems in management. The present study was done to assess the clinical presentation of DSDs attending an endocrine clinic at a tertia...

Introduction: Sexual dysfunction is more prevalent in postmenopausal women with diabetes mellitus.Objective: The aim of the study was to prospectively evaluate the effects of oral estradiol+drospirenone on sexual function in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods: The study included 86 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were randomized into two groups: 44 women received oral 17β-estradio...

Introduction: According to American Medical Association Health literacy means a group of skills, including reading and basic math skills that allow smooth functioning in the health care system. Despite the universality of schools in Europe, the problem of secondary or functional illiteracy did not only exist but seems to be growing. This is also a great ethical problem, because the illiteracy makes, e.g. fictive so basic patients right as informed consent. The reasons for this...

NES2Y cells were derived several years ago from a patient following surgery for Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI). These cells have the inductive capacity to form insulin-secreting cells, but they are largely uncharacterized. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression and function of the ATP-binding cassette protein ABCG2 and to characterize the cells for their expression of markers of Side Population (SP) progenitor cells and Stellate Cells (SC). Cells were mainta...

Background: PHID is a novel syndrome caused by mutations in SLC29A3, which encodes for the nucleoside transporter protein hENT3. It is associated with multiple endocrine manifestations including severe short stature, pubertal delay and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Mutations in SLC29A3 have also been linked to H syndrome and familial Rosai Dorfman Disease (RDD). A key feature of these syndromes is persistent inflammation. Currently there is no treatment for ...

An 83-year-old gentleman was referred to the endocrine clinic with incidentally found abnormal thyroid function tests (TFT): TSH <0.02 (0.2–4.0 mU/l), free T4 20.4 (9–19 pmol/l), and free T3 7.6 (2.5–5.7 pmol/l). His TFT done 6 months previously were normal with TSH 1.21 mU/l and FT4 11.8 pmol/l. His past medical history included BPH, peripheral vascular disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and medications were tamsulosi...

Hyperthyroidism is common affecting up to 2% of the UK population and the prevalence is highest in young and middle-aged women. Although patients may have clinical symptoms suggestive of hyperthyroidism, rates of undiagnosed hyperthyroidism range from 0.5 to 1.5%, especially in the elderly. We investigated 3563 UK patients to (i) assess the influence of ageing on clinical signs and symptoms and (ii) identify symptoms and signs indicating hyperthyroidism in different age groups...

Background: Testicular tumours have been described in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and are usually associated with 21 hydroxylase deficiency, occasionally it has been reported in patients with 11 hydroxylase deficiency CAH. Poor compliance to adrenocorticotrohphic suppressive therapy can result in the development of testicular tumours which are due to adrenal rest tissue hyperplasia. This is usually benign but can be mistaken for malignant testicular tumo...

In humans, the exchange of nutrients and waste between mother and fetus occurs via the outer layer of the placenta (syncytium; ST); this layer is maintained by continuous growth and differentiation of underlying cytotrophoblasts (CT). Pregnancy complications such as intrauterine growth restriction are associated with abnormal CT proliferation and apoptosis; altered levels of maternal insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have also been reported in these conditions. We have demons...

Background: The increased frequency and quality of abdominal imaging in recent years has led to a dramatic increase in the number of adrenal masses being discovered. This led to the setting up of an adrenal multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and the development of a pathway for managing patients with an adrenal ‘incidentaloma’. We investigated for evidence of hormonal activity in many of these patients.Method: A retrospective audit was carried out f...