Endocrine Abstracts

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) signal transduction requires heterocomplexing between type II receptors and different type I (α or β) receptors resulting in the activation of different signalling pathways. Previously, we have used αT3-1 and Lβt-2 cell lines, which are representative of different stages of gonadotroph development, to demonstrate differential expression of the receptor isoforms during gonadotroph maturation. BMPR-Iα and II mRNA and ...

Objective: To improve post-operative thyroid surgery practice and to determine if it would be safe to perform thyroid surgery as day surgery. To identify the nature and timings of acute life threatening airway complications, trends in current practice, and gain information on perioperative mortality....

A 76 year old female presented in 2000 with thyrotoxicosis secondary to Grave’s disease. She was treated successfully with propylthiouracil (PTU) for 2 years then opted for and received a standard therapeutic dose of radioactive iodine (131I) in September 2003. Her thyroid function tests (TFTs) normalised in the first 6 months after treatment (FT4 <14 pmol/l) and she was started on replacement thyroxine 50 mcg od for 8 weeks. She presented in March 2004 wit...

It is now well established that unilateral autonomous aldosterone secreting tumour (AST) in contrast to bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH) - are corrected by surgery. The optimal method of pre-operatively defining a unilateral autonomous AST still remains controversial. There is agreement that adrenal scanning techniques are often unreliable or misleading. The aim of the current study was to analyse if a random aldosterone:renin (AR) ratio (after stopping anti-hypertensive me...

Primary adrenal insufficiency is a relatively rare endocrine condition requiring life-long glucocorticoid and mineralcorticoid replacement therapy. Unlike other endocrine conditions - such as diabetes - complications associated with early mortality are unusual and well-medicated patients can expect to have a normal life span. Nevertheless, patients typically report a variety of symptoms which reduce their quality of life.Data from an international survey...

Background: An elevated plasma aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR) is widely accepted as being important for the detection of primary hyperaldosteronism. The ability to measure renin at extremely low concentrations is the most critical factor in determining the diagnostic reliability of the ARR. We carried out this study to establish a reference interval for the ARR as part of an evaluation of a new automated platform for the simultaneous measurement of aldosterone (PAC) and dire...

Clinical outcome and Implications for training in thyroid surgery in a district general HospitalAuthors: Rajashekhar Rao, Kanagaraj Marimuthu, and Paul ThomasObjective: To assess the volume of work outcome and training opportunity in adistrict general Hospital and compare with the BAES recommendationsMethods: Retrospective study, Patients identified by theatre records, pathology<p c...

A 21-year old woman was referred to endocrinology outpatient with sparse hair on scalp, eyebrows, eyelids, and body since birth, short stature, bone pains, proximal muscle weakness, and recurrent fractures of long bones. She was a product of second-degree consanguineous marriage and was eldest of two siblings. Her younger brother aged 16-years had similar complaints.Clinically she had alopecia universalis, short stature, hypotonia, proximal muscle weakne...

Acute presentation: 46 year old patient was admitted as an emergency with vomiting, hypotension and serum cortisol of 26 nmol/L indicative of adrenal failure. Despite previous history of panhypopituitarism he was found to be hyperthyroid (free T4 6.32 ng/dL (0.93-1.7), free T3 22.21 pg/mL (1.8-4.6)).Past Medical History: He was fit & well till the age of 45. Eight months prior to this hospitalisation he presented with diabetes insipidus and was found...

Background: Stress-related illness is commonly referred to the endocrine clinic, and often becomes a diagnosis of exclusion after extensive investigation. We provide evidence that a positive clinical diagnosis can be made without risk of missing organic illness.Methods: 101 consecutive and unselected referrals for ‘fatigue ?endocrine’ between 1/4/95 and 30/3/99 were identified from an endocrine clinic database (81 female, 20 male; mean age 41...