Endocrine Abstracts

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) suffer from reduced fertility linked to implantation failure and miscarriage, as well as endometrial cancer, all associated with endometrial dysfunction. We hypothesize that cell-type-specific endometrial dysfunction in insulin-resistant and hyperandrogenic women with PCOS contributes to their endometrial dysfunction and that treatment aimed at improving insulin sensitivity and decreasing androgen excess has the potential to reverse ...

Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) in children is usually congenital with more than 25 causal genes leading to overlapping phenotypes. A genetic diagnosis is helpful to guide management and genetic counselling but can be challenging in resource limited settings where facilities for antibodies and genetic testing may be unavailable. Studies from Africa are rare but, in Sudan, the most common genetic aetiologies for PAI are congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH; mostly CYP21A...

High protein diets suppress appetite, but are difficult to adhere to. Understanding how the gut senses protein may identify mechanisms to drive satiety. Amino acid products of protein digestion are thought to be sensed by G protein coupled receptors in the gut, including the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR). Calcium ions are the major ligand of the CaSR, but aromatic amino acids, particularly L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), allosterically modulate CaSR activity....

Hypoparathyroidism, a rare disorder characterized by absent or low levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), often results from thyroid surgery. However, nonsurgical etiologies are present in >10% of patients. Data about this group of patients are limited.In this post hoc REPLACE (NCT00732615, EudraCT2008-005063-34) analysis, baseline characteristics and response to 50–100 μg/day rhPTH(1-84) in patients with postsurgical or nonsurgical ...

Introduction: Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome 1 (APS1) is an uncommon, serious autosomal recessive disorder, due to AIRE gene mutations which result in impaired central tolerance. India has a complex genetic structure and also communities with high prevalence of consanguinity, which may result in varied clinical manifestations and genetic mutations.Aims: To study clinical features, interferon-α antibodies (IFNA), AIRE mutations, ...

Introduction: We report a patient with hypokalaemia secondary to Cushing’s syndrome (CS) to reinforce this commonly forgotten association.Case report: A 57 years old lady with newly diagnosed hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and diabetes mellitus presented with persistent hypokalaemia for evaluation. She had tinea corporis but otherwise did not look Cushingoid. Investigations: K 2.6 (RI: 3.50–5 mmol/l), HCO3 35 (RI: 19–31 mmol/l), ...

Introduction: Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is rare and constitutes 2–5% of thyroid malignancies. The risk however increases with background Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. (HT) We report a patient with HT complicated by thyroid lymphoma and did a literature review on this topic.Case presentation: A 61-years-old Chinese lady with background HT on levothyroxine presented with an enlarging goitre of 6 months duration. There was weight loss of 3–4 ...

We previously showed that progesterone (P4) regulates p53 expression and cell cycle progress in human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC) through progesterone receptor (PR) activation of extra-nuclear signaling pathways. Here, we showed that P4 activated the PR and hence increased the formation of progesterone receptor A-(PR-A)-NF-κB complex in both the cytosol and the nucleus. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated an interaction between PR and the NF-κB ...

Background and aims: Current glycaemic treatment targets for women with gestational diabetes (GDM) are controversial. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of different intensities of glycaemic control in pregnant women with GDM on perinatal outcomes.Materials and methods: Pregnant women in the 8th to 31st week of gestation were randomly assigned to 2 groups per target glycaemic levels: GDM1 (very tight glycaemic targets, fasting blood glucose (...

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), the combination of obesity, glucose metabolism impairment, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure, is becoming a worldwide burden of morbidity and mortality. Both genetic and enviromental factors are involved in its pathogenesis, with heritability of each component of MetS 25–80%.Aim: We aim to contribute to dissection of the genetic architecture of MetS using PD (polydactylous) rats, which present a unique mi...