Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Thyroid disease in pregnancy can have a profound impact on both mother and fetus. Guidelines on diagnosis and management are lacking in the UK and there is significant variation between European and US guidelines. This survey aimed to gather data on current management by endocrinologists in Scotland.Methods: An online survey was created using Google Forms and emailed to endocrinology trainees and consultants in Scotland (April 2019). The surv...

More than 90% of classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) patients have defects in the cytochrome P450 enzyme steroid 21-hydroxylase, resulting in the inability to produce cortisol as well as the overproduction of androgens and androgen precursors such as 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP). Management of classic CAH can be challenging since patients are often unable to adequately balance the supraphysiologic doses of exogenous glucocorticoids required to suppress excess andro...

Background: Thyrotoxicosis may be associated with considerable patient morbidity. Graves’ disease (GD) and toxic multinodular goitre (TMNG) are the most common causes of thyrotoxicosis. Therapeutic options include anti-thyroid medication or definitive treatment by radioiodine or surgery. Efficacy, quality of life and cost-effectiveness are among the outcomes that have been compared between these two therapies. However, there is still no clear consensus as to which treatme...

Objective: To determine the effects of long-term growth hormone (GH) treatment on heart anatomy and function among adult GH deficient patients.Design: A retrospective observational study at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark between 1999 and 2015.Patients: All patients with available echocardiography data at treatment baseline, 3–5 years and 8–10 years follow up. We included 25 naïve GH deficient...

Background: Mitotane is a strong inducer of hepatic CYP3A4 activity (cortisol metabolism) and increases cortisol-binding globulin (CBG). High hydrocortisone dosages are necessary in patients with adrenocortical cancer (ACC) on mitotane treatment. The newly modified release hydrocortisone has not been used in mitotane-treated ACC patients yet.Aim: To compare cortisol (serum and saliva), calculated free serum cortisol and ACTH levels in ACC patients on mit...

The predominant positive and negative regulators of skeletal muscle mass are IGF1 and myostatin respectively. The regulation of skeletal muscle mass, IGF1 and myostatin by the gonadal steroids testosterone and 17β-oestradiol (E2) remains controversial. Male and female C57BL/6 mice underwent bilateral gonadectomy or sham surgery at 4 weeks of age, with insertion of s.c. silastic implants containing testosterone, E2, or cholesterol (placebo) (n</em...

GH regulates IGF1 predominantly through the intracellular signallers Stat5a and Stat5b. Inactivating mutations of Stat5b in humans result in severe growth retardation and low circulating IGF1 concentrations in males and females. In mice, however, there is only a loss of sexually dimorphic growth in males when Stat5b is deleted. No study has observed Stat5b−/− mice beyond 12 weeks or investigated any subsequent changes in skeletal muscle mass or IGF1 expr...

Background: Neuroendocrine tumor (NET) symptoms are often similar to common conditions or may not arise until metastasis occurs, delaying diagnosis and impacting survival. We present data on time to diagnosis from the European (EU) NET patient perspective.Methods: In 2014, 1928 NET patients from >12 countries (Europe (n=763): Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Norway, UK, and other EU countries (not specified); Americas; Asia; Oceania) part...

Hypothesis and aim: Acromegaly is frequently associated with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes, and concomitant hyperprolactinaemia was suggested to add to this effect. We hypothesized that pituitary prolactin (PRL) histopathology and plasma hyperprolactinaemia has a prognostic value in predicting the risk of glucose metabolic disturbances in acromegalic patients. The aim of this study was to examine glucose metabolic outcomes in acromegalic patients with and without his...

Introduction: The osteoblast derived bone formation marker osteocalcin has been reported to decrease adipose tissue in mice. In elderly men, osteocalcin was reported to correlate inversely with fat mass.Aim: To examine the relationship between osteocalcin and regional fat depots.Method: The Odense Androgen Study is a population-based, cross-sectional study of 779 randomly selected men aged 20–29 years. Total, central, upper ex...