Endocrine Abstracts

Adipose exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) results in visceral adiposity and insulin resistance. Only the unbound, free fraction of GC can diffuse into cells. Corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) is the major GC carrier, binding 80–85% of circulating GCs with high affinity. Targeted proteolysis of CBG by neutrophil elastase (NE) significantly reduces CBG binding affinity. This suggests that neutrophil-mediated inflammation provides a regulatory mechanism for delivery of G...

Marshall-Smith syndrome (MSS) is a congenital disorder characterised by developmental delay, failure to thrive and skeletal abnormalities such as accelerated osseous development, osteopenia, bullet-shaped middle phalanges and kyphoscoliosis. MSS is caused by truncating or frameshift mutations of the nuclear factor I/X (NFIX) gene, which encodes a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor that regulates expression of viral and cellular genes, i...

Background: Thionamides are a safe and effective treatment for Graves’ thyrotoxicosis and tend to be favoured over radioiodine in the UK. Risk of recurrence following cessation of thionamides is high although most studies tend to have short duration of follow up. We have previously published follow-up data to 4 years in this cohort and now present follow-up out to 7 years.Methods: Retrospective review of first presentation Graves’...

Adipose exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) results in visceral adiposity and insulin resistance. Only the unbound, free fraction of GC can diffuse into cells. Corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) is the major GC carrier, binding 80–85% of circulating GCs with high affinity. Targeted proteolysis of CBG by neutrophil elastase (NE) significantly reduces CBG binding affinity. This suggests that neutrophil-mediated inflammation provides a regulatory mechanism for delivery of G...

Marshall-Smith syndrome (MSS) is a congenital disorder characterised by developmental delay, failure to thrive and skeletal abnormalities such as accelerated osseous development, osteopenia, bullet-shaped middle phalanges and kyphoscoliosis. MSS is caused by truncating or frameshift mutations of the nuclear factor I/X (NFIX) gene, which encodes a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor that regulates expression of viral and cellular genes, i...

Background: Thionamides are a safe and effective treatment for Graves’ thyrotoxicosis and tend to be favoured over radioiodine in the UK. Risk of recurrence following cessation of thionamides is high although most studies tend to have short duration of follow up. We have previously published follow-up data to 4 years in this cohort and now present follow-up out to 7 years.Methods: Retrospective review of first presentation Graves’...

Objective: The performance of two functional bioassays and two immunoassays for the measurement of TSHR-Ab was assessed in this multicenter study.Methods: Two-hundred two subjects (median age 54 years, 162 female, 80%), with well-documented thyroid disorders and controls were prospectively enrolled in a consecutive, unselected manner. Antibody measurements were performed in a blinded manner using the Bridge (Siemens, performed at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock ...

Introduction: Central obesity is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with omental adipose tissue (AT) particularly involved in such risk. Additionally, obesity can cause low-level gut-derived endotoxemia, which may drive metabolic dysfunction in AT through mitochondrial damage and reduced BRITE (brown-in-white) adipocytes. Bariatric surgery reduces obesity and may prevent such dysfunction. This study investigated whether endotoxin: 1) impairs mitocho...

Background: Obesity-linked metabolic disorders are a worldwide health concern affecting about one third of women of reproductive age. The programming events in utero impact the risk of predisposition to obesity and metabolic diseases. Maternal B12 deficiency is associated with higher cord lipids. B12 has a potential epigenetic role and therefore may perpetuate an intergenerational cycle of obesity through its effects on placental function and fetal metabolism. Therefore, we hy...

Introduction: Overweight and obesity is a worldwide chronic disease affecting 2 billion adults and millions of children. In diet-induced obesity (DIO), current treatments are not always effective or suitable for all patients due to the complexity of obesity and its associated health complications. Recently, the potential of developing weight loss therapy by targeting the gut microbiota has been raised. Previously, we have shown that mice overexpressing insulin-like growth fact...