Endocrine Abstracts

We have previously shown that obese children with prior fracture have a lower bone mass for body size. We further hypothesised that obese children would fail to gain bone mass in relation to body size over a one-year period compared to lean controls.Methodology: Out of 103 children recruited into obese (BMI>98th percentile) and control (BMI<98th percentile) groups at baseline, 66 children aged 6.5–18 years returned at one year. Total body an...

Background: Since the DCCT demonstrated that improved glycaemic control reduced complications the goal of diabetes management has been to maintain HbA1c as close to normal as possible. Recent changes by the laboratory to our HbA1c assay, combined with the debate about deanonymised publication of clinic’s HbA1c results, creating the potential for ‘league tables’, focussed our attention on the variation between HbA1c assays.Clinical data: Ou...

Aim: Thyroid surgery in children is infrequently undertaken, but due to genetic screening of families with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes, more paediatric thyroidectomies are being performed. In this study we explored the indications for thyroidectomy and the post operative course and consequences of surgery carried out in our unit.Methods: Retrospective review of medical case notes of children who had either total or partial thyroidectomie...

Background: Patients attending our A+E department with hypoglycaemia have a number of samples collected including metabolic investigations, growth hormone (GH) and cortisol. Most of these children have an intercurrent illness. There is a paucity of published data examining how cortisol and GH respond to ‘physiological hypoglycaemia’.Aims: To assess if peak levels of GH and cortisol correlate with the degree of hypoglycaemia and to evaluate how ...

Ovarian function in mammals is regulated by gonadotropins and by sympathetic nervous system. Norepinephrine (NE) is one of the major neurotransmitters present in the fibres innervating the gonad and regulates follicular development and ovarian steroids release. Surgical section of the sympathetic fibres partially decreased the release of NE as compared with non-denervated rats. The remnant release capability supposes the existence of an intraovarian compartment able to incorpo...

BackgroundCannabinoid (CB) receptors are expressed in adipocytes. CB1 antagonism may have potential in the metabolic syndrome, with effects mediated through central orexigenic mechanisms and via peripheral action on white adipose tissue (WAT). Equivalent studies in brown adipose tissue (BAT) are lacking.ObjectiveWe aimed to compare CB1 and CB2 receptor expression during WAT and BAT adipogenesis and to investi...

Progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH, MIM 166350) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterised by extensive dermal ossification during childhood, followed by widespread heterotopic ossification of skeletal muscle and deep connective tissue. Recently, genetic basis was found to be common with Albright’s hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) (Shore et al., 2002): paternally inherited inactivating mutations of the GNAS1 gene were found. GNAS1 is the ge...

Introduction: We present 3 cases of the same severe electrolyte imbalance presenting with acute neurological symptoms.Case descriptions: Case A, a 48 year old lady with severe CREST syndrome presented with prolonged vomiting and diarrhoea. Initial investigations showed: Sodium 141 mmol/l, Potassium 3.2 mmol/l, Creatinine 53 mmol/l, Glucose 4.3 mmol/l, Haemoglobin 13.9 g/dl, Albumin 38 g/l. 2 days after admission she developed seizures. Case B, a 75 year ...

Background and aims: DM2 has been associated with altered levels of trace elements and a prothrombotic state. We investigated the effect of a 28-day Greek mediterranean diet (rich in fiber, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids and complex carbohydrates) on serum concentration of trace ele-ments and blood factors participating in coagulation and fibrinolysis in 58 patients with DM2.Materials and methods: Blood trace elements and blood coagulation fac-tor...

Among specific diabetes subtypes secondary to pancreatopathies, hereditary hemochromatosis is an inherited disorder of iron metabolism, resulting to excessive iron overload and tissue damage in various organs. We report here the case of a man with the young-onset form of the disease and we describe his glycaemic status, before and during venesection therapy. A 25-year-old man attended our clinic in Athens, Greece, with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism due to hereditary hemochroma...