Endocrine Abstracts

Cowden syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by germline mutations in the PTEN tumour suppressor gene on 10q23.3 which mediates cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. The diagnosis is primarily based on clinical findings including a combination of mucocutaneous lesions (trichilemmomas), macrocephaly, thyroid lesions (mainly follicular adenoma or carcinoma) and breast and endometrial cancer. The prevalence is estimated at 1/200 000. Lifetime risk for developing bre...

Approximately 90% of ovarian cancers are derived from ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells and are believed to result from repeated episodes of ovulation-associated injury and repair. A knowledge of the control of OSE cell survival is therefore of major interest regarding our understanding of ovarian cancers. We have previously demonstrated that CREB protein is activated in OSE cells around pre-ovulatory follicles and suggested that this activation may play a role to promote...

Glucocorticoids may regulate the autoimmune response by influencing the shift in balance between type-1 and type-2 cytokine responses. To investigate the effect of steroids on peripheral cytokine expression in autoimmune thyroiditis we measured dexamethasone (Dex) and progesterone (Prg) inhibition of peripheral CD4+ T lymphocyte expressions of Interferon-gamma (IFN-g) (type-1 response) and Interleukin-4 (IL-4) (type 2 response) in both patients and healthy subjects.<p clas...

The successful establishment of pregnancy is dependent on appropriate embryo development and uterine receptivity. The latter consists of secretory transformation of the glandular epithelial cells followed by decidualisation of the stromal compartment. This phase of the cycle is also characterised by extensive tissue remodelling in the superficial layer of the endometrium in preparation for the invasion and implantation of the proliferating trophoblast cells. Ovarian steroids a...

The purpose of this study was to measure well-being and treatment satisfaction among clinic patients with type 2 diabetes using a diabetes specific instrument as well as determine correlates of these measures. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Well-Being Questionnaire (1) and the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (2). Other demographic and clinical indices of age, sex, body mass index, disease duration and blood glucose levels were also recorded. Sco...

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of acanthosis nigricans (AN) in a cohort of obese subjects and to assess the validity of AN as an indicator of insulin resistanceMethods: 88 healthy obese subjects were assessed clinically for severity of AN scored according to Burke's Scale1. Neck and axilla severity scores (NASS) were discriminative, easy to access in a clinical setting and hence used in the analysis. Insulin resistance was assessed by Homeostasi...

It is well established that catecholamines have potent actions on adrenocortical function and steroidogenesis in different species. The effect of these substances on steroid production of the human adrenal cell line H295R is the subject of this study. H295R is the first adrenocortical cell line capable of secreting the normal range of adrenal steroid products (i.e. mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids and adrenal androgens) and since free of chromaffin cells, it appears to be a...

The sequence of pituitary growth hormone (GH) is generally strongly conserved in mammals, but short bursts of rapid change during the evolution of primates and artiodactyls have led to marked differences in primary structure and biological specificity in human and ruminant GHs. Recent molecular studies have shown that Cetacea are nested within Artiodactyla, and the combined grouping (Artiodactyla and Cetacea) has been termed the Cetartiodactyla. To explore further GH evolution...

Devices such as continuous glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps are being increasingly used, improving quality of life and diabetic control for those with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Skin reactions can occur at the local site which could be allergic, irritant or infective in nature. The history is key in differentiating between these. Typically infective or irritant dermatitis tend to cause intermittent problems and may start within days of a new device being applied to ...

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGMDs) for all adults and children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Automated technologies such as hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems can improve outcomes and quality of life for patients, their families and carers. There have been increasing reports of cutaneous allergic reactions to medical devices, including CGMDs, in the literature. These reactions are mostly t...