Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Hyponatraemia (HN) is the most common electrolyte disorder of hospitalised patients with a frequency approximating 15%. HN is associated with multiple co-morbidities as well as increases in length of stay (LOS), rehospitalisation, cardiovascular events, and death. This novel HN registry represents the first large-scale international effort to document the impact of HN on clinically relevant outcomes.Methods: The HN registry is an ongoing, glo...

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, (CAH) is a common autosomal recessive condition, 95% of which is attributable to mutations in the 21-hydroxylase (CYP21) gene. There is a wide range of clinical features and genotype phenotype correlations for common mutations are well described.Case: EG presented to the endocrine clinic at the age of 3.5 years with pubarche of 6 months duration and Tanner staging of PH3, B1and clitoromegaly (Prader stage 1) Ur...

Introduction: Assessment of hypoglycaemia in neonates is challenging due to limited blood availability, and lower glucose readings compared to adults. ISO criteria used to assess the accuracy of glucometers are based on adult needs where values below 4.2 mmol/l require intervention. National neonatal guidelines define an action threshold for hypoglycaemia as a glucose below 2mmol/l. We currently use a Radiometer ABL-735 blood gas analyser which uses 35 microlitres of blood. We...

Pituitary hormones are released into the bloodstream in a pulsatile fashion in response to stimuli from their hypothalamic regulators. For efficient generation of hormone pulses, both the hypothalamic mechanisms and the pituitary target cells must exhibit a high degree of coordinated secretory activity. This is particularly important for the growth hormone (GH) axis since the target tissue responses are critically dependent on the temporal pattern of GH exposure, as well as th...

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive neuro-endocrine tumour with an abysmal prognosis. These cancers are characteristically resistant to glucocorticoid (Gc) action, and display glucocorticoid receptor (GR) abnormalities. We therefore selected model cell lines displaying reduced GR expression and Gc insensitivity as tractable in vitro systems in which to discover the effects of restored GR expression. GR fused to the yellow fluorescent protein, eYFP, was over-e...

Aim of the study was to evaluate whether clinical parameters and echographic patterns may be predictive of malignancy in thyroid nodules with a cytological diagnosis of follicular (FOL) and H?rthle cell (HC) neoplasia. The study included 495 patients (388 F: mean age 45±14 yr; 107 M: mean age 46±14 yr) with FOL (n=418) and CH (n=77) nodules, ‘cold’ at scintiscan and undergone to thyroidectomy. Clinical parameters considered were: sex, age, goi...

Aim of the study was to establish the diagnostic value of nuclear atypia thyroid nodules with cytological diagnosis of follicular (FOL) and Hv¨rthle cell (HC) neoplasia. 1039/23.313 fine needle aspiration (FNA) performed in January 2002 June 2005 in the Department of Endocrinology, University of Pisa had cytological diagnosis of FOL e CH. FNA was performed under echo guidance, using 23 gauge needle attached to 10 mL syringe. The material was air-dryed and stained with Pap...

The secretion of prolactin is sexually dimorphic and sensitive to changes in gonadal steroid and glucocorticoid status. Reports that the regulatory effects of glucocorticoids on prolactin release are mediated in part via annexin I (ANXA1, 1), have led us to compare prolactin secretion in ANXA1 knockout (KO) and wildtype (WT) mice and to determine the effects ovariectomy and oestrogen replacement (80 nanograms/0.1 ml, s.c./day) on (a) the plasma prolactin concentration (radioim...

Lys-gamma3-MSH is a peptide derived from the multihormone precursor protein pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). Lys-gamma3-MSH increases cholesterol ester hydrolysis and mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation in the adrenal gland by activating the enzyme cholesterol ester hydrolase (CEH). Although the receptor through which the actions of Lys-gamma3-MSH on the adrenal gland are mediated remains to be identified, ligand binding studies suggest the existence of binding sites in adipose...

The murine ACTH receptor MC2-R is primarily expressed in the adrenal cortex and adipocytes where it binds ACTH leading to steroidogenesis and lipolysis, respectively. We have recently shown that the previously described 'adrenal' MC2-R promoter is transiently activated by PPAR gamma 2 early during differentiation of murine 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes, declining to background levels from a peak of activity seen at day 4 following commencement of adipogenesis. This is mirrored by the ...