Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The GH/IGF-I axis is implicated in colorectal cancer development. We have previously shown regional variations of the GH/IGF-I axis, and other tumour associated genes between the rectum (RS) and caecum (C). Whether variations in the GH/IGF-I axis align with differing expression patterns is unknown.Aim: To determine the association between colonic expression of the GH/IGF-I axis and that of tumour associated genes by region.<p class="abs...

Introduction: Thyroid dysfunction is a common endocrine disorder affecting 300 million people around the world and over half are expected to be unaware of the condition. The number of people suffering from metabolic syndrome is also on the rise and it is estimated that a quarter of the world’s adults have metabolic syndrome. Thyroid dysfunction and metabolic syndrome (Met S) are both associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia and low grade infl...

Diabetic muscle infarction is an unusual complication of poorly controlled diabetes. It presents as an acute painful muscular swelling with difficulty in walking.A 49-year-old man with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes was admitted with a history of sudden painful swelling of the thigh. He was afebrile, with marked tender swelling and inability to extend his knee. His HbA1c 15.6%, FBC, CRP and CK were normal; autoantibodies, anticardio...

For many animals anticipation of future changes in environmental conditions is a critical adaptation for survival. Seasonal changes in reproductive activity, body weight and adiposity, metabolism and coat condition are examples of such adaptive physiology. Clearly each of these involves neuroendocrine control. The environmental cue that triggers these changes is photoperiod, which is translated into the hormonal signal, melatonin, a product of the pineal gland. A considerable ...

A multidisciplinary team is responsible for the management of over 1,200 NET patients per year in our hospital. Tumor board decisions for peptide receptor radiotherapy (PRRT) are based on the Bad Berka Score which takes into account molecular imaging features and clinical aspects. The therapy plan for each patient is individualized. Retrospective analysis was performed in 1048 patients (age 4–85 years) with progressive NETs treated at our center since 2004 using Lu-177 (<...

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) comprises a family of inherited autosomal recessive disorders of steroidogenesis, characterized by deficiency of cortisol and an accumulation of substrate precursors. CAH is most commonly caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency, which causes virilisations of the external genitalia in females. In addition, deficiency of 11-hydroxylase and P450 oxidoreductase are also associated with virilisation of the external genitalia in females. Prenatal tre...

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was discovered by Robert Robison, PhD in London in 1923. In New York in 1932, he added to his hypothesis that ALP functioned in skeletal calcification by liberating inorganic phosphate (Pi) for hydroxyapatite crystal formation, perhaps from a hexosephosphoric ester, some unknown factor also conditioning this process. In 1948 in Toronto, Canada, ‘hypophosphatasia’ (HPP) was coined by John C. Rathbun, MD to describe a unique rickets without r...

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare disease accounting for about 5% of all thyroid cancers and can occur sporadically (75%) or as part of the familial syndrome multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2). The hereditary forms are caused by a mutation in the ‘rearranged during transfection’ (RET) gene.When a proven RET mutation is present carriers will be offered a prophylactic thyroidectomy. The timing of this prophylactic procedure is not...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has devastating consequences. The establishment of antiviral intervention targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, is urgently needed. However, such approaches require the identification of virus-host cell interactions essential for viral spread and pathogenesis. The viral spike protein (S) mediates the first step in SARS-CoV-2 infection, viral entry into target cells, a...

The 2006 DSD consensus statement states that all newborns should receive a gender assignment. Gender assignment decisions are typically guided by a combination of diagnosis and long-term, adult follow-up studies that focus on gender identity stability and other psychosexual outcomes. One relevant question in gender assignment is whether, in newborns, gender identity can be predicted, and if so, whether adult gender identity is related to prenatal brain exposure to testosterone...