Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To evaluate longitudinal growth in 21-hydroxylase deficiency CAH, factors contributing to this and outcome for BMI, weight (Wt) and height (Ht) in adolescence.Methods: Multi-level longitudinal models were used to evaluate growth patterns of 28 males and 29 females with CAH. Age at adiposity rebound was derived from the roots of the fitted curves and compared to UK 1990 references. The influence of hydrocortisone (HC) and fludrocortisone (FC) d...

CHI is a disorder of dysregulated insulin release characterised by severe recurrent hypoglycaemia. Mutations in genes encoding the beta-cell sulphonylurea receptor (ABCC8) and inward-rectifying potassium-channel (KCNJ11) are the commonest genetic cause of CHI, followed by that encoding glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD-1). Histologically, disease pathology is subdivided into diffuse or focal disease; the latter associated with paternal mutations and somatic lo...

Previous research concerning the cognitive profile of children with CHI has identified a high incidence of significant learning difficulty (Rother et al. 2001, Jack et al. 2003). Both studies report an incidence of 30 to 50% cognitive skills within the learning disability range in both study populations. Furthermore, Rother et al. (2001) suggested that all children investigated demonstrated some form of cognitive difficulty, ranging from learning disabilit...

Background: Kisspeptin is a peptide product of the KiSS-1 gene and a key regulator of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. Pregnancy is associated with raised plasma kisspeptin concentrations. However, there is significant variation in the plasma kisspeptin levels quoted in previous studies. We investigated the effects of pre-analytical factors including processing time and anticoagulant type on plasma kisspeptin-immunoreactivity (IR) measurement.Meth...

Introduction: Propensity to centripetal adiposity is an ethnic characteristic amongst South Asians, which may underlie the excess risk for both coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes in this population. Circulating levels of adipocytokines (hormones which include leptin, adiponectin, tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha)) and C-reactive protein (CRP) reflect the adipose tissues endocrine and metabolic activity, and are implicated in CHD.Methods: We compa...

AimsThe increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus with age in the context of ageing populations worldwide highlights the need to understand better factors that influence glucose homeostasis. Our hypothesis was that lifestyle change accompanying migration influences the relationship between pancreatic beta cell function (HOMA-B) and age.MethodsWe compared a specific migrant Gujarati community in Britain...

CDGP is a common growth disorder, often dominantly inherited. Genetic association is thus very likely. There are many possible candidates but none are yet linked to CDGP. We assessed the possible contribution of L, LR genes (mutations in each cause very delayed or absent puberty), CART (mediates the effect of L on GnRH pulse generation), and GPR54 (a hypothalamic G-protein coupled receptor, which is mutated in familial hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism) genes.<p class="abstex...

IntroductionThe IGF-system has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We report the effects of total energy intake on the IGF-system in two populations with a markedly different dietary macronutrient intake and cardiovascular event rate.MethodDietary macronutrient intake was measured in a specific Gujarati migrant community in Sandwell UK (n=205) compared with people ...

Growth hormone (GH) has profound anabolic effects on bone, but its use as a treatment for patients with osteoporosis has only resulted in small increases in BMD. The low serum IGF-I demonstrated in men with idiopathic osteoporosis may be important in the aetiology of this disease and has been attributed to GH hypo-secretion, though there are conflicting reports of this. Insensitivity to the actions of GH has also been suggested. We studied the GH-IGF-I axis in otherwise health...

Background: The gut hormone PYY3-36 (PYY) is released into the circulation after eating and physiologically inhibits food intake. Obese and lean subjects are equally sensitive to this effect, however fasting levels of PYY are reduced in obese subjects.Methods: We investigated the postprandial PYY response and satiety response using a visual analogue scale (VAS) to 6 test meals of increasing calorie content in 20 lean and 20 obese subjects. We also infuse...