Endocrine Abstracts

Glucocorticoids are highly detrimental to skin integrity and function both when used locally for anti-inflammatory treatments and during conditions of raised systemic concentrations such as Cushing’s syndrome. Many of the adverse effects of glucocorticoids on skin are also symptoms associated with natural intrinsic aging and extrinsic photoaging.Locally, glucocorticoid availability is regulated independently of circulating levels by 11β-hydroxy...

A 19-year-old, female of West African descent presented with a 5 months history of thyrotoxicosis. The GP had commenced carbimazole. She had continuing clinical and biochemical thyrotoxicosis TSH <0.01 (0.3–5.5 mU/l), FT4 68.0 (9–20 pmol/l) and FT3 18.9 (3.4–5.6 pmol/l). Thyroid antibodies were present at elevated titre and technetium uptake scanning showed toxic diffuse hyperplasia with an uptake function of 37%, confirming Graves&#146...

Radioactive iodine (RAI) has been in use for more than 60 years with satisfactory results RAI and safe profile, there has been a different outcome of treatment in different ethnic groups. We assessed the demographic features and clinical outcome of a Jordanian and British cohorts of patients treated with RAI.Methods: Hyperthyroid patients who opted RAI as a primary therapy and those who had relapse after treatment with antithyroid drugs (ATD) or h...

Background: Hypertension, obesity and hyperlipidemia are key interlinked features of both metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Numerous studies have suggested that green tea may reduce blood pressure by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase and reducing total cholesterol by disrupting the production of apo B and synthesis of chylomicrons and thus have cardio-protective effects. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of increasing the consum...

Primary hypothyroidism and hypoadrenalism may occur concomitantly as part of autoimmune endocrine syndromes. Thyroxine replacement without steroid replacement can precipitate fatal adrenal crisis in this subgroup of patients. We report two patients with autoimmune primary hypothyroidism presenting with acute adrenal crises after commencing thyroxine replacement.Case 1: A 36-year-old patient with type 1 diabetes for 15 years was admitted with vomiting, ab...

Background and objective: Widespread use of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) has led to a decrease in morbidity and mortality with this infection. HAART is also associated with body fat redistribution, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, well known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of fat redistribution in studies ranges from 11 to 83%. The objective of this study was to look at changes in body composition in HIV infected men and to determin...

Although glucocorticoids (Gc) are used to treat a range of pathologies, an individuals response to therapy varies considerably. There is a distinct correlation between certain cell types and steroid sensitivity. Aberrant glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function is well-characterised in lymphoid malignant cells but not small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (DMS79) or osteosarcoma (U2OS) cell lines, which are both Gc resistant.Previously we have shown reduced GR cont...

Adrenal incidentalomas are tumours of the adrenal incidentally discovered during evaluation for non-adrenal disease. The National Institute of Health consensus definition usually excludes lesions found during evaluation for malignancy. We present a case of an initially non-secretory adrenal incidentaloma that progressively increased in size over 6 years and became hormonally active.A 78-year-old hypertensive male was found to have a right adrenal mass du...

Serum Crosslaps is a bone resorption specific marker already validated in adults for osteoporosis helping in decision and therapeutic. Not yet clinically evaluated in children, we wanted to analyse the usefulness of this marker in paediatric practice, easier to collect than the other bone resorption markers which need urinary collection often uncertain in children.Patients and methods: Serum Crosslaps were measured using the One Step ELISA immunoassay (O...

Glucocorticoid (GC) excess is characterized by central obesity, insulin resistance and in some cases, type 2 diabetes mellitus. Whilst it is accepted that GCs cause insulin resistance, both insulin and GCs act synergistically to promote adipocyte differentiation. We have previously shown that acute treatment (24 h) with GCs enhances insulin signalling in human adipocytes. We hypothesise that the generation of cortisol from inactive cortisone by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrog...