Endocrine Abstracts

In most mammals the onset of labour is regulated by an abrupt fall in circulating progesterone concentrations or a rise in circulating oestrogens. In humans, however, no dramatic change is observed in circulating steroid concentrations prior to labour and the mechanisms regulating the onset of labour have remained obscure. In a series of studies we have shown that placental production of the peptide hormone CRH increases exponentially across gestation peaking at the time of la...

With an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity, there is abundant evidence linking these conditions with sub- and infertility in women. The evidence in men is less well developed but is emerging gradually. Even when fertility is achieved in women, there are many conditions of pregnancy that are increased including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, congenital abnormalities and peripartum problems. Children born also have an increased long-term problem of obesity and ass...

Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder of the orbit. The close clinical and temporal relationships between Graves’ hyperthyroidism and GO suggest that both conditions derive from a single systemic process and share the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) as autoantigen. Autoimmunity directed against the TSHR on orbital fibroblasts sets in motion connective tissue remodeling within the orbit that leads to the various clinical expressions of the diseas...

Increased body weight and adipose tissue accumulation amplifies the risk of developing various age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, musculoskeletal disorders. Adipose tissue-derived secreted pro-inflammatory adipokines generate a chronic low-grade inflammation which contributes to the pathogenesis of obesity-linked complications. Recent advancements in tissue-resident adult stem/progenitor cell research have revealed that inflammation...

Screening is defined as ‘the presumptive identification of unrecognized disease or defect by the application of tests, examinations, or other procedures which can be applied rapidly. Screening tests sort out apparently well persons who probably have a disease from those who probably do not’. Ideally all the following criteria should be met: The Condition should be an important health problem; well known epidemiology and natural history of the condition. The test shou...

The vitamin D endocrine system (D-endo) is essential for calcium and bone homeostasis. Absence of a functional VDR or CYP27B1 creates a severe rachitic bone and growth plate phenotype in humans and mice as in severe vitamin D deficiency. The intestine is the key target for VDR as a high calcium intake or selective VDR rescue in the intestine restores a normal bone and growth plate phenotype. Selective absence of VDR in osteoblasts does not create a bone phenotype when calcium ...

CAH is the commonest inborn endocrine disorder and associated with significant morbidity. The health status of CAH adult patients has recently been reported by the United Kingdom Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Adult Study Executive, CaHASE (Arlt et al. JCEM 2010 95 5110–21). Compared to the health survey for England, metabolic abnormalities were common in adult patients with CAH: obesity (41%), hypercholesterolemia (46%), insulin resistance (29%), ost...

Objective: To evaluate associations between adiposity trajectories over time and insulin sensitivity and glucose deterioration in a Chinese twin cohort.Research Design and Methods: This study focused on 341 males and 292 females who aged 20–50 years old at baseline and had physical, clinical examinations and oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT) at two time points with an average of 6 years apart. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), percent...

Context: The regulation of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) and their interactions with steroid hormone signaling in Fallopian tubes and endometrium are not clearly understood.Objective: We determined whether hnRNP expression is regulated during the menstrual cycle and correlates with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) levels in human Fallopian tubes in vivo. We also explored the mechanisms of hnRNP regulation i...

Introduction: The incidence of post thyroidectomy hypocalcemia varies from 10–50%. Treatment is either prophylactic or therapeutic calcium and vitamin D supplementation. We evaluated the utility of thiazide diuretics in the management of hypocalcemia prospectively.Material and methods: This study was conducted in Endocrine Surgery department of a teritiary care teaching hospital. We included 104 patients of total thyroidectomy in the study. 44 cases...