Endocrine Abstracts

We assessed whether the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is affected after withdrawal of oral steroids in patients who have been on steroids for at least ten years. Recent advances in treatment of patients with severe asthma with inhaled fluticasone propionate, and the use of steroid sparing drugs such as methotrexate has allowed the withdrawal of long term oral steroids in patients who otherwise had steroid dependant disease.We performed a 250 ...

Introduction: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a significant cause of morbidity in childhood. We undertook a prospective study to investigate ADRs causing admission to a UK paediatric hospital: this report focuses on corticosteroids (CS).Methods: Three investigators assessed all acute admissions over a 1 year period and identified ADRs by cross-referencing clinical presentations to known ADR profiles using a standardised causality tool.<p class="abs...

Thyroid physiology in early pregnancy is characterised by an increase of thyroxine binding globulin. This has been taken into account when using total T4 (TT4) if a ‘T3 uptake test (TUp)’ is used to derive the FTI. The American Thyroid Association Guidelines (1990) recommend ceasing the use of uptake tests, although in the USA they are still widely used. The aim of this study is to compare the TT4 and TUp to the FT4 in early gestation. TT4, TUp, FT4 and TSH were meas...

Familial expansile osteolysis is a rare autosomal dominant disorder of bone, first described in a kindred from Northern Ireland in 1988. There are histological similarities to Paget's disease but the disorder typically presents in the young.Case report: Our patient presented at 15 years of age with sensorineural hearing loss, skeletal pain, gingival hypertrophy and mobile teeth. Neither parent was similarly affected. Radiographs demonstrated tooth root r...

A 54-year-old man with long standing coeliac disease and moderate dietary compliance was admitted with lethargy and feeling unwell. His blood pressure was 129 mmHg systolic, 91mmHg diastolic and serum sodium 112 millimoles per litre (RR 136 to 145). He was otherwise well with normal visual fields. A 250-microgram Synacthen test demonstrated a basal cortisol of 630 nanomoles per litre rising to 983 nanomoles per litre after 30 minutes. His TSH was undetectable, Ft4 9.6 picomole...

In arthritides, such as osteoarthritis (OA), there is considerable bone and cartilage remodelling associated with the disease progression. The destruction of these tissues is responsible for the pain and disability associated with the disease. Metalloproteinases (MPs) are thought to contribute to this process but as yet this remains unproven in the clinic.The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of the specific MPs, aggrecanase and collagen...

Introduction: Adrenal lesions occur in more than 10% of the general population. Most are benign, but 2.5% are metastatic disease to the adrenal from tumors such melanoma, renal, breast, colon and lung carcinoma. Adrenal metastatic disease is usually asymptomatic and diagnosed in the extension study or the primary tumor. However it is unusual as a presentation of an endocrine tumor or like the first manifestation of metastatic disease.We present two patie...

Introduction: Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a genetically, metabolically and clinically heterogeneous subtype of diabetes mellitus characterized by an early onset, an autosomal dominant inheritance, and a primary defect in insulin secretion. They are caused by mutations in a reduced number of β-cell genes. Mutations in glucokinase gen (MODY 2) and hepatic nuclear factor 1α (HNF 1α) (MODY 3) are the most common.Materials an...

There are difficulties in establishing the diagnosis of gonadotropinomas using serum hormonal levels, even after intravenous TRH. We evaluated the relationship between humoral (serum and cerebrospinal fluid - CSF) levels of gonadotropins and the immunohistochemical evidence in tumor tissue.Serum and CSF levels of pituitary hormones were assayed using rapid fluoroimmunometry with Europium. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed with avidin-biotine. Grou...

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) consists of a constellation of metabolic abnormalities which include central obesity, hyperglycemia plus insulin resistance, high triglycerides plus low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and hypertension. A developing collection of proof proposes that metabolic condition is related to endocrine problems including thyroid brokenness. Thyroid brokenness in metabolic condition patients might additionally add to cardiovascular illne...