Endocrine Abstracts

The pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides, pro-gamma-MSH and Lys-gamma3-MSH, have been shown to potentiate the steroidogenic action of Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) on the adrenal cortex. The molecular mechanisms for this potentiation are unclear, but it has been shown that gamma-MSH peptides promote mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation in the adrenal cortex by upregulating the activity of Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL) (1). HSL activity is regulated either by up...

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)is present, predominantly in latent forms, in normal and malignant breast tissue. The mechanisms by which TGF-beta is activated physiologically remain largely an enigma. The aim of this study was to assess whether the proteases, cathepsin D and PSA could activate latent TGF-beta 1 and 2 in the MCF-7 hormone responsive and MDA-MB-231 hormone unresponsive human breast cancer cell lines. For the experiments, 1 x 106cells were s...

QLS-H is a new, weighted QoL questionnaire developed for patients with hypopituitarism. We evaluated QLS-H data from UK patients in the HypoCCs International surveillance study, and compared results with a sample of the general UK population (n=1090).The QLS-H questionnaire was administered at baseline and at yearly intervals. Scores were corrected for age and gender differences, and expressed as Z-scores based on UK-specific reference ranges. Using this...

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The Pituitary Foundation was founded in 1994 when a group of endocrinologists, GPs and patients identified the need for a support group for patients with pituitary disease. Charitable status followed in 1996. It's core aims are to provide support to patients, their families and carers, to act as a source of reliable information and to increase awareness of the Foundation and pituitary disease within the medical profession and the general public. Membership, services and public...

A female presented in 1994 at age 28 with typical symptoms and signs of hyperthyroidism (FT4 39 picomol per litre, TSH < 0.05 milliunit per litre) and associated ophthalmopathy (bilateral exophthalmos, lid retraction and conjunctival inflammation), consistent with Graves' disease. Initially treated successfully with Carbimazole. She relapsed after stopping Carbimazole and in 1998 underwent sub-total thyroidectomy, with residual thyroid tissue left at the inferior poles bila...

Background: It has been proposed that in the acute, untreated phase of thyrotoxicosis analysis of the peripheral eosinophil to monocyte ratio is a useful parameter to help differentiate thyroiditis from other forms of thyrotoxicosis without the need for radioiodine uptake scanning. (1).Methodology: We performed a retrospective search of our thyroid database for patients who had had a full blood count and radioiodine uptake scan prior to the commencement of antithyroid medi...

Low bone density in women with androgen insensitivity syndrome [AIS] has been attributed to both androgen and oestrogen deficiency. Tall stature in women with AIS has been attributed to the presence of the Y chromosome and to delayed closure of the epiphyses due to relative sex steroid deficiency. In order to gain greater insight into these interactions we have compared bone density and height in four groups of women-27 women with AIS, 15 women with 46XY gonadal dysgenesis, 25...

We present a case of acquired hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HH) in a 54-year-old man that illustrates the need for wider endocrine screening in such patients. Having undergone complete pubertal development as a teenager and subsequently fathered two children, the patient presented with a nine-month history of reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, hot sweats and headaches. His GP had diagnosed HH on the basis of a low testosterone with inappropriately low gonadotrophins. Exam...

Neuroleptic-induced hyperprolactinaemia (NIHP) is a recognised complication of neuroleptic drug therapy.Pituitary tumours however may exist co-incidentally in patients on neuroleptic medications and contribute to hyperprolactinaemia. A potential pitfall is to attribute the elevated prolactin level to drug therapy alone particularly when treatment with neuroleptics has been longstanding.A 35 year old woman with bipolar affective disorder was referred with...