Endocrine Abstracts

Case history: A 45 year old lady with Von Hippel Lindau syndrome with a complex past medical history presented with symptoms of cauda equina compression. Past medical history includes cerebellar hemangioblastomas, bilateral retinal angiomas, right sided renal cell carcinoma and renal carcinoid tumour treated with partial and then completion nephrectomy, bilateral phaeochromocytoma treated with bilateral adrenalectomy, metastatic neuroendocrine tumour treated with Whipple’...

Background: Hyperprolactinaemia accounts for 1 in 7 patients presenting with amenorrhoea. Recent data suggests that prolactin acts at the hypothalamus to reduce GnRH-pulsatility. Conditions in which GnRH-pulsatility is reduced, such as hypothalamic amenorrhoea, favour FSH over LH secretion from the pituitary gland. We examined gonadotrophin secretion in hyperprolactinaemic patients as a surrogate marker of GnRH-pulsatility.Methods: A retrospective analys...

Introduction: Graves’ disease is the commonest cause of hyperthyroidism accounting for 80% of all cases. The first line treatment for Graves’ disease in the UK is medical therapy, most frequently using a ‘dose-titration’ regimen. Currently, there is a lack of guidance to aid clinicians in carrying out optimal dose-titration of carbimazole, resulting in a risk of under- or over-treatment. Thus, we aimed to develop a carbimazole dosing-algorithm for the medic...

Background: Elevated HbA1c, cardio-vascular and immune dysfunctions are common complications of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D), which can be improved by aerobic and resistance exercises, respectively. Therefore, effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercises in acute and chronic conditions might also have beneficial health outcomes and was investigated.Objective: Determine the effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercises on serum n...

Breast cancer (BCa) patients who present at clinic with elevated circulating LDL-cholesterol have poor prognosis, whilst pharmacological and lifestyle interventions that lower circulating cholesterol (statins, exercise, low saturated fat intake etc.) are associated with better treatment efficacy. The molecular mechanisms that link cholesterol with chemotherapy resistance (CR) remain unexplored. Hydroxycholesterols (OHCs) activate the transcription factor LXR, and are formed in...

Introduction: Low dose radioiodine (LDRAI) has been used to treat benign thyroid disease for over 70 years (1). However, controversies remain about the optimal dosage to administer. The Royal College of Physicians guidelines recommend a dosage of 400–600 MBq for uncomplicated Graves’ disease (2); the dose administered varies between centres.Methods: Outcome data at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary were collected retrospectively for patients who receiv...

Introduction: Diaphoresis, or excessive sweating, is well recognised as a presenting complaint for endocrine disorders such as hyperthyroidism, acromegaly, and phaeochromocytoma. However, diaphoresis is an unusual presenting complaint for Cushing’s syndrome.Case: We present the case of a 35-year-old lady who first presented to health services for symptoms of excessive sweating, and feeling hot most of the time. Whilst initial investigations such as ...

Introduction: Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder which may lead to thyroid overactivity and eye disease. Oestrogen and progesterone are thought to be immunomodulatory and have been postulated to play an important role in the difference in prevalence of autoimmune disorders between men and women. Autoimmune disorders, including autoimmune thyroid disease, are often quiescent during pregnancy with an increased prevalence postpartum. The increase in immune mediated th...

Osteocytes make up >90% of bone cells, are embedded in mineralised matrix where they form a communication network. Osteocytes differentiate from osteoblasts, and are thought to be mechano-sensitive. They are very difficult to isolate leading to a dependence on cell lines for in vitro studies of osteocyte biology. There is thus a need to develop new methods to study these cells. Recent publications indicate that osteoblasts maintained in in vitro 3D collagen g...

Case: A 22 year-old female student presented with a history of recurrent pancreatitis since 2007. The most common causes of pancreatitis, including drugs, gallstones, corticosteroids, excess alcohol and hypertriglyceridaemia were excluded. She was noted to have elevated serum calcium, which was considered to be the cause of her pancreatitis, with a detectable serum PTH level. An initial diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was made. However, two neck explorations failed to...