Endocrine Abstracts

Concerns on the noncomparibility of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) methods have recently been voiced (Cantor T et al; Clin Chem 2006, 52, 1771–6). It is therefore important that any new iPTH immunoassays are thoroughly validated before routine use. We describe performance characteristics for an iPTH immunoassay on the ARCHITECT 8200i analyser as compared with iPTH measurement on the Diasorin LIAISON platform. Potassium EDTA plasma samples (n=80) we...

Objective: To improve post-operative thyroid surgery practice and to determine if it would be safe to perform thyroid surgery as day surgery. To identify the nature and timings of acute life threatening airway complications, trends in current practice, and gain information on perioperative mortality....

Macroprolactin, a circulating complex of monomeric prolactin together with an autoantibody, is commonly encountered in the course of endocrine investigations. It is generally agreed macroprolactin exhibits reduced bioactivity in vivo since individuals who harbour the complex do not demonstrate the classic clinical signs or symptoms characteristic of true hyperprolactinaemia. The aim of this study was to compare the relative potency of purified preparations of macroprolactin to...

Where screening for macroprolactin takes place, laboratories routinely rely on treatment of sera with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to distinguish macroprolactinaemia from true hyperprolactinaemia. However, PEG is incompatible with a number of common immunoassay platforms. The aim of this study was to assess the specificity and clinical utility of ultrafiltration as an alternative procedure for removal of bio-inactive prolactin IgG complexes such as macroprolactin from serum prior...

We audited the management of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) at our institution between 2000 and June 2004, to determine our adherence to the Consensus Development Conference on the Management of Asymptomatic PHP (2002) guidelines.Sixteen patients were referred with PHP during the period in question, 12 female. Average age at diagnosis was 59 years (range 36-81), average PTH level 155 ng/mL, and average corrected serum calcium 2.76 mmol/L (normal 2.1-2...

Macroprolactin has reduced bioactivity and accumulates in the sera of some subjects, resulting in apparent hyperprolactinaemia. Development of the polyethyleneglycol (PEG) precipitation technique has enabled large-scale screening for macroprolactin in hyperprolactinaemic subjects. We have reviewed the experience of routine screening for macroprolactin using PEG precipitation over a 54-month period in a single centre.Plasma levels of prolactin exceeded 50...

Replacement mineralocorticoid(MC)therapy in patients with primary hypoadrenalism is titrated according to clinical and /or biochemical criteria. No single objective assessment is adequate for monitoring,though targets for plasma renin and serum electrolyte concentrations and blood pressure(BP)have been proposed.Plasma renin concentrations within the middle to upper normal range would suggest adequate MC replacement. We reviewed the case notes of 18 patients in order to identif...

We have previously shown that β-endorphin reduces muscle fatigue and increases glucose uptake in contracting and non-contracting skeletal muscles of the mouse. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of these peptides on glucose uptake and muscle fatigue in normal mice and obese-diabetic mice (which provide a model for non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM). The uptake of glucose into contracting and non-contracting muscle was assessed using the non-metab...

Most children with diabetes are insulin deficient (type 1). We have reported type 2 diabetes in children, defined by evidence of insulin resistance, but the prevalence and characteristics in UK children is unknown. We aimed to characterise and determine the prevalence of non-type 1 diabetes in the UK. The British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Clinical Trials unit undertook a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of all paediatric diabetes centres during 2000...

Background: Primary aldosteronism is an increasingly recognised cause of hypertension, caused by excess aldosterone secretion. Screening and confirmatory tests such as saline suppression tests (SST) require accurate measurements of aldosterone and use of appropriate cut-offs. Many laboratories have chosen liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS) methods as issues of poor specificity have been reported for immunoassay methods. During the validat...