Endocrine Abstracts

The Prader Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex, neurodevelopmental disorder resulting from absence of expression of imprinted genes in the 15q 11–13 region, usually due to deletion in the paternal chromosome (pd15q) or disomy of the maternal chromosome 15 (upd). Prompt diagnosis of PWS is beneficial for counselling families, managing the hypotonia and poor feeding that characterise the perinatal period and facilitating early interventions that may improve body composition a...

Seaweeds share properties with the mammalian thyroid and other iodide concentrating organs in that they take up iodide from surrounding seawater and internalise it within cells. The previously demonstrated high iodine concentration within seaweeds prompted a study of accumulation and retention of 125I and its location within the plants. Seaweed discs (1 cm3) cut from members of the red, green and brown phyla which were incubated at 4C in seawater spiked w...

Seaweed consumption results in high levels of iodine intake in Asian populations and influences the presentation of thyroid and perhaps extrathyroidal disorders. The relationship of seawater to seaweed is analogous to that between the bloodstream and the thyroid. However, seaweed has a dramatically more efficient uptake system than the thyroid, concentrating iodide from seawater by a factor of up to 106 compared to 40-50 for the thyroid. The ability of seaweeds to b...

The demonstration in extrathyroidal tissues of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) has raised the possibility that 131I, commonly used as a therapeutic ablative agent in hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer, might be applied in the treatment of tumours in other NIS expressing tissues such as human breast cancer. As thyroidal uptake of 131I is known to be inversely proportional to circulating stable I- concentration, the aim of this study was to determine how I- would effect such u...

Expression of the Sodium Iodide symporter (NIS) in the breast was thought to be restricted to lactation but recently have been shown in breast cancer and benign breast disease. CpG island methylation of the promoter region of NIS is known to decrease iodide uptake in the thyroid. No such information has been documented in the breast. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of demethylating agents on iodide uptake in breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (oestrogen (E) and...

Background: Many patients require IV insulin during their critical illness. Maintenance of insulin in St James’s Hospital ICU is governed by a local protocol. At the time of ICU discharge, IV insulin therapy is often stopped. Transitioning from IV to subcutaneous insulin is often done with endocrinology input. If this is unavailable inappropriate insulin dosing may increase the risk of hypo-/hyperglycaemia.Aims: To reduce the number of episodes of h...

This communication tests the hypothesis that iodine (I2) gas or iodine oxides released from seaweeds previously shown to enhance atmospheric iodine adjacent to seaweed hotspots, may through being inspired by respiration, supply a significant fraction of daily iodine requirements. This could assume importance in a country such as Ireland where iodised salt availability is <5%. Iodine intake was assessed by measuring urinary iodine (UI) excretion using a dry ashing technique...

Aim: Our previousstudies have shown evidence for insulin-releasing actions of some amphibian skin peptides; including esculentin-2CHa. However, there is a need to further improve the potency of some of this peptides and to characterize their other beneficial effects. This study investigates the effect of a Leu31→Lys substitution on the insulin-releasing and immunomodulatory effects of esculentin-2CHa.Methods: BRIN-BD11 cells were incubat...

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...

Cinacalcet increases sensitivity of the calcium sensing-receptor, currently licenced for treatment of refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with end-stage renal disease. It decreases parathyroid hormone, calcium and phosphorus levels. There is no clinical data for the use of Cinacalcet in pregnancy. Hyperparathyroidism is rare during pregnancy, mainly presenting early, when surgery is safely performed. Here we report a patient presenting with a MEN1-associated p...