Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that impaired high density lipoprotein (HDL) function is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). HDL is essential for removing excess circulating cholesterol by reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Additionally HDL reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, especially through paraoxonase-1. Whereas HDL’s capacity to accept cholesterol from peripheral cells is key (i.e. cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC)), successful RCT depends ...

Background: Male sexual dysfunction is common in obesity with complex underlying mechanisms. Testosterone replacement has often been initiated in clinical practice in the presence of sexual dysfunction and male obesity-associated secondary hypogonadism. The benefits to sexual functioning, however, are not well documented. The aims of the study were to investigate the relationship between sexual function and hypogonadism in severe obesity and to understand the impact of bariatr...

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that impaired high density lipoprotein (HDL) function is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). HDL is essential for removing excess circulating cholesterol by reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Additionally HDL reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, especially through paraoxonase-1. Whereas HDL’s capacity to accept cholesterol from peripheral cells is key (i.e. cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC)), successful RCT depends ...

Background: With increasing ethnic diversity in the Western World, it is important to establish the safety of religious practices such as fasting during Ramadan. There is limited information about severity and outcome of diabetes-related ketoacidosis (DKA) during Ramadan outside Middle East.Objective: We studied differences in severity, DKA-related complications and outcomes of DKA before (Shaban), during (Ramadan) and after Ramadan (Shawwal).<p clas...

Synthetic glucocorticoids (Gc) are the most potent anti-inflammatory agents known and are widely used to treat a range of chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. However their therapeutic utility is limited by the development of Gc resistance over time – particularly at sites of inflammation. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that control Gc sensitivity is essential to overcome this. Previous studies have measured the average transcr...

Introduction: Hypophosphatasia is a very rare inherited condition due to ALPL variants and is associated with a variable presentation.Case description: The index case initially presented at 7 months with bulging anterior fontanelle, failure to thrive and mild developmental delay. She was born at 34 weeks gestation and had amniotic bands causing digital anomalies. She was sitting at 8 months, crawling by 15 months and a hearing test was normal. A...

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents 10–20% of all breast cancers diagnosed, affects young people and is highly aggressive. These tumours lack expression of the receptors that bind estrogen and progesterone and stratify patients for hormonal therapy. The only current therapeutic option for TNBC is chemotherapy which has limited efficacy, and therefore novel therapies are desperately needed. The receptors for estrogen and progesterone belong to the nuclear recep...

Hypertension or elevated blood pressure (BP) is quantitatively the most important risk factor for development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), whereas aldosterone contributes significantly in the development and severity of hypertension. Interestingly, parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulates aldosterone synthesis by regulating renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Conversely, RAAS controls PTH secretion, as angiotensin receptor is expressed by human parathyroid tissues a...

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM-2) occurs when pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively make use of the insulin produced by the pancreas. Among other factors causing DM-2, stress is increasingly regarded as one of the causative agents that make the blood glucose levels rise, and cause DM-2. It has also been reported that DM-2 may be one of the commonest cause of hypogonadism, a lack of function in the testes, which adversely affects testosteron...

Hypertension or high blood pressure (HBP) has been counted as the chief cause and most significant factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) worldwide. Stress has been defined as an inner process that happens when a person is faced with an ordinant dictation that is perceived to go beyond the resources available to efficaciously respond to it. Cortisol is a hormone released from the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex during the times of stress. This biolo...