Endocrine Abstracts

Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) require adjustment of hydrocortisone (HC) dose to avoid life-threatening adrenal crisis during illness, surgery and trauma. However, current dose recommendations are based on empirical grounds only and choice of dose and administration modes vary considerably. We designed the PACS study to compare cortisol levels achieved by currently recommended HC stress doses to those in i) healthy controls (n=85, 21–70 years), ii) mili...

Background: The treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains dependent on Androgen Receptor (AR) mediated signalling, thus understanding all components involved in testosterone signalling in these men is of utmost importance. Recent studies have identified 11-ketotestosterone (11 KT) as a potent androgen receptor (AR) agonist present in humans. However, it is unknown if 11 KT is present at physiologically relevant concentrations in CRPC patients....

Within the synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), synovial fibroblasts generate active corticosteroids through expression of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1). In vitro, this enzyme is strongly up-regulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) and IL1β. In this study, we determined the relationship between inflammation and global 11β-HSD1 activity in vivo, in a clini...

Osteoporosis is a challenge facing children of all ages with a variety of health conditions and physical abilities. The reality of this challenge spurred the development of the child health program’s interdisciplinary bone health project team in a tertiary care in-patient pediatric hospital. The team’s goal was to develop protocols and tools to identify ‘at risk’ children and ultimately prevent fragility fractures in this group of children. The use of stand...

The steroid 17α-hydroxylase enzyme CYP17A1 exerts two distinct activities that catalyze conversion reactions at key branch points in steroidogenesis. CYP17A1 17α-hydroxylase activity is the key step in cortisol synthesis whereas CYP17A1 17, 20 lyase activity generates sex steroid precursors. Inactivating CYP17A1 mutations result in CYP17A1 deficiency (17OHD), a rare form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia that classically presents with combined glucocorticoid and sex ...

Hyperandrogenaemia and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are common in women with Type 1 diabetes, but it is not known if they contribute to increased cardiovascular risk. We aimed to compare associations between androgen levels, lipid variables and early atherosclerosis in reproductive-age women with and without T1DM. 87 (16 with PCOS) women with T1DM (mean±SD; age 28.7±6.1yrs, BMI 25.4±4.4kg/m2), and 87 (16 PCOS) nondiabetic women (mean±SD; age ...

BackgroundPolycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most prevalent endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. The main components are hyperandrogenemia and oligo-/amenorrhea. The pathophysiology of PCOS is not fully understood which is why no causal treatment options are available. A multitude of observational studies demonstrated elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with PCOS compared with weight-matched controls. CRP is a sensitive ...

Objectives: To assess antenatal and individual-level predictors of thyroid function across two longitudinal cohorts of children.Methods: Data were taken from two cohorts i) CATSII: 5-10 year-old children enrolled in the CATS (Controlled Antenatal Thyroid Screening) study II from the UK ii) ‘PAX8’: Children from the ENID (Early Nutrition and Immune Development) trial, a pregnancy and infant supplementation trial in The Gambia (Africa) recruited ...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women. Androgen excess is a cardinal biochemical feature of PCOS and correlates closely with markers of insulin resistance. 11-oxygenated androgens are the predominant androgens in PCOS, however their relationship with metabolic dysfunction is unclear. The aims of this study were (i) to evaluate the downstream impact on androgen metabolism of oral classic and 11-oxygenated precursor administration and (i...

Introduction: Multi-modal therapy for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) includes surgery, therapy with the adrenolytic agent mitotane and systemic chemotherapy. Achievement of therapeutic mitotane concentrations (≥14 mg/l) has been related to improved outcomes.Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a defined* high dose protocol mitotane therapy in patients with advanced ACC (stages III and IV).Methods: Review of patients presenti...