Endocrine Abstracts

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has an early onset. However, its prevalence in the youngest age groups has not been assessed, mostly due to the poor specificity of the criteria for defining PCOS in adolescents, including the testosterone references generated only on adult women. Moreover, the current references for testosterone were mostly built by immunoassays, known to have poor accuracy. This study was aimed at defining androgen and pro-androgen reference intervals in 149 ...

Background: Reduced GLUT4 expression in insulin-sensitive tissues, insulin resistance, inflammation, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hypertension are pathophysiologic changes expected in metabolic syndrome animal models.Aims: To fully characterize the development and maintenance of metabolic syndrome features over time (GLUT4 in insulin-sensitive tissues, insulin resistance, inflammation, blood pressure and liver changes) in spontaneously hyperte...

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is the most significant cause of gastritis and related morbidities. Radioactive iodine treatment (RAIT) is an important option in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. In addition to thyroid gland, RAI accumulates in stomach in significant amounts. In our study, we planned to investigate whether RAIT has an effect on carbon-14-urea breath test (UBT) in patients with hyperthyroidism.Materials-method: The...

Background: The water deprivation test (WDT) with direct or indirect measurement of plasma vasopressin (AVP) is the method of choice for the differential diagnosis of the polydipsia–polyuria syndrome. In theory, direct measurement of AVP is highly attractive but hampered by technical difficulties.Objective: To evaluate the utility of copeptin, a surrogate of AVP secretion, in the diagnostic work-up of the polyuria–polydipsia syndrome, and to co...

Introduction: High circulating levels of some but not all unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) can be related with reduced insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. The real mechanisms by which UFAs impair the insulin sensitivity need to be clarified; nevertheless the UFA’s effects in the regulation of activity and/or expression of some transcriptional factors such as, nuclear factor κB (NFκB), hypoxia inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a), peroxisome prolifer...

Introduction: Impairment of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis has been reported widely in children treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The integrity of HPA axis has been assessed using low (500 ng/1.73 m2 body surface area) and standard (250 mg) dose short synacthen tests (SST). Serum cortisol is measured at 0, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 min intervals in the low dose SST (LDSST) and at 0, 30 and 60 min in the standard dose SST (SDSST). The L...

Case: A 43-year-old Caucasian lady presented with an acutely painful, cold left leg to the vascular surgeons. She was being treated for respiratory tract infection in the community. She has been investigated for palpitations 7 years ago with no cause identified and headache 3 years ago with normal CT head. Her peripheral vascular examination was unremarkable, including a normal ankle brachial pressure index. She was admitted for further investigations to rule out an underlying...

Altered adipokine levels may explain the link between obesity and insulin resistance. One potential candidate is retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) which is elevated in type 2 diabetes and correlates with the magnitude of insulin resistance. Low adiponectin levels are also associated with insulin resistance. Adiponectin circulates in multimeric complexes and multimer distribution may also be important.We measured RBP4 and adiponectin multimers in 24 obese ...

Objective: Benzodiazepines are among the most commonly used symptomatic treatment of insomnia and anxiety. Human and animal studies suggest that benzodiazepines suppress the hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. We report on a rare case of isolated ACTH deficiency due to long-term treatment with flunitrazepam.Case report: A 66-year-old man presented to our outpatient department with persistent feelings of physical exhaustion, low vitality, reduced da...

Objective: Neurotensin is an anorexigenic peptide produced mainly in the N-cells of the ileum; levels are decreased in obese subjects and increase after bariatric surgery. This study is the first to compare the baseline and postoperative levels of neurotensin in patients after gastric bypass, gastric banding, and non-operated controls, respectively, during long-term follow-up.Patients and Methods: Overnight fasting plasma neurotensin levels were measured...