Endocrine Abstracts

Delayed puberty may occur in some boys affected with X-linked Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda (SEDT), which is caused by mutations of the gene encoding a 140 amino acid protein designated Sedlin. Sedlin interacts with the pituitary homeobox 1 (Pitx1) and steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) transcription factors, which are involved in the development and regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. We have therefore investigated the hypothesis that SEDT associated mutatio...

Co-existence of a brain tumour (not associated with previous irradiation) and a pituitary adenoma has been rarely described. Astrocytomas have an incidence of <5/100,000 and somototroph adenomas of <4/1,000,000. In astrocytomas, a positive correlation between IGF-I immunoreactivity and histopathological grade/cell proliferation rates have been proposed. Here, we report a case of acromegaly detected incidentally shortly after the diagnosis of an anaplastic astrocytoma.<...

Cortisol is metabolised by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes (11βHSD1 and 11βHSD2). In immature rat Leydig cells, 11βHSD1 acts as an oxo-reductase whereas, after puberty, the dehydrogenase activity of 11βHSD1 predominates. In adult rats, 11βHSD1 is also highly expressed in caput epididymis, vas deferens and vesicular glands. Recently, 11βHSD1 mRNA and activities have been reported in post-pubertal pig testis. The objective of this stud...

Autoimmune hypophysitis is a rare disease with only 28 cases reported in UK so far. Subsequent pregnancy, especially after pituitary surgery, is even more rare. We report a 34-year-old lady who presented 5 weeks after the birth of her second child with visual loss and headache. Subsequent investigations revealed a pituitary macroadenoma with suprasellar extension and chiasmal compression. She underwent transphenoidal adenomectomy with complete recovery of vision. Preoperativel...

Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas arising as part of familial syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN)2 or von-Hippel Lindau syndrome (VHL) are more likely to be malignant and multiple. Recently the role of mutations in the SDH genes (encoding subunits of succinate dehydrogenase) have also been identified as important in the aetiology of such tumours. We report a case where identification of an apparently sporadic metastatic phaeochromocytoma was found to be co...

Background: Turner syndrome has well recognised cardiovascular complications that appear in up to 40% of the patients and are more common in monosomy X. Left sided obstructive lesions are relatively more frequent and predispose to aortic root dilatation and life threatening aortic dissection. Patients with bicuspid aortic valve, hypertension, coarctation and aortic stenosis are at high risk of aortic dilatation and dissection. Various follow up strategies are in use but there ...

Orlistat and Metformin have both been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), however, because Orlistat works by decreasing the absorption of dietary lipids, there is the potential to decrease absorption of lipophilic antioxidant substances with consequent decreased protection from oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of treatment with orlistat vs. metformin on oxidative stress in pat...

Background: The male preponderance among 15–30 yrs old patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) was repeatedly described. All-age gender distribution assessment was not done yet because of the difficulties in the type of DM recognition in insulin-treated (IT) patients diagnosed after 30 yrs of age. The possibility of such assessment has arisen from the use of population-based DM registers by patients stratification depending of their disease history.<p class="abs...

Hyperinsulinemia leading to insulin resistance is the major factor in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. And also defect in glucose uptake is among the primary defects associated with peripheral insulin resistance. Interestingly, the result from our previous study indicated that the ethanolic extract of Combretum decandrum Roxb. (CD) had a hypoglycemic effect in type 1 diabetic rat model. Therefore this study examined the effect of CD extract on the glucose t...

Aim: To evaluate the relationship between insulin resistance and cutaneous vasomotor responses (endothelial-dependent vasodilatation and peripheral sympathetic failure: noradrenergic control of smooth muscle cells – vasoconstriction and neuropeptides induced vasodilatation) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS).Methods and subjects: Patients with insulin resistance and MS (defined according to ‘The 2005 IDF definition of the metabolic syndro...