Endocrine Abstracts

Monitoring patients with NETs reveals a significant prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms, often unrelated directly to the tumour1. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency exemplifies a common treatable cause of gastrointestinal symptoms in NET patients undergoing therapy with somatostatin analogues. There is a paucity of data regarding this important issue which affects quality of life in NETs. We explored the value of faecal elastase (FE) as a marker of exocrine pancr...

Background: Prednisolone is used for glucocorticoid replacement therapy in Adrenal Insufficiency. Package inserts indicate that prednisolone should be administered with or after food as there is a belief that prednisolone causes stomach ulcers. We have investigated the impact of various fasted and non-fasted states on its pharmacokinetic profile.Method: A healthy volunteer provided three 4 mg prednisolone profiles. The first was a fasted reference curve....

Background: The cortisol circadian rhythm has an early morning peak with an increase before awakening, and a second lunchtime peak. Using a UPLC-MS/MS technique to measure prednisolone, the active metabolite of prednisone, we investigated the suitability of modified release (MR) prednisone (Lodotra) as a replacement therapy.Method: Blood samples were taken at fixed time points after the administration of MR-prednisone. Concentrations of the active metabo...

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are a collection of rare congenital conditions with diverse features and pathophysiology. Patients usually present at birth with atypical genitalia or with delayed puberty in adolescence. Biochemical and cytogenetic investigations may provide guidance on the underlying cause, however molecular genetic analysis is usually required to provide a definitive diagnosis and allows for personalised management of the patient. The current diagnostic se...

Introduction: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) become upregulated very early on in pregnancy and is crucial in maintaining blood pressure. In addition to the peripheral RAS there is a uteroplacental RAS, which is also important in regulating placental function and development. Recent work has shown extra-renal sodium storage in the skin; it is suggested that the placenta may also function as a salt sensing organ and is important in regulating maternal blood pressure.<p c...

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cause of cancer death in developed countries. Our RNAseq analysis identified a novel long non-coding RNA, IRX4lncRNA at chromosome 5p15. The expression of IRX4lncRNA was much higher in prostate tumor samples (n=50) compared to their matched controls. Moreover, knockdown of lncRNA reduced the cell proliferation of LNCaP cells and this lncRNA was down-regulated in the cells undergoing Epithelial ...

Introduction: Trans-sphenoidal Surgery (TSS) remains the primary treatment for acromegaly in most patients, but no previous data exist on outcomes for patients treated with gamma knife radiosurgery (STRS) as a primary treatment.Methods: 20 patients with acromegaly underwent primary STRS at the National Centre for Radiosurgery, Sheffield, UK between 1985 and 2015. Data collection: note review, database, laboratory results, patient questionnaire, and death...

A 41 year old female presented to the haematologists with a coincidental finding of polycythaemia: haemoglobin 198 g/L, white blood cell count 8×109/L, platelets 236×109/L, haematocrit 0.57 L/L and red blood cell count 6.16×1012/L. Six years earlier haemoglobin 151 g/L, white blood cell count 7.7×109/L, platelets 297×109/L, haematocrit 0.4 L/L and red blood cell count 4.53×1012/L. S...

Sodium–glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2)-inhibitors represent a new class of drugs that inhibit glucose re-uptake in the proximal renal tubule resulting in glycosuria, with concomitant weight loss and improved glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Since becoming available, SGLT2 inhibitors have been implicated in over 20 reported cases of diabetic ketoacidosis or ketosis. In many cases there was an antecedent period of decreased oral intake, a...

Introduction: We report the largest case series of concomitant prolactinoma and aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA), diagnosed in four patients from the German Conn Registry and in three patients at the Hypertension Unit, University of Torino. A disproportionate number (five out of seven) presented with macro-prolactinomas indicating that elevated prolactin (PRL) concentrations may play a role in APA formation. Further, increased expression of PRLR in the zona glomeru...