Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Incidence of hypercalcaemia during pregnancy is difficult to estimate as routine calcium screening is not recommended. Literature is conflicting if hypercalcemia results in worse maternal and fetal outcomes.Objectives: Aim of this study is to determine frequency and association of hypercalcaemia in pregnancy with early maternal and fetal outcomes.Methods: This retrospective cohort study included gestations with expected...

Background: Volumetric absorbent microsampling (VAMS) provides a less intrusive alternative to venepuncture when collecting blood samples for diagnostic testing. A small, precisely determined amount of capillary blood from a single finger-prick is absorbed into a medium for storage, from which it can later be extracted and analysed. In this study, we developed methods to measure four commonly requested endocrine/bone biomarkers for finger-prick blood samples analysis, and inve...

Within the last 25 years more than 400 cases with suspected Familial Glucocorticoid Deficiency (FGD) have been referred to our centre for genetic testing. All cases had low or undetectable serum cortisol paired with an elevated plasma ACTH level. Our patient cohort comprises 352 families from 30 different nationalities and ranges from neonates to patients in their eighties. In 1993 the first gene defect, in MC2R, was discovered by candidate gene sequencing. Subsequent...

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANK-L) levels in acromegaly patients with regard to the disease activity. The associations between OPG, RANK-L and random growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral density (BMD), femoral neck (FN) BMD were also evaluated.Methods: A study group included 72 patients with acrom...

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes results from insulin resistance and B-cell failure. Bariatric surgery is an effective therapeutic modality for type 2 diabetes. Indeed, it induces high remission rates through improved insulin sensitivity and secretion. While the critical role of skeletal muscle in glucose homeostasis has long been known, its role as an endocrine organ secreting peptides, called myokines, has recently been identified. Some of these myokines were shown to influence...

Introduction: Sclerostin is well-known as an inhibitor of bone formation but also promotes bone resorption. Acromegaly is a disease characterized by increased bone turnover and higher vertebral fracture risk.Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine sclerostin levels in acromegaly patients with regard to the disease activity. We also evaluated the associations between sclerostin and random growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I), l...

Introduction: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common endocrine cancer however extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) of the thyroid gland is quite rare. The simultaneous association of both cancers is much more rare.Case report: 65-year-old woman underwent a thyroid ultrasound examination due to palpable thyroid nodules. Thyroid ultrasound revealed thyroiditis and multiple nodules on the right and ...

Background: Increased cortisol levels in obesity may contribute to the associated metabolic syndrome. In obesity, the activated innate immune system leads to increased interleukin (IL)-1β, which is known to stimulate the release of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). We therefore hypothesised that in obesity IL-1 antagonism would result in downregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to decreased cortisol levels.Methods: I...

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an inherited, autosomal dominant syndrome manifested by a variety of benign and malignant tumors. Herein we describe, two families who had VHL. A 21-year-old man (index case 1) presented with bilateral adrenal mass, serendipitously discovered by radiologic examination. He had newly diagnosed arterial hypertension. His family history was significant for his mother who had operated for pheochromocytoma, his two uncles who had experienced cerebr...

Background: Low testosterone levels in men appear to be an independent cardiovascular risk factor closely associated with the metabolic syndrome. Reciprocally, the metabolic syndrome leads to a decrease in testosterone levels, suggesting a bidirectional relationship. It has been hypothesized that increased inflammation is causative for the development of obesity-associated hypogonadism. However, clinical evidence supporting this hypothesis is lacking. The aim of the present st...