Endocrine Abstracts

Human plasma contains both cortisol (F) and corticosterone (B). B has been largely neglected in humans as it is 10–20 times less abundant however previous studies suggest B and F have differential tissue-specific actions. Compared with F, B has an enhanced response to ACTH, relatively higher concentrations in brain and CSF and differential transmembrane trafficking by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. Plasma F is bound to corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) and a...

Hormonal control of pancreatic β-cell development in the fetus during late gestation remains unclear. In fetal sheep hypothyroidism causes an increase in pancreatic β-cell mass in association with increased plasma insulin and leptin concentrations. This study investigated the effects of triiodothyronine (T3), insulin and leptin on proliferation rates in fetal ovine pancreatic β-cells in vitro.All procedures were approve...

Background: Using a deuterated tracer (D4-cortisol) to measure cortisol regeneration from cortisone in vivo we have quantified tissue-specific 11βHSD1 activity in health and disease, and acute regulation eg by insulin. These studies relied on tracer enrichment in the total plasma cortisol pool, assuming rapid equilibration between free and protein-bound pools. Slower equilibration would result in underestimation of enzyme activity, and has implications for the co...

Introduction: Pituitary gigantism is a rare but clinically significant paediatric condition. Transphenoidal surgery is the treatment of choice, however medical treatment is often considered as adjuvant therapy.Case report: A 10.6 year old boy presented with tall stature. With hindsight he was noticeably tall from age 5 years. At 10 years his height velocity was 12 cm/year, prompting referral and further investigation. His height was 178.7 cm (+5.79 sds a...

Introduction: TKI are an emerging group of anti-growth factor agents used in the treatment of solid cancers. Treatment is associated with thyroid dysfunction. Sunitinib is licensed for the treatment of metastatic RCC. Our objective was to determine the incidence of Sunitinib induced thyroid dysfunction and its management in patients with renal RCC.Methods: Retrospective case note analysis of patients started on Sunitinib for metastatic RCC between Januar...

Reproductive disorders in males that manifest at birth (cryptorchidism, hypospadias), or young adulthood (low sperm count, lower testosterone levels, testicular cancer) may share a common origin and constitute a ‘testicular dysgenesis syndrome’ (TDS). Normal reproductive tract development is programmed by androgens within the ‘masculinisation programming window’ (MPW, e15.5–e18.5-rats; ~8–14 weeks’ gestation-humans). In rats, TDS disorders ca...

Cardiovascular risk factors are more prevalent in south Asian (SA) adults compared to White Europeans (WE), although the reasons for this are not fully known. Vascular growth factors (VGFs) are increasingly recognised to have various roles in arterial development, function and remodelling. We hypothesised that ethnic differences in VGFs in early life contribute to the later differences in CV risk. We further hypothesised that arterial stiffness, as a measure of large artery st...

Hypothesis: Exogenous kisspeptin-10 (Kp10) enhances pulsatile LH. Research strategy: A first-in-man dosing study of kp10 was first performed. Healthy volunteers and hypogonadal patients were subsequently infused with kp10. Dose titration study Rapid increases in LH with clear dose-dependency (P<0.0001) were observed in healthy men (n=6), with the 0.3 and 1 µg/kg doses being maximally stimulatory (P<0.01). Effect of sex-steroid milieu: LH respo...

The AIRE gene (autoimmune regulator) has been identified as an important mediator of central tolerance against ectopically expressed peripheral antigens. Mutatations of AIRE are responsible for autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome type I (APSI) in human characterized by a multiorgan autoimmune disease. Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is part of the clinical spectrum in humans and mice. 19% of patients with AIRE mutations develop an autoimmune hepatitis which is characterized by a...

Background: The prevalence of primary hyperaldosteronism (PA) has recently been reported as high as 7.5% in patients with hypertension from unselected populations (USP) and up to 22% in selected populations (SP). Whether increased screening and diagnosis of PA will lead to more findings of curable PA (aldosterone producing adenoma, APA) is unclear.Methods: Three-hundred fifty-three consecutive patients with hypertension, age 20 to 88 years were included ...