Endocrine Abstracts

GD is a common thyroid disorder which in majority of cases respond to medical treatment with thionamides.A proportion of these patients will need definitive treatment with either radioiodine ablation or total thyroidectomy. We present a case of a 21 yr old woman with a year history of overt thyrotoxic symptoms. She lost 2 stones of weight, had palpitations, heat intolerance and noticed shaky hands. On examination:She had large symmetrical goitre with bruit, tachycardic and swe...

We report the case of a 47-year-old woman with a 5-year history of weight gain, resistant hypertension and uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. She complained of oligomenorrhoea, depression and had a strikingly Cushingoid appearance and so underwent evaluation for Cushing’s Disease.Investigations revealed elevated 24-hour urine free cortisol (UFC) collections on 2 occasions: 540 nmols/24h and 624 nmols/24h. Overnight dexamethasone suppression testing (ODST...

Screening of patients with diabetes for psychological distress should be undertaken regularly by the diabetes nurse specialist. Patients requiring intensive treatment of their diabetes experience emotional and mental health issues at a rate higher than the general population and recent clinical research shows value in cognitive and behavioral therapy. We undertook a survey of a mixed population in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to assess diabetes distress scores among our patient...

Alterations in the rate of glucocorticoid(GC) metabolism induce compensatory changes in GC secretion under the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The principal routes of metabolic clearance of GCs are by hepatic A-ring reduction however the regulation of these enzymes is poorly understood. Recently we and others have demonstrated that bile acids act as potent inhibitors of GC metabolism by 5beta-reductase and 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases in vi...

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is characterized as a triad of menstrual irregularities, hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovarian morphology. There is a wide variation in Body Mass Index (BMI) for those fitting PCOS criteria; Identifying differences in relation to Lean BMI patients’ endocrine markers such as LH/FSH ratio and other markers could help identify key areas for improved phenotypic classification. We aimed to focus on a sequential co...

Background: In people with HIV on ARV treatment receiving Dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimen, weight and lipodystrophy have been reported.Aim: The aim of this is to evaluate the effect of DTG on the lipid profile and fat distribution on patients who have been switched from a non to a Dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimen on the lipid profile and fat distribution.Methods: One hundred patients above 18yrs of age were recruited into two arms...

Case history: We present a 40 year old female admitted with hyperglycaemia, polyuria, polydipsia and weight loss of 6 kg over a 1 month period. She had no night sweats or change in bowel habit. There was no personal or family history of malignancy or diabetes mellitus. She denied any alcohol, cigarette or illicit drug use. She took no prescription or OTC medication. On examination, she was jaundiced with pale mucous membranes. The rest of systemic examination was normal. Capil...

Case history: A 40-year-old woman presented with long-standing hypokalemia fluctuating between 2.3 and 2.5 mmol/l. She had episodes of right-sided weakness and was seen by Neurologists without a clear diagnosis. She had no other past medical history. Physical examination was unremarkable. Her blood pressure (BP) was 116/63.Investigations: Plasma aldosterone was 1363 pmol/l. Plasma renin activity was 0.18 ng/ml/h. Aldosterone-renin ratio (ARR) was 7570 (n...

Heterozygous mutations in the transcription factor, hepatocyte nuclear factor 1b (HNF1B), result in multisystem disease including diabetes due to beta-cell dysfunction and pancreatic hypoplasia. However, the mechanisms that underlie development of diabetes in HNF1B mutation carriers are still not fully understood due to lack of an appropriate animal model system. Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), which are capable of self-renewal and can differentiate into any cell type, ar...