Endocrine Abstracts

An 18-year-old male referred to endocrine department 3 years ago with symptoms of tremor in both hands and query thyrotoxicosis. Presenting TFTs showed raised T3 and T4 levels with normal TSH (FT4 – 45 pmol/l, FT3 – 3.3 pmol/l and TSH of 1.4 mU/l). There was family history of thyroid disease with both the patient’s father and grandmother diagnosed with overactive thyroid. Patient’s TFTs were reproduced with differ...

In patients with pituitary disease stimulation tests, such as the insulin tolerance test, are performed as tests of the HPA axis and widely used as the basis for commencing hydrocortisone replacement therapy.We conducted a pilot study to investigate the relationship between the peak cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia and daily CPR. Isotopic CPRs were studied in 10 patients (5 male, mean age 44±13 years) with pituitary disease and a s...

Patients with acromegaly die prematurely from CVD. Hypertension is more prevalent with increased peripheral vascular resistance thought to be due to structural remodelling of resistance vessels.We investigated structural properties and reactivity of small arteries in 20 healthy controls(55±11 years, 10 m) and 43 patients with acromegaly (55±14 years, 29 m), split into active disease (AD, n=17, 56±15 years, 13 m) or remission (CD, <i...

The hormone leptin is required for the energy balance regulation. However, leptin also controls many other biological functions. Among these actions, some authors suggest that leptin exhibits neurotrophic effects in early life and plays a key role in the development of neurocircuitries that regulate energy metabolism. However, the precise role of leptin during development is still unclear. Thus, our study had the objective to investigate the consequences of the absence of lept...

Background: Childhood obesity is increasing worldwide and presents as a global health issue due to multiple metabolic comorbidities. About 1% of adolescents with obesity develop type 2 diabetes (T2D), however little is known about the genetic background in young age. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of impaired glucose regulation (IGR) in a large cohort of children and adolescents with obesity and to characterize insulin sensitivity and insulin secretio...

Background: X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) is a genetic condition that causes significant skeletal deformities and is associated with lifelong disability and pain. In October 2018, the NHS in England recommended burosumab, an anti-FGF23 antibody, for treating XLH with radiographic evidence of bone disease in children aged 1 year and over, and in young people with growing bones. The clinical and cost effectiveness of burosumab for treating adults with XLH is ...

Steroid profiling of biological fluids has been used for clinical and diagnostic research since the 1950s. Most methods focus on blood and urine, however, more recently saliva analysis has been employed as a non-invasive, simple to collect sample for the diagnosis of conditions such as Cushing’s and androgen excess. Despite its ease of collection, saliva remains an underutilised biofluid. To investigate the use of salivary steroid profiling for endocrine research, we aimed to ...

Background: Lymphocytic infiltration and inflammation in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) results in accumulation of HA, contributing to the pathogenesis of both thyroidal and extra-thyroidal (ophthalmopathy, pretibial dermopathy and mixedema) manifestations of AITDs. HA fragments, originating from native HA during tissue inflammation and injury, in turn promote the expression of different mediators of oxidative stress and inflammation, by interacting with the Toll-like rec...

Background: PCBs are chemical pollutants able to promote inflammation and carcinogenesis. They can accumulate in human tissues through the food chain causing a variety of adverse health effects. The NF-E2 p45-related factor 2 (NRF2) and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) are ligand activated transcription factors controlling pathways modulating xenobiotic metabolism. Increasing evidence indicate the involvement of AhR in regulating extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. ECM ...

Background: In heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), catabolic mechanisms have a strong negative impact on morbidity and mortality. The relationship between anabolic hormonal deficit, thyroid function and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has still been poorly investigated. For this reason, we tried to define the prevalence of multi-hormonal deficiencies in HFpEF patients and the relationships between hormonal deficits and echocardiographic...