Endocrine Abstracts

Treatment of acromegaly aims primarily to reverse the increased mortality and morbidity associated with active disease to that of the non-acromegalic population. Recent evidence indicates that the best biochemical criteria for successful treatment should be a mean GH<2micrograms per litre (approximately 4milliunits per litre). Although a 'test dose' of octreotide (OTD) is recommended prior to use of depot somatostatin analogues (SSAs), there remains no consensus regarding t...

A major limitation of nutritional science is the objective assessment of dietary intake in free-living populations. Monitoring individuals’ response to policy recommendations is based on self-reported dietary assessment tools, which are known to have high misreporting rates estimated at 30–88%. We have developed a novel analytical pipeline capable to classify people into consumers of a healthy or unhealthy diet based on urinary metabolic patterns, without relying on ...

Introduction: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is characterised by maternal pruritus and raised serum bile acids, and is associated with adverse fetal outcomes (e.g. preterm birth, neonatal unit admission and stillbirth). Maternal metabolic impacts include higher rates of gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolaemia. Glucose and lipid metabolism are influenced by gut incretin release, and bile acids are ...

A major limitation of nutritional science is the objective assessment of dietary intake in free-living populations. Monitoring individuals’ response to policy recommendations is based on self-reported dietary assessment tools, which are known to have high misreporting rates estimated at 30–88%. We have developed a novel analytical pipeline capable to classify people into consumers of a healthy or unhealthy diet based on urinary metabolic patterns, without relying on ...

Introduction: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is characterised by maternal pruritus and raised serum bile acids, and is associated with adverse fetal outcomes (e.g. preterm birth, neonatal unit admission and stillbirth). Maternal metabolic impacts include higher rates of gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolaemia. Glucose and lipid metabolism are influenced by gut incretin release, and bile acids are ...

Endometriosis is a chronic incurable hormone dependent condition characterized by growth of endometrial tissue in sites outside the uterus: 30–40% of women with endometriosis have sub/infertility however the underlying cause is unknown. We have previously demonstrated that steroid-induced differentiation of endometrial stromal cells (hESC) (decidualisation) is associated with increased expression of metabolic genes that are thought to be essential to support the implantin...

Background: Glucocorticoids are prescribed for >3 months to 1% of the UK population, principally to control inflammation. In 10–30% of patients, chronic glucocorticoid treatment suppresses HPA axis activity, causing atrophy of the adrenals and a failure to mount an adequate response during stress (potentially fatal) and following treatment withdrawal. Understanding the mechanisms resulting in HPA axis failure may allow us to predict those at risk, inform treatment str...

Prolactinomas are the commonest type of functioning pituitary adenoma in man. High circulating oestrogen levels are associated with lactotroph proliferation and increased PRL secretion essential for lactation. In vitro, oestradiol induces proliferation of the rat pituitary somatolactotroph GH3 cell line, and chronic oestrogen treatment of Fischer-344 rats in vivo results in lactotroph hyperplasia and adenoma formation, though the mechanisms responsible remain elu...

Introduction: 18-hydroxycortisol (18-OHF) is known to be elevated in glucocorticoid remediable aldosteronism but there are few data relating to 18-OHF in the differential diagnosis of primary aldosteronism.Aim: We evaluated the usefulness of lying and standing 18-OHF in patients with primary aldosteronism in differentiating between aldosteronoma, bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH) and normality.Methods: Patients (n=27) with...

Background: Vitamin D3 is generated in the skin of humans from 7-dehydrocholesterol by ultraviolet light. Vitamin D3 is hydroxylated to its metabolically active form in the liver and kidneys. The hydroxylated form of Vitamin D3, is required for both phosphate and calcium absorption in the gut and reabsorption from the kidneys. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a low circulating calcium and phosphate.Case report: A 5...