Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Harrington et al.1 suggest that basal LH of ≥0.3 IU/l as measured by ICMA (Immulite 2500) has 100% specificity and 90.5% sensitivity in identifying progressive central precocious puberty (CPP).Aims: To examine the utility of basal LH measured with the DELFIA assay for identifying CPP in girls.Methods: All girls under age 9 years (median 7.3 years) investigated for precocious puberty with a GnRH...

Background: Many children with short stature (defined as height SDS <−2 S.D.) have no identified cause for their growth impairment and are classified as either small for gestational age (SGA) or idiopathic short stature (ISS) depending on birth size. Adult height is a polygenic trait and has been associated with >180 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to date. We hypothesized that sequence variants (SNPs or insertion/deletions (indels)) in cand...

Background: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may have increased cardiovascular (CV) risk but the mechanisms are unclear. Microparticles (MP), small circulating vesicles released from platelets, monocytes and endothelial cells, are elevated in patients with CV disease, and may increase CV risk through altered cell content and/or increased surface exposure of procoagulant phosphatidylserine (PS).Aims: To compare MP characteristics between women ...

Background: The standard dose Synacthen test (SDST) is commonly used to identify glucocorticoid deficiency. A subnormal SDST in young infants raises the possibility of adrenal insufficiency (AI) due to pathology such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). A physiological delay in maturation of adrenal glucocorticoid secretion may be another explanation especially in asymptomatic infants with a transiently subnormal SDST.Aims: To review the diagnoses an...

Adrenal insufficiency (Adr-I) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are important conditions requiring specialist attention and management. Recent CAH genotype–phenotype studies have linked mutations with enzyme functioning and disease severity. Accurate diagnosis for the cause of adrenal insufficiency and the genetic cause of CAH is vital as it impacts management and prognosis.Methods: We audited patients with Adr-I and CAH seen in outpatients f...

Background: 3-M syndrome is associated with severe proportionate pre- and postnatal growth restriction, and is caused by mutations in CUL7, OBSL1, or CCDC8 genes.Aims and methods: To define baseline growth and GH–IGF1 axis status as well as response to r-hGH in relation to mutation status in 3-M children, using retrospective analysis of data from clinical notes.Results: 50 individuals (19 CUL7, 19 <...

Introduction: Turner syndrome (TS) is caused by the absence of all or some of the second sex chromosome. Consequences include short stature and ovarian failure. This study aimed to characterise karyotype-phenotype correlation in patients with TS.Methods: This was a retrospective audit of TS patients from the young person’s endocrine clinic (YPC). The karyotype, final height, pubertal progress and treatment were recorded for each patient and outcomes...

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic condition characterised by hypotonia, early feeding difficulties, hyperphagic obesity, hypogonadism and short stature; with an incidence between 1/15 000 and 1/25 000 live births in the UK. It is caused by failed expression of paternally inherited genes in the imprinting region of chromosome 15q11.2–q13. Recombinant human GH (rhGH) is the main pharmacological treatment used in PWS.Aims: We aimed to revie...

3-M syndrome is characterised by post-natal growth restriction. We have identified causative mutations in three genes CUL7, OBSL1 and CCDC8. CUL7, a component of an E3 ubiquitin ligase, has a binding domain for p53 and its reduction or absence has a major impact on growth and cell division. OBSL1 is postulated to have a role as a cytoskeletal adaptor, and was not recognised previously to be a growth regulator. The domain structure of CCDC8 predicts a possi...

Clinical, epidemiological and in-vitro studies have found evidence for an association between Vitamin D and diabetes. Vitamin D receptors are found on pancreatic beta-cells, suggesting they have a role in glycaemic control. Vitamin D analogues inhibit inflammatory cytokines involved in destruction of Beta-cells. This study aimed to assess the relationship between Vitamin D and glycaemic control, as measured by HbA1C, in a Type 1 (T1) diabetic paediatric population. HbA1C value...