Endocrine Abstracts

Background: The highest rates of childhood obesity are among children from lower socioeconomic groups. Tier 3 weight management services for children currently rely on an MDT approach that is focused on the management of complications associated with excessive weight, but the resources are generally limited. Evidence suggests that the input in the community is key to empower children, young people, and their families to make healthy lifestyle changes, although the availability...

Blood vessels supply nutrients, oxygen and other key molecules necessary for the function of all organs in the body. The endothelial cell (EC) repair and response to injury or hypoxia is also regulated by the interplay of chromatin-modifying enzymes. Likewise, dysregulation of the lymphatic system underlies the development of the metabolic syndrome. New technologies using omics approaches have now allowed the detection of chromatin and RNA molecules that directly interact in n...

Section 1: Case history: A sixty-three-year-old Caucasian male presented with a six-week history of lethargy, emotional lability, polydipsia, polyuria, increased appetite and weight gain. He also reported changes in his facial features and widening of the gaps between his teeth. He has a background of hypertension, obstructive sleep apnoea and benign prostatic hyperplasia. On examination, the patient appeared plethoric, had coarsened facial features, mild prognathism and evide...

Objective: To review impact of childhood cancer treatment on endocrine, gonadal and thyroid function.Methods: Retrospective review of electronic records of 79 females, 90 males over 6 months of clinic visits from a Late Effects of childhood cancer clinic. Age at diagnosis: 8.5 years (range 5 months–9 years); time from treatment 23.5 years (range 10–40). Diagnoses: ALL, AML, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, sarcomas, Wilms, ...

Introduction: Exposure to deficient/excess glucocorticoids can lead to long-term health problems in patients with adrenal insufficiency. Historically and age-appropriate hydrocortisone formulation has not been available. Adrenal crisis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.Aims: To assess prescribing practice for oral hydrocortisone and sick day advise across the UK.Methods: Paediatric endocrinologists and parents[...

Background: Spinal Epidural Lipomatosis (SEL) is an excessive fat deposition in the spinal canal which can lead to compression of nervous structures. SEL is a rare but recognised side effect of exogenous steroid excess. There are only six previously reported cases of SEL associated with endogenous steroid excess in the available literature. We present a case of SEL, caused by Cushing’s disease, that presented in the immediate post-operative period.C...

Background: Ages at first date and sexual encounter have been observed to be delayed in women with Turner’s syndrome (TS), with late presentation and delayed puberty induction being the main culprits. There is no equivalent data in women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI).Objectives: We sought to assess whether age at start of oestrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and amenorrhoea status affected the age at first relationship and sexual experie...

Introduction: Measurement of microRNA (miRNA) in aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) tissue from primary aldosteronism (PA) patients show levels of the miR24-1 cluster miRNAs (i.e. miRNAs 24-1, 27b and 23b) are significantly reduced relative to normal adrenal tissue. Our previous studies also show that miRNA-24 directly targets CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) gene expression. Circulating miRNAs released into the bloodstream may be diagnostic biomarkers or signalling mo...

Background & Aims: ATP binding cassette subfamily G1 (ABCG1) is involved in mediating cholesterol efflux and modulating cellular lipid homeostasis. It is influenced by endogenous glucose and our aim was to examine the relationship between ABCG1 expression and lipid profiles within the increased glucose levels of subjects with Type 2 diabetes (ODM).Methods: RNA was extracted from visceral fat collected from subjects undergoing abdominal surgery (baria...

Approximately 10% of essential hypertension cases is attributed to primary aldosteronism (PA), where inappropriately high levels of aldosterone are secreted. Almost half of these PA cases result from aldosterone-producing adenoma. microRNAs are single-stranded, short non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. In a previous study, we showed that microRNAs directly modulate CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) gene expression and aldoster...