Endocrine Abstracts

PTSD is an anxiety disorder that occurs among persons exposed to a traumatic event involving life threat and injury. This is a co-morbid psychiatric disorder that occurs along with depression. Cortisol, secreted in the adrenal cortex in response to stress, is an informative biomarker that distinguishes anxiety disorders such as major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from normal subjects. In comparison to normal subjects, hypocortisolemia was observed during...

Annexin 1 (ANXA1) is a glucocorticoid-regulated, calcium and phospholipid-binding protein well recognized as an important signalling intermediate in both peripheral systems and the brain. Online adult mouse brain gene libraries have reported ANXA1 mRNA expression in the subventricular zone (SVZ) lining the lateral ventricles. The SVZ is one of the two largest neurogenic areas of the brain and as ANXA1 plays a known role in cell differentiation and proliferation, we have invest...

Complement C5a is associated with various pro-inflammatory effects such as chemotaxis, production of superoxides, histamine release, vasodilatation and smooth muscle contraction. In sepsis, excessive production of C5a can lead to multi-organ failure. C5a mediates its actions through the C5a receptor (C5aR) but may also bind to a second receptor called C5L2 that acts as a decoy for removing excess C5a. C5a is also rapidly cleaved to a less active form, C5adesR; C5L2, in contras...

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is a major regulation of inflammation via the release of adrenal glucocorticoids. We recently showed that anaphylatoxin C3a receptors are expressed throughout the anterior pituitary gland and that immune-derived complement C3a and its less active derivative, C3adesR (loss of C-terminal arginine) are potent stimuli for pituitary hormones.In this study we investigated the expression of the anaphylatoxin receptor C5a ...

The hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis is the major regulator of stress and inflammation via the secretion of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids. This suggests an important bidirectional flow of information between the endocrine and immune systems. A critical component of the inflammatory response is the complement cascade in which anaphylatoxins C3a, C4a and C5a are released.In this report we used colocalisation immunohistochemistry to show detai...

The effects of N-terminal parathyroid hormone (PTH) and parathyroid hormone related peptides (PTHrP) on the spontaneous contractility of 4 days pregnant mouse uterus in vitro were investigated. The myometrial tissue contracted vigorously for several hours, when incubated in organ baths in De Jalon's solution. PTH(1-34) and PTHrP(1-40) caused similar dose related inhibitions of contractions over a dose range of 10-9 to 10-7 M. C terminal PTHrP(107-139) was devoid of this...

Introduction: Neuroendocrine tumours (NET) are a diverse group of neoplasms originating from cells within the diffuse endocrine system. Urine 5-HIAA is commonly used in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with NET in particular small intestinal neuroendocrine tumour with carcinoid syndrome. Urine 5-HIAA collection over a 24 hour period and the potential exposure to acid preservative in the sample container, limit the use of urine 5-HIAA.Methods: Sam...

Case history: We present a 76-year-old woman with cyclical ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome since 2002. She has two-yearly relapses with proximal myopathy, candidiasis, facial swelling and hypokalaemia that have been biochemically confirmed with Overnight and Low Dose Dexamethasone Suppression tests. Although her initial cycles were brief and uncomplicated, her most recent episodes led to prolonged hospital admissions. During her last admission, she became septic complic...

Parathyroid cysts (PCs) are rare lesions usually found during exploration of neck and mediastinal masses. Ten percent of PCs can be functional and release parathyroid hormones causing hypercalcemia. Most PCs are small but lesions greater than 1 cm can exert pressure effects on adjacent structures\. Diagnosis can be challenging as PCs can mimic thyroid masses with no focal tracer uptake during most functional imaging modalities. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) can help if coupled ...

Background: HbA1c remains the most powerful outcome measure for children and young people with diabetes. It is collected at every clinic visit and is used for individualised discussions around diabetes control and for national benchmarking. However, despite DCCT and IFCC standardisation, there is still no overall consensus as to the most appropriate methodology, particularly when assessing patients with haemoglobinopathies that may affect HbA1c measurement.<p class="abstex...