Endocrine Abstracts

Folliculostellate (FS) cells form a three-dimensional network within the anterior pituitary gland and play a key role in regulating the endocrine response to inflammation and anoxic stress. Adenosine, released under such conditions in high concentration, modulates a number of inflammatory processes and can regulate the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The identities of the adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes mediating these responses, however, and the si...

Background: Predictions estimate that the majority of the global population will be living with overweight and obesity by 2035. Due to its widespread use and ability to disseminate information, social media has a potentially prominent role in obesity care and education. Regulatory bodies issue ethical guidance on social media use. However, it is unknown how healthcare professionals’ (HCP) online activity affects people living with obesity. By exploring th...

Hyperthyroidism is common and in iodine-sufficient parts of the world the prevalence of overt hyperthyroidism is estimated to be 0.2% to 1.3%. The treatment options include antithyroid medication (ATD), thyroid surgery, or Radioactive iodine (RAI). The latter is increasingly used as a first line definitive treatment for hyperthyroidism. We reviewed the outcomes of patients who received RAI at our tertiary nuclear medicine department over a 4-year period (May 2015 to Dec 2019) ...

Over the past decade there has been increased recognition of the dangers associated with inpatient management of diabetes insipidus (DI) and omission of desmopressin. An NHS England patient safety alert was issued in 2016 highlighting this risk.Method: Using electronic prescribing records we reviewed all desmopressin prescriptions and omissions over a 12 month period in a large teaching hospital.Results: Ninety-seven inpatients wer...

Over the past decade there has been increased recognition of the dangers associated with inpatient management of diabetes insipidus (DI) and omission of desmopressin. An NHS England patient safety alert was issued in 2016 highlighting this risk.Method: Using electronic prescribing records we reviewed all desmopressin prescriptions and omissions over a 12 month period in a large teaching hospital.Results: Ninety-seven inpatients wer...

Case history: An 18 year old male student presented to the dentist with an eight week history of left-sided facial pain and swelling. He was subsequently referred to the maxillofacial team. His only previous medical encounter was for a traumatic right humerus fracture following a roller-skating injury. He took no regular medication. His father died of an unknown malignant process several years previous and family history was otherwise unremarkable. On questioning, the patient ...

Introduction: GH is widely abused by athletes for its anabolic and lipolytic properties. As the tests for detecting GH abuse develop further, it is possible that athletes will exploit IGF1 as an alternative or additional doping agent. There is currently no evidence to suggest that IGF1 administration improves athletic performance.Objectives: To determine the effects of rhIGF1/rhIGFBP3 administration on body composition and physical fitness in recreationa...

Background: Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS1) is a disorder caused by mutations of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene, that controls central tolerance. Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)-dependent hydroxylases, consisting of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH1 and TPH2), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) are commonly targeted autoantigens. Nevertheless, detailed characterization of their epitopes and independent roles of TPH isoforms has ...

We present a 32-year-old woman with recurrent hypoglycaemic episodes and a history of juvenile onset SLE. Over months, she experienced severe hypoglycaemic episodes with unconsciousness, occuring mainly in the early morning resulting in several hospital admissions. The patient had to take precautions like eating snacks between meals and before going to bed, and even setting an alarm clock to eat a bowl of porridge at 0200 h. She was of normal weight, did not present with any h...

Background: Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) are in increased risk of hypothalamic−pituitary−gonadal axis disruption. We aimed to explore changes in androgen hormones during first impatient rehabilitation and identify factors associated with their levels among participants from the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort (SwiSCI) cohort.Methods: We measured sex hormones using Enyzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay in persons with a newly aquired...