Endocrine Abstracts

Use of long-term opioid analgesia has increased significantly in the past decade and dependency on prescribed opioids has been described as a ‘public health emergency’ in the United States. Opioid analgesia may be associated with excess mortality when compared to other classes of analgesia used in chronic pain. Opioids exert a range of effects across the hypothalamic-pituitary axes, which are potentially dependent on the chronicity of exposure. The largest body of ev...

Use of long-term opioid analgesia has increased significantly in the past decade and dependency on prescribed opioids has been described as a ‘public health emergency’ in the United States. Opioid analgesia may be associated with excess mortality when compared to other classes of analgesia used in chronic pain. Opioids exert a range of effects across the hypothalamic-pituitary axes, which are potentially dependent on the chronicity of exposure. The largest body of ev...

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Intact PTH [PTH(1–84)] measurements separate hypercalcaemic patients into 1) a parathyroid cause (usually 1°HPT) from 2) non-parathyroid causes (usually hypercalcaemia of malignancy). Improved sensitivity increases confidence in diagnosing hypoparathyroidism. PTH RIAs had problems with C-terminal PTH fragments and in renal failure circulating PTH (35–84) persists for hours giving high RIA PTH. Intact PTH is retained in renal failure and this resulted in new ap...

The corpus luteum (CL) is a dynamic but transient endocrine gland. Although proliferation of hormone-producing cells ceases after ovulation, proliferation of endothelial cells is intense and the CL becomes highly vascularised. However, unless the CL is rescued by pregnancy, all these cells will die. Investigation of cell death in the CL offers an opportunity to study the mechanisms underlying regulated death of parenchymal and endothelial cells. Apoptosis is extensive in the C...

Introduction: Non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) constitute a large proportion of pituitary adenomas and can lead to hypopituitarism and visual field defects. Trans-sphenoidal surgery is the treatment of choice but as a consequence patients may suffer from long-term hormone deficiencies and diabetes insipidus. We sought to examine clinical, pathological, and imaging characteristics of those presenting with NFPAs and subsequent post-surgical outcomes.<p class="abste...

Background: Low glucose is a relatively common primary care referral to specialist endocrine services. However the prevalence of endocrine disease causing endogenous hypoglycaemia is extremely rare.Methods: We obtained all plasma glucose results <4 mM originating from primary care within NHS Lothian, in non-diabetic individuals (20 145 people (77.6% female)) aged 18–40 years, between 2002 and 2017. These data were linked to national admission, m...

Paget’s disease of bone (PDB) is the second commonest bone disease. The original disease description in 1876 by Sir James Paget remains an incisive, accurate report of the pathophysiology of PDB, which is characterised by focal regions of increased bone remodelling with initial excessive bone resorption and osteolytic lesions followed by long term increased bone formation and sclerosis. The majority of patients are elderly, many are asymptomatic. Those that are referred t...

Corticosteroids are major contributors to normal blood pressure control and to hypertension. The diagnosis of 'primary aldosteronism' based on raised aldosterone: renin ratios is now common although demonstration of an adrenocortical tumour remains rare. Moreover, the relationship between aldosterone and renin or angiotensin II in essential hypertension is often disturbed, suggestive of altered control of aldosterone biosynthesis. Aldosterone is synthesised from 11-deoxycortic...