Endocrine Abstracts

Objectives: Examine the effect of maternal Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) on newborn 25-hydroxyvitaminD (25OHD) levels in a multi-ethnic newborn cohort.Design: 3000 dried blood spots (DBS) were gathered from newborns at a regional newborn screening laboratory over two 1-week periods [February 2019 (winter) and August 2019 (summer)]. Data on birth weight, gestational age, maternal age, ethnicity, and post code were collected. Post code was replaced w...

Background: Volumetric absorbent microsampling (VAMS) provides a less intrusive alternative to venepuncture when collecting blood samples for diagnostic testing. A small, precisely determined amount of capillary blood from a single finger-prick is absorbed into a medium for storage, from which it can later be extracted and analysed. In this study, we developed methods to measure four commonly requested endocrine/bone biomarkers for finger-prick blood samples analysis, and inve...

Background: Melatonin and cortisol production demonstrate circadian rhythms; disruption of these rhythms feature in endocrine and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Addison’s disease, Huntington’s disease (HD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Measuring serum and saliva concentrations at nadir is challenging using immunoassays. We have developed LC-MSMS methods for measuring serum and saliva melatonin, cortisol and cortisone to analyse 24hr profile samples obtained from sleep st...

A 59-year-old male patient, who is fit and well, presented with abdominal discomfort, night sweats, back pain and lower urinary tract symptoms. The CT scan, organised by the GP, demonstrated a 17 cm heterogenous mass with central necrosis and scattered calcification in right side of abdomen, possibly right adrenal origin or liver or kidney. He was referred to Adrenal MDT. Baseline functional testing showed unsuppressed cortisol level in an overnight dexamethasone, high DHEA su...

A 33 year-old man was referred to the endocrine bone clinic following presentation with a 4 mm kidney stone and hypercalcaemia. Apart from mild fatigue, he had no other hypercalcaemic or concerning symptoms. He was not on any medications or supplements. He had a positive family history for kidney stones and reported that his grandmother had been noted to have hypercalcaemia in the past. There was significant consanguinity in his family. Examination was entirely normal while bl...

Background: The brain’s thermoregulatory center is stimulated by activation of neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) and inhibited by estrogen. In menopause, declining estrogen disturbs this balance, producing vasomotor symptoms (VMS). This study assessed response to the NK3R antagonist fezolinetant in women with menopausal VMS.Methods: This phase 2b, double-blind trial (NCT03192176) randomized menopausal women (age >40−65 y) with moderate/severe V...

Introduction: In CKD, net effects of declining kidney function and increasing FGF23 (and PTH) concentrations on vitamin D catabolism and iron metabolism are not clear.Objectives: Compare the Biomedica to the Immutopics’ immunoassay for measurement of cFGF23. Determine the relationship between iron status; vitamin D and intact FGF23 (iFGF23) and c-terminal (cFGF23) concentrations in blood.Method: Samples from routine care and a...

Introduction: Low dose radioiodine (LDRAI) has been used to treat benign thyroid disease for over 70 years (1). However, controversies remain about the optimal dosage to administer. The Royal College of Physicians guidelines recommend a dosage of 400–600 MBq for uncomplicated Graves’ disease (2); the dose administered varies between centres.Methods: Outcome data at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary were collected retrospectively for patients who receiv...

Background: Circulating levels of total oestradiol (E2) decrease with age in adult males; the effect of altered E2 circadian rhythm is uncertain. We hypothesised that age-related changes in the circadian rhythm contribute to decreased BMD in older males and investigated this.Methods: Nineteen subjects were studied: six young-healthy (YH) males (mean age (years) 27.3±4.6) with normal BMD, eight older-healthy (OH) males (mean age...

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterised by a high prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance, leading to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. However, it is unclear whether cardiovascular risk (CVR) is increased in PCOS independently of these metabolic disturbances.Aims: To establish whether PCOS is associated with arterial stiffness, carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and myocardial dysfunction, and explore the relationships ...