Endocrine Abstracts

Rationale: Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is a hallmark of primary aldosteronism and paves the way for subsequent atherosclerotic disease. Past research has confirmed that one factor involved in ED is disturbed nitric oxide (NO) signalling. Since defects in NO release alone cannot explain the whole effect, we set out to address the role of endothelial CYP-expoygenase products (epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, EETs) in aldosterone-mediated endothelial dysfunction.<p class="abstext"...

During the last decade induced overexpression of defined transcription factors has been shown to have a driving effect on the differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into many specific cell types. Nevertheless, the generation of protocols promoting a coordinate self-assembly of differentiated cells into distinct morphological units with also functional properties reminiscent of organs and tissues in vivo are still very sparse. Recently, we have reported the gen...

Some 40 years ago, diabetes was re-classified from a single disorder into autoimmune (T1D) and metabolic (T2D) on the interpretation of observation rather than the outcome of experiment. The 20 or so experiments carried out since to test the autoimmune hypothesis (largely randomised trials of immunotherapy) have proved disappointing, and none has translated into patient benefit. There is arguably reason to question the autoimmunity paradigm. The accelerator hypothesis argues t...

Local regulation of T3 action in bone and cartilage is a novel mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Accelerated chondrocyte differentiation is a hallmark of OA and T3 regulates this process. The type 1 and 2 deiodinases (D1, D2) convert the pro-hormone T4 to the active hormone T3 whilst D3 inactivates both T3 and T4. D1 contributes to circulating T3 levels and local T3</s...

Introduction: Camurati-Engelmann disease (CED) is a rare progressive bone dysplasia with ~200 cases documented worldwide. The hallmark is gross thickening of the diaphysis of long bones, usually presenting in childhood, with bilateral, symmetrical pain in the extremities. Endocrine complications include vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, delayed puberty, tall stature, hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and gonadal dysfunction. The disease has been ascribed to activating mutations...

Autoimmune Addison’s disease (AAD) is an endocrine disease resulting from the immune system’s destruction of hormone producing cells in the adrenal cortex. Autoantibodies against the steroidogenic enzyme 21-hydroxylase (21OH) is the hallmark of this form, and found in about 85 percent of patients in European populations. Risk factors are both genetic and presumably environmental. Genes associated with AAD are MHC class II especially the DR locus, MHC class I and MIC-...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is gaining increasing recognition as a component of the epidemic of obesity worldwide. The spectrum of NAFLD ranges from simple fatty liver with benign prognosis, to a potentially progressive form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which may lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. All features of the metabolic syndrome, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension, and hype...

Although obesity is a powerful risk factor for developing metabolic syndrome (MetS), it is not present in all obese individuals. Increased visceral adipose tissue is the hallmark of this syndrome. In this cross sectional survey abdominal bioelectrical impedence was used to measure the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and trunk fat percentages (TF%) in participants. A total of 286 patients (196 female and 90 males) were enrolled in the study. In both sexes VAT was significantly po...

Introduction: Tubulin is a multifunctional cytoskeletal protein involved in key cellular processes, including cell movement, intracellular transport and mitosis. An increased expression of βIII-tubulin (TUBB3) has been observed in several cancer types and associated with aggressive and drug refractory disease.Expression of claudins (CLDNs), the main component of tight junctions, is frequently altered in human cancers, including papillary thyroid car...

Skeletal muscle is the principal site for insulin-stimulated glucose disposal but its ability to utilise glucose is diminished by insulin resistance associated with obesity and consequent elevations of free fatty acids (FFAs). Chronic sub-clinical inflammation, characterized by increased macrophage infiltration into obese adipose tissue is a hallmark of the insulin resistance syndrome. However, little is known about the potential role of muscle macrophages in mediating local e...