Endocrine Abstracts

Thyroid hormone transporters at the plasma membrane govern intracellular thyroid hormone concentrations. MCT8 represents a key thyroid hormone transporter. MCT8 deficiency (also known as Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome) is a devastating developmental disorder caused by mutations in the MCT8 gene (located on the X-chromosome), with an estimated prevalence of 1:70.000 males. The phenotype comprises (1) a &#...

The majority of adrenocortical tumors (ACT) are benign and hormonally non-functioning, in contrast to adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC), which are rare and usually very aggressive tumors. The differential diagnosis between these two entities is mainly based on unspecific and subjective criteria, contributing to the inaccuracy of diagnosis. Due to ACC molecular and biological heterogeneity, prognostic factors have a limited capacity to predict ACC clinical outcomes, leading to an...

Lung neuroendocrine neoplasms (LungNENs) are highly heterogeneous tumors, which are classified by the WHO according to their histological grade into low grade: Typical Carcinoids (TC) and intermediate grade Atypical Carcinoids (AC), and high-grade: Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma (LCNEC) and Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). Recently, a number of studies have tried to untangle the molecular features that define each subtype by applying different approaches, including genomic,...

Background: Insulin resistance is a hallmark of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Insulin sensitisers, most notably metformin, are thus used to treat the condition, but may be accompanied by gastrointestinal side-effects. The novel isomeric insulin sensitising agents D-chiro-inositol (DCI) and Myo-inositol (MI) improve insulin resistance by acting at the peripheral and ovarian level, respectively, whilst largely being devoid of adverse effects.<p class="...

Background: Insulin resistance is a hallmark of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Insulin sensitisers, most notably metformin, are thus used to treat the condition, but may be accompanied by gastrointestinal side-effects. The novel isomeric insulin sensitising agents D-chiro-inositol (DCI) and Myo-inositol (MI) improve insulin resistance by acting at the peripheral and ovarian level, respectively, whilst largely being devoid of adverse effects.<p class="...

Background: Primary thyroid angiosarcoma (PTA), previously considered a vascular type of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC), is a rare, aggressive malignant mesenchymal tumor, with a peak incidence in the seventh decade of life. PTA can present as an ATC, a more frequent type of thyroid malignancy. Differential diagnosis is of major importance, as the management and prognosis differ significantly.Case report: A 72-year-old woman presented for a 2 month h...

The proximate cause of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) is reversible suppression of GnRH drive that results in chronic anovulation and low estradiol levels that preclude endometrial growth and shedding. Clinical management of FHA requires not only understanding the neuromodulation of GnRH drive, but also how cognitive and behavioral concomitants suppress GnRH drive. FHA results in a constellation of neuroendocrine concomitants that include activation of the hypothalam...

Background: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a key role in tubulointerstitial fibrosis, which is a hallmark of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Our previous studies have shown that CRTC2 can regulate glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism at the same time. However, it is still unclear whether CRTC2 participates in the EMT process of DKD.Methods: We used protein-protein network (PPI) analysis to determine differentially expressed genes in DKD ...

The International Diabetes Federation estimates that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) will affect 642 million people by 2040. Chronically inflamed, hypoxic wounds are common in T2DM and represent a global unmet clinical need. Each year, diabetic foot ulcers cost the NHS £650 million and cause 1 in 200 UK deaths. This mortality is greater than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined. Glucocorticoids are used to treat a range of inflammatory conditions (e.g. asthma, eczem...

Dysregulated recruitment of leukocytes across endothelial cells into target tissues is a hallmark of the pathology of most chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs). We have identified a novel homeostatic pathway that regulates T-cell migration during inflammation. The pathway is impaired in patients with CIDs such as type-1-diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and is also attenuated in the elderly. The dysregulation of this pathway across all conditions is caused by a lower lev...