Endocrine Abstracts

Child obesity is a major public health concern in England and worldwide. It is a risk factor for the onset of type 2 diabetes and other comorbidities. Young people from the most deprived communities, from ethnic minority backgrounds or with learning disabilities are particularly at risk. NHS England funded the establishment of Complications of Excess Weight (CEW) pilot clinics, two of which serve the Midlands region. These provide specialist multidisciplinary whole-family supp...

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is common at high altitude (HA) and is associated with a relative failure of the natriuresis and diuresis that occurs at HA. The role of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in this context has not been thoroughly investigated. We aimed to clarify if BNP rises in response to exercise at HA and if so whether this is related to markers of acclimatization. Thirty-two healthy subjects had assessments of BNP, aldosterone and markers of HA acclimatization (a...

Introduction: Transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) RNA has identified a set of androgen-responsive non-coding RNAs.Aim: To quantify the androgen-responsive gene expression and investigate its relationship to the testosterone (T) rise following hCG stimulation in boys with no genetic evidence of androgen insensitivity.Methods: Boys with suspected DSD who were evaluated at the Royal Hospital for Childre...

Introduction: Transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) RNA has identified a set of androgen-responsive non-coding RNAs.Aim: To quantify the androgen-responsive gene expression and investigate its relationship to the testosterone (T) rise following hCG stimulation in boys with no genetic evidence of androgen insensitivity. Methods: Boys with suspected DSD who were evaluated at the Royal Hospital for Childr...

Background: Growth hormone insensitivity (GHI) is a continuum defined by normal/elevated growth hormone (GH), low IGF-I levels and growth restriction. Non-classical/mild-moderate GHI is poorly characterised and is frequently underdiagnosed. Heterozygous dominant negative (DN) gene variants located in the regions encoding the intracellular/transmembrane domains of the GH receptor cause a ‘non-classical’ GHI phenotype.Hypothesis/Objective: Detail...

75% of patients presenting with a phaeochromocytoma (PCC) or paraganglioma (PGL) have no relevant family history, but a germline pathogenic variant is identified in 30–40%. In our genetic endocrine clinic, over 80% of patients with malignant PCC or PGL have SDHA/SDHB/SDHC/SDHD/MAX or FH pathogenic variants identified, confirming high heritability in severe disease.We describe a series of seven patients from fiv...

75% of patients presenting with a phaeochromocytoma (PCC) or paraganglioma (PGL) have no relevant family history, but a germline pathogenic variant is identified in 30–40%. In our genetic endocrine clinic, over 80% of patients with malignant PCC or PGL have SDHA/SDHB/SDHC/SDHD/MAX or FH pathogenic variants identified, confirming high heritability in severe disease.We describe a series of seven patients from fiv...

Case history: Two unrelated male patients were referred for evaluation of short stature. The first patient aged 16.5 years, had a birth weight of 2.6 kg at term (BWSDS -2.4), height 153 cm (HSDS -3.2) at referral and normal BMI SDS of 0.6. He had early postnatal hypoglycemia, which was conservatively managed, but no other significant clinical history. He had relative macrocephaly and disproportionate short stature. His mother was also short with a similar phenotype (height 147...

Background: Pathogenic IGFI gene mutations causing childhood growth failure are extremely rare. Only five autosomal recessive mutations, one IGFI copy number variant and two heterozygous frameshift mutations are reported. Heterozygous missense IGFI mutations haven’t previously been described.Objectives: To identify and functionally characterise a novel missense IGFI variant in a patient with postnatal growth failu...

Background: Lifelong surveillance should be offered to people with hereditary phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL), including asymptomatic carriers of pathogenic gene variants. Regular biochemical and radiological surveillance aims to improve disease detection and prognosis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, outpatient appointments were cancelled or postponed. Departments continue to face large backlogs of work. Clinicians in the USA reported 15% PPGL patients missing at lea...