Endocrine Abstracts

Vitamin B12 (B12) is an essential micronutrient required for two key metabolic reactions. Longitudinal studies and animal models showed that B12-deficiency during pregnancy is associated with the maternal obesity, development of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome phenotype. Although the mechanisms underpinning low B12 and metabolic disorders remain poorly defined, it’s becoming increasingly clear that lipid dysregulation is associated with obesity and co-morbiditie...

Background: The liver stores 10 μg cobalamin per gram protein and able to hold 50% (1–1.5 mg) of body’s B12. Making up the bulk of the liver, hepatocytes express receptors regulating cellular uptake of B12 in the liver. However, relationship between circulating and intracellular B12 levels as well as regulation of hepatic uptake of B12 is unexplored.Objective: To assess the regulation of cellular uptake and storage of B12 in hepatocytes in...

Background: Metformin is utilized in clinical trials for treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity. Metformin increases AMP:ATP ratio activating AMP activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα), a mediator of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in the liver. Meanwhile, prolonged oral metformin therapy in T2DM decreases vitamin B12(B12) in patients and evidence shows that low B12 dysregulates lipid levels. We therefore investigated whether low B12 impairs FAO ind...

Background: Studies have shown that interruptions in sedentary time in non-pregnant adults is positively associated with metabolic parameters, including abdominal obesity and glucose tolerance. However, there are no specific guidelines in the UK about recommended physical activity for pregnant women nor any validated tools to measure it. Our aim was to determine how much physical activity is carried out by pregnant women and how it relates to body anthropometry, glucose tolera...

Aims: Vitamin B12 insufficiency has been linked with adiposity and insulin resistance. A clinical study from India showed that B12 insufficiency in pregnancy was associated with higher risk of gestational diabetes (GDM), mediated by maternal BMI. It is not known whether the same association exists among pregnant women in the UK.Methods: A retrospective study was done on women attending our antenatal clinic from 2010–2013. Information including mater...

Research question: What are the differences in foetal size in early pregnancy between GDM and control.Methods: Serial foetal biometry was performed for GDM women and controls at 18–20 weeks and 28–32 weeks. At each visit, abdominal and head circumference (AC) & (HC), femur length (FL) and abdominal wall thickness (AWT) was measured along with collection of maternal data.Results: women with GDM and 184 controls had com...

Research question: Are there ethnic differences in foetal growth patterns in GDM?Methods: Retrospective data collection was undertaken for all women with GDM between 2008 and 2012 at University Hospital Coventry. Foetal biometric data was obtained at 28, 32, and 36 weeks gestation for 125 South-Asian (SA) and 142 WC.Results: Compared to WC, SA had had lower BMI (28.5±6.1 kg/m2 vs 32.2±7.4 kg/m2), hei...

A 64-year-old female presented to the acute medical take with hypercalcaemia. She had a 3 weeks history of polyuria, polydipsia, constipation, intermittent abdominal pain and feeling depressed. She reported weight loss of 3.5 kg over the past 6 months. She denied symptoms of dysphagia, dyspnoea, haemoptysis, haematemesis, or malaena. Her past medical history included anaemia, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and uterine prolapse. She was an ex-smo...

Aim: Over the last decade, cardiac valvular fibrosis has been associated with the use of high dose (ergot-derived) dopamine agonist therapy in Parkinson’s disease. Although the risk in endocrine patients appears significantly lower, routine echocardiographic monitoring is now recommended. This study evaluated the incidence of significant cardiac valvulopathy in endocrine patients treated with cabergoline in a District General Hospital Population, and compliance with MHRA ...

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is clinically evident in 25–50% of patients with Graves’ disease and 3–5% of cases develop severe eye disease. We present a case of very aggressive TED.A 46-year-old gentleman developed graves thyrotoxicosis and was blocked and replaced with carbimazole and thyroxine. He continued to smoke 20 cigarettes/day despite several advises.He developed marked exophthalmos (L>R), chemosis, with re...