Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Adipose tissue dysfunction could partially explain the well-demonstrated association between obesity and survival in breast cancer (BC). Oestrogen and glucocorticoid concentrations and their respective activation enzymes, oestrogenic 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17βHSDs) and aromatase, and 11βHSD1 are increased in adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy, supporting the hypothesis of a potential role for locally generated steroids in obesity-assoc...

Background: Endocrinology, taught in Year 2 of the Edinburgh undergraduate MBChB curriculum to approximately 200 medical students, can present a complex challenge and a test of engagement. Core biomedical curriculum content is delivered as large group teaching (lectures) and then revisited in smaller groups (clinical-cased based tutorials, PBL) designed to integrate learning by applying basic knowledge in a clinical context. PBL first implemented in the 1960s at McMaster Unive...

Introduction: Functional amenorhea can appear due to chemical, emotional of physical chronic stress. It is particular pathology with special issues regagring long therm body sustaiment after the occurence of menses cessation. Material comprise 39 young women, with ages between 17 and 34, (mean age of 24.55±6.09 years), 11 adolescents and 28 adult women, with secondary amenorrhea induced by weight loss, there were addressed to our Endocrine Unit, starting January 2014. Inc...

Kisspeptin (Kp) and its receptor (KISS1R) are essential for reproduction, with dysfunction in their activities leading to reproductive disorders, such as precocious puberty and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Kp is synthesised and secreted within specialist nuclei of the hypothalamus, modulating the HPG axis. Kp is a 54 amino acid peptide, which can undergo proteolytic cleavage into smaller peptides, including Kp10, which retain biological activities. However, little is known ...

Objectives: The activating mutation (L206R) in PRKACA has been reported in more than 30–50% of cases with cortisol-producing adenomas (CPAs). We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and gene expression profiling between PRKACA L206R mutant and wild type CPAs.Methods: We included 57 subjects with CPAs who underwent adrenalectomy at Seoul National University Hospital. Sanger sequencing for PRKACA w...

The Brecon Group (Welsh Paediatric Diabetes Interest Group) was established in 1995 given the need to advise Welsh Government regarding commissioning of paediatric diabetes services. A diagnostic register was created using a minimal data-set to identify the numbers of young people aged <15 years with diabetes in Wales and to establish national audit. This allowed us to show the benefits of appointment of paediatric diabetes specialist nurses but also the lack of impact of ...

Opioids –Yet another Cause for Adrenal Insufficiency. Opioid prescriptions have almost doubled in the last decade in the UK. Opioid related hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is a well-recognised clinical entity. Opioid therapy as a cause of adrenal insufficiency is an under-recognised endocrinopathy with potentially lifethreatening adverse effects. We present the case of a 57 year old lady referred to the endocrine clinic with symptoms of generalised fatigue and weakness. Her...

Context: Paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas (PPGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumors, characterized by a strong genetic component. Indeed, up to 40% of patients carry a germline mutation in a PPGL susceptibility gene. In accordance with the international recommendations, genotyping of PPGL susceptibility genes is therefore proposed to all patients with PPGL, but it has actually never been shown whether the identification of a germline mutation in one PPGL susceptibility gene ch...

Aim: Although thyroid nodules located in isthmus were less frequent, papillary thyroid cancer in this location was reported to be more aggressive in some studies. Our aim was to evaluate hormonal, ultrasonographic, and cytopathologic features of nodules located in isthmus (isthmic nodules).Material and methods: Data of patients who underwent thyroidectomy between 2006–2014 were reviewed retrospectively. Hormonal, ultrasonographic, and cytopathologic...

Background: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is the standard treatment for benign adrenal tumours but its role in the surgical management of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare long-term outcome between open adrenalectomy (OA) and LA in the treatment of primary ACC.Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with ACC ENSAT stage I-III referred to the Croatian referral centre for a...