Endocrine Abstracts

Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH) is a rare pulmonary pathology which encompasses a spectrum of findings ranging from simple neuroendocrine cell proliferation to discrete nodules, and is strongly associated with carcinoid tumours. Patients, typically female, are often asymptomatic, but may present with overt pulmonary symptoms, such a dyspnoea, cough or pleuritic chest pain; however, even in their absence, a degree of obstructive or mixed o...

Up-to-date, there have been 7 case reports of hypomagnesaemia associated with hypocalcaemia and hypokalaemia in patients on long-term treatment with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). The suggestion is that these reports present a tip of an iceberg in clinical practice. Inspired by a case of severe symptomatic electrolyte loss, which was corrected by discontinuation of PPIs, we performed an audit of a potential relationship between hypomagnesaemia and PPIs in our hospital.<p c...

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling pathways are now accepted to be widely important in the mechanisms by which a variety of cell surface receptors can regulate critical cellular functions, such as cell growth, survival and movement. Class I PI3Ks generate the messenger lipids PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,4)P2 in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. These two lipids then co-ordinate the regulation of multiple protein targets by binding, with ...

A 49 year old lady was referred to the endocrine clinic for investigation of intermittent hyponatremia. She had two admissions in the year with lower abdominal, back pain and dark urine and treated for urinary infections.Serum sodium was 112,114 millimoles per litre, which responded to fluid restriction.She had a past history of syncopal episodes, hypertension treated with atenolol, amlodipine. She was a nonsmoker, alcohol intake was 14 units per week.</...

The Src substrate associated in mitosis of 68 kDa (Sam68) is a KH-type RNA binding protein that has been shown to regulate several aspects of RNA metabolism. The tyrosine phosphorylation of Sam68 was shown to negatively regulate its RNA binding activity and hence it was termed a Signal Transduction Activator of RNA (STAR) protein. Although KH-type RNA binding domains are known to mediate specific protein-RNA interactions, their RNA targets remain elusive. Nevertheless, Sam68 h...

Little has been published on the long-term management of thyrotoxicosis with antithyroid drugs (ATDs). We analysed 376 thyrotoxic subjects on the Morriston database since 2002. 170 had Graves’ disease, 181 toxic multinodular goitre (TMNG); in 25 the diagnosis was not recorded. When euthyroid subjects were requested to have annual thyroid function testing 42 (11%) had died. 111(30%) did not have TFT’s done in last two years. 135 graves’s cases were given ATDs whi...

Both brown (BAT) and white (WAT) adipose tissue have neuroanatomically well characterized sympathetic innervation (with activation initiating lipid mobilization), but little evidence to support the presence of a (putatively counter-regulatory) parasympathetic input.Parasympathetic actions are mediated through muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR). The mouse 3T3-L1 (white fat-derived) cell line expresses M1, M3 and M4 mAChR during differen...

The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes can be directly related to increasing levels of population obesity and associated insulin resistance. Adipose tissue has neuroanatomically well characterized sympathetic innervation (with activation initiating lipid mobilization), but little evidence to support the presence of a (putatively counter-regulatory) parasympathetic input (Bartness & Song 2007). Parasympathetic actions are mediated through muscarinic acetylcholine receptor...

Background: Literature suggests that whole glucose excursion, rather than plasma glucose concentration at a point, provides more information about glucose tolerance. The glucose area under the curve (AUC) is an index of whole glucose excursion after glucose load. We sought to investigate changes in insulin and glucose homeostasis, including the glucose AUC, 5 years after bariatric surgery.Method: A non-randomised prospective study of 18 participants with...

Background: Bariatric surgery aims to decrease cardiovascular risk factors. The Swedish Obese Subjects study reported that bariatric surgery was associated with reduction in long-term cardiovascular (CV) event. However, uncertainty remains regarding the effect of bariatric surgery on long-term CV risk. One way to predict long-term CV risk after bariatric surgery is to use cardiovascular risk assessment models.Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate ...