Endocrine Abstracts

Insulin resistance is common in women with PCOS. Insulin and IGF-1 affect glucose uptake and metabolism via insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1) and the phosphotidyl inositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Impaired glucose metabolism has been observed in granulosa-lutein cells from anovulatory (but not ovulatory) women with PCO (Rice et al. 2005). The aim of this study was to analyse IRS-1 protein expression in human preantral follicles in samples of normal and PCO. Immunohisto...

Preantral follicle development in polycystic ovaries (PCO) is characterised by an increased proportion of early growing follicles. We have previously shown that IGF-1 stimulates initiation of follicle growth in normal and PCO (Endocrine Abstracts 2004 7 P172). Here we have extended these studies, specifically to examine whether the ovulatory status of the patients from whom tissue is obtained influences the response to IGF-1. Small ovarian biopsies were obtained (with ethical ...

The recent recommendations from the joint ESHRE/ASRM expert panel regarding the definition of PCOS (the so-called Rotterdam Criteria) have given rise to considerable controversy, particularly over the inclusion of anovulatory women with polycystic ovaries (PCO) but without evidence of androgen excess. We reviewed the results of a large series of anovulatory women with PCO who have been treated with low-dose FSH at our centre with the aim of investigating the impact of serum te...

Introduction Carcinoid heart disease most frequently involves the tricuspid or, more rarely, the pulmonary valve and presents with right heart failure as 5-HT is metabolized by the lung. Left-sided valve involvement is quite rare. We describe our experience of 3 patients presenting with heart failure secondary to carcinoid heart disease affecting all four cardiac valves. There are only four previous isolated case reports in the literature. Methods All th...

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has become the most common nutritional deficiency throughout the world. 67–85% of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) patients have low serum levels of Vitamin D. Studies have reported conflicting data as to whether or not Vitamin D may play a role in human reproduction. The objective of this prospective cohort study was to investigate what effect vitamin D had on parameters within an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycle in a populatio...

Background: Endocrine Disrupting Agents (EDAs) are external substances that have the potential to interfere with the natural endocrine pathways such as the reproductive axis. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine condition resulting in, hyperinsulinaemia, hyperandrogenaemia and subfertility. This study was conducted to see whether there was any association between EDAs and PCOS.Methods: Blood samples were collected from 59 women (29 PCOS...

Background: Fat distribution in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is thought to favour accumulation of abdominal visceral fat, but there has been no systematic comparison of fat distribution in PCOS and normal controls using MRI scanning.Aim: Our aim was to compare distributions of visceral, abdominal subcutaneous and gluteo-femoral subcutaneous adipose tissue in PCOS cases versus control women using a cross-sectional design.<p class="abste...

Background: A previous study suggested an increased absolute and intraindividual variability of insulin resistance (IR) in overweight women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which may contribute to the increase in cardiovascular risk. There had been no previous data on the change in variability of IR in PCOS with treatment.Methods: PCOS women were recruited using the Rotterdam criteria [mean age (±S.E.M.) 26.4(±1.5)yrs and ...

Fat accumulation, lipogenesis and glycolysis are key contributors to hepatocyte metabolic reprogramming and the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic liver fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The molecular mechanisms affected by steatosis and inflammation in the obese state remain unknown. Here we report that obesity leads to dysregulated expression of protein-tyrosine phosphatases in human livers. Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Kappa (PTPRK) levels were increased in hepatocytes by st...

Pancreatitis has multiple aetiologies of which commonest are gall stones and alcohol. Hypertriglyceridaemia is a less common (1-14 %) cause of pancreatitis. We present three case histories of acute pancreatitis due to severe triglyceridaemia and its management challenge in people with diabetes.Case history: 1. A 33-year-old man with BMI of 41 kg/m2 with Hodgkin lymphoma, thyrotoxicosis and diabetes, but no history of alcohol use was diagnosed ...