Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Untreated adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) is associated with hypertension, obesity and hyperleptinemia. Leptin is linked to obesity related hypertension, is secreted in a circadian rhythm and may contribute to the regulation of BP circadian rhythmicity.Methods: We studied the relationship between plasma leptin (half hourly samples), ambulatory systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) over a 24-h period in ...

Biochemical assessment of control of CAH includes measurement of adrenal-derived androgens in blood. Some androgens like 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) have a diurnal rhythm and show a widespread of values in well controlled children. Testosterone in children (except pubertal boys) may be useful in monitoring control as it may reflect the potential for androgen action better than weaker androgens. Our salivary testosterone (SalT) assay measures free testosterone and is sensiti...

Familial expansile osteolysis is a rare autosomal dominant disorder of bone, first described in a kindred from Northern Ireland in 1988. There are histological similarities to Paget's disease but the disorder typically presents in the young.Case report: Our patient presented at 15 years of age with sensorineural hearing loss, skeletal pain, gingival hypertrophy and mobile teeth. Neither parent was similarly affected. Radiographs demonstrated tooth root r...

Hydrocortisone is the standard replacement therapy in patients with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency (AI) but there is no current consensus on the most appropriate replacement dose and the extent to which this varies between individuals. This study examines inter-individual variability in cortisol metabolism in patients taking hydrocortisone therapy and investigates the relationship between plasma and salivary concentrations.Subjects and Method...

Leptin stimulates osteoblastic cell proliferation, differentiation and mineralisation and inhibits osteoclast generation; leptin secretion and bone turnover are altered in adult growth hormone deficiency, a condition associated with osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate leptin circadian rhythm and its association with bone turnover in untreated AGHD and following growth hormone replacement (GHR).We sampled peripheral venous blood at half...

Growth hormone (GH) and leptin regulate body composition and leptin is elevated in adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD), a syndrome characterised by increased adiposity. We have previously shown that GH replacement for 1 month reduces 24-h mean leptin concentration independent of changes in fat mass. The long tem effects of GHR on leptin have not been described.24-h mean total leptin concentration was measured using half-hourly blood sampling, to accou...

There is considerable evidence to indicate that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is activated in obesity and that glucocorticoids may have a stimulatory effect on adipocyte leptin production. However, the precise interactions between glucocorticoids and leptin are complex and remain poorly understood. To investigate whether the glucocorticoid/leptin interaction is affected by genetic factors, we investigated the heritability of BMI, leptin and glucocorticoid metabolite ...

18-hydroxycortisol (18-OHF) and 18-oxocortisol (18oxo-F) are derivatives of cortisol whose origin and regulation are uncertain. 18-OHF is synthesised by zona fasciculata 11-beta hydroxylase; 18-oxoF can only be produced by zona glomerulosa aldosterone synthase. Levels of both steroids are increased in patients with Primary Aldosteronism. However, the origin of these steroids in normal subjects is not known.8 normal subjects and 6 subjects with primary adrenal failure performed...

Introduction: Overfeeding adolescent ewes with singleton pregnancies results in reduced placental size and low lamb birth weight at term. We have investigated if reduced placental size is associated with altered placental cell proliferation and apoptosis at day 80 of pregnancy (peak placental growth period). Methods: Singleton pregnancies to a single sire were established by embryo transfer to adolescent recipient dams. Pregnant ewes were offered high (H, n = 14) or moderate (...

Urine 18-hydroxy cortisol ('18OHF') measurements are claimed to have the potential to discriminate between primary hyperaldosteronism due to either Conn's syndrome/adrenal adenoma (increased values) or idiopathic adrenal hyperplasia (normal values), and also to identify cases of glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperaldosteronism ('GSH').We have evaluated three urine 18-OHF methods using a panel of samples from patients with primary hyperaldosteronism [due to either adenoma (N=...