Endocrine Abstracts

The NOD (non-obese diabetic) mouse remains the best experimental model of type I diabetes. We have previously described several thymic dysfunctions in these animals, including the presence of giant perivascular spaces (PVS) with arrest of mature T cells (including Treg cells) and partial impairment on fibronectin/VLA-5-dependent NOD thymocyte migration. Herein, we further studied the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) ligands, alone or in combination with the chemokine CXCL12 ...

Gut hormones are gastro-entero-pancreatic hormones released during the normal physiological response to feeding/fasting. Adequate nutrient intake and normal gastrointestinal function are critical to bone health, which can be under constant repair and remodelling. Gut hormones may integrate a connection between food intake and bone turnover.We studied the effects of five gut hormones, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like pepti...

The gastro-entero-pancreatic hormones are involved in the regulation of postprandial nutrient homeostasis. Food intake or fasting triggers the release of these hormones. A direct connection between food intake and bone turnover, assessed by biochemical markers of bone resorption and formation, has been demonstrated in animals and humans.The aim was to study the expression of receptors for the gut hormones, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GI...

The propensity for prolactin (PRL) to form high molecular mass complexes in serum is well described. Macroprolactin (mPRL), a PRL-immunoglobulin complex (>100 kDa), is the predominant form of PRL in up to 20% of patients with hyperprolactinaemia. Big PRL (bPRL, 40–50 kDa) is a ubiquitous, minor component of serum PRL rarely the major immunoreactive form, the nature of which is unclear. Using gel filtration chromatography (GFC) we have investigated the relative abundan...

We report a falsely elevated blood spot thyrotrophin (TSH) concentration caused by a TSH-IgG complex. A routine blood spot screen returned a whole blood TSH of 213 mU/l from a one week-old neonate using the Wallac DELFIA method. Measurement in serum confirmed elevated TSH (826 mU/l, Roche Elecsys assay) but free thyroxine (17.2 pmol/l) was normal. The baby’s mother was clinically euthyroid but also showed discordant high serum TSH (287 mU/l) with normal free thyroxine (13...

The common autoimmune endocrinopathies are caused by susceptibility alleles at several genetic loci including MHC, CTLA4, PTPN22 and probably several others. Many of these susceptibility alleles are shared between several different autoimmune disorders including type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. In recent months a novel susceptibility locus was identified in the 5’ end of the Fc receptor-like 3 (FCRL3) gene ...

Understanding human pancreatic beta cell differentiation provides safe, normal pathways by which to manipulate stem cells for the ambitious treatment of Type 1 diabetes (1-3). The transcription factor Neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) is a transient, yet critical regulator of this process, committing progenitor cells to an endocrine cell fate (4). However, the downstream consequences of NGN3 expression remain incompletely understood.To identify new target genes of NGN...

Where screening for macroprolactin takes place, laboratories routinely rely on treatment of sera with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to distinguish macroprolactinaemia from true hyperprolactinaemia. However, PEG causes significant interference in some immunoassays and furthermore leads to co-precipitation of a variable amount of monomeric prolactin in addition to macroprolactin in treated sera. The aim of this study was to assess the specificity and clinical utility of alternative ...

Macroprolactin(mPRL)is a high molecular weight form of prolactin(PRL)most commonly due to formation of a complex with IgG.The PRL in mPRL remains reactive in immunoassays for PRL and the complex has a longer plasma half life than monomeric PRL.mPRL is a common cause of hyperprolactinaemia but its origin is not known and the complex has minimal bioactivity in vivo.The clinical significance of hyperprolactinaemia due to mPRL is that it can cause diagnostic confusion and lead to ...

Currently in the UK children and young people with diabetes receive variable provision of care and support in educational settings. There are concerns that this impacts on the young person’s glycaemic control, their quality of life, and their educational performance and outcome. Whilst most paediatric diabetes teams provide training for school staff, it may take several days, even weeks, after diagnosis before a diabetes educator is able to attend the school to provide ed...