Endocrine Abstracts

Regulation of thyroid hormone (TH) levels in blood is controlled by feedback at the level of the pituitary and hypothalamus. It has been suggested that the set-point of either turning on or off the release of TSH and TRH, respectively is due to multiple factors including intrauterine exposure to TH. We have utilized the TH receptor (TR) β disrupted mouse (TRβ−/−) as model to study the effect of maternal levels of TH on newborn thyroid function. The ration...

In healthy subjects, there is a substantial variability in circulating concentrations of thyroid hormone (TH) between individuals, whereas the variability within an individual over time is usually within a narrow range. It is estimated that about 65% of this variation is genetically determined, resulting in a thyroid function set-point that is different for each individual. The major causative genes are, however, not well established.The biological activ...

The spectrum of thyroid problems seen in paediatric endocrine practice is different to that seen in later life. Topics that have attracted particular interest include the HPT axis in pre-term infants, the significance of a subtle increase in TSH, and associations between thyroid function in childhood and risk of disease in later life. This talk will include lessons learnt from patients seen in North–East England and from studies conducted in the same locality.<p class...

Subclinical thyroid diseases are common, affecting around 5% of the general population, and rising in prevalence with advancing age. While some people have a congenital abnormality of the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis set point, for instance due to germline mutations that cause loss of TSH-receptor function, this does not appear to account for the majority of cases of subclinical thyroid disease. There is a change in the reference range for TSH (which is the de...