Endocrine Abstracts

Background and aims: Bile acids are conserved through enterohepatic circulation, a glucocorticoid-modulated process. 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type-1 (11β-HSD1) converts cortisone/11-dehydrocortisone to cortisol/corticosterone, thus increasing intracellular glucocorticoid levels. 11β-HSD1 also metabolises 7-oxo-lithocholic acid, a bile acid. 11β-HSD1 is highly expressed in the liver and may alter bile acid transport through regeneration of active glu...

Background: Aldosterone levels are elevated in normal pregnancy but fall despite volume contraction in preeclampsia. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) have been implicated in this phenomenon in vitro and in animal work. Low placental growth factor (PlGF), which is closely linked to VEGF signalling, identifies women at risk of preeclampsia between 20 and 35 weeks gestation. We aimed to examine these relationships ...

Background: Cadmium (Cd) is considered as a human carcinogen. A potential intermediate mechanism could be hormone-related by disturbing steroidogenesis in gonads and adrenal glands. We tested whether urinary Cd excretion, as a marker of long-term exposure, is associated with the urinary steroid profile in the general adult population.Methods and Findings: The Swiss Kidney Project on Genes in Hypertension (SKIPOGH) is a multicentric family-based populatio...