Endocrine Abstracts

Height and weight measurement is an important data source in affairs related to growth and development, puberty and nutritional status of children and adolescents. In clinical setting NCHS charts are used in Iran. Although there were significant differences among provinces, between urban and rural children and all the percentiles of growth charts from the data of national health survey in Tehran, in 1990-1992, were substantially below but similar to those of the NCHS charts. I...

Red deer (Cervus elaphus ) antlers annually undergo rapid de novo development of new bone, skin and hair follicles in the spring. Antler development, and a mane on the neck in the winter season, are secondary sexual characteristics of red deer stags. Although androgens are involved, where they actually act in the antler is unclear.Therefore, we have explored the expression pattern of the androgen receptor in the developing region of antler...

BACKGROUND: Healthy and Adult Growth Hormone Deficient (AGHD) women exhibit elevated leptin concentrations compared with men. AGHD is characterised by obesity and associated with increased leptin concentration and decreased leptin pulsatility, however the gender variation in rhythm and pulse parameters is yet to be defined. Following growth hormone replacement (GHR), leptin concentration decreases and pulsatility increases preceding a reduction in body fat mass (BFM).<p cl...

In childhood an appropriate response to GH treatment is achieved by titration of growth response against dose administered, with careful observation for side-effects. In order to evaluate the potential use of IGF monitoring in children treated with GH, a cross-sectional study has been carried in 215 children and adolescents (134 with GH deficiency, 54 with Turner syndrome and 29 with non-GHD growth disorders) treated with GH for 0.2 to 13.7 years.IGF-I ...

Ghrelin, a novel GH-releasing n-octanoylated peptide, has been identified as an endogenous ligand for the 'orphan' GH secretagogue receptor. When administered iv or icv, Ghrelin causes a greater increase in serum GH concentrations than hexarelin or GHRH. However Ghrelin has a number of other actions: it promotes food intake, raises serum glucose and inhibits insulin secretion, increases ACTH and cortisol secretion and influences cardiac function.In orde...

Obese boys tend to begin puberty later than their peers who are not overweight. This was a clinical observation made in the Clinic's population of overweight boys. The study described here follows from this observation. The study group consisted of 45 boys in the age 12-15 years with a BMI of 25 or over and were in SMR1. The control group consisted of age matched 15 boys with a BMI ranging from 12-15 and their maturity varied from SMR 2-4. These boys were attending the Clinic ...

Cessation of hGH in GH deficient children generally occurs when final adult height has been obtained.Commonly, transition to adult clinics occurs in late teenage years,a time when patients are studying for A-levels, entering higher education or full time employment. It had been noticed that some patients were not doing as well in these areas as had been expected but that when adult hGH was commenced their performance improved.The aim of this audit was to try and investigate wh...

Introduction: Factors that affect the response to growth hormone (GH) treatment in GH-deficient adults are not certain. We performed a retrospective analysis of our data to determine the effect of age and sex hormone replacement on growth hormone replacement dose and IGF-1 levels in growth hormone deficient adults.Patients and Methods: 146 patients (73F/73M, age range 18-84 years) were referred for growth hormone replacement between 1997 and 2001. The I...

Familial combined pituitary hormone deficiency can be due to a PROP 1 gene mutation. PROP1 is essential to pituitary morphogenesis. Mutations with inactivation of this gene results in deficiency of GH, PRL, TSH, LH, FSH and in some cases, ACTH.The authors describe an affected family, two sibs, with panhyopituitarism: a 10 years old female, and a 15 years old male, who presented with growth and pubertary development delay. Both children lacked GH, TSH, PR...

There are a range of screening and diagnostic tests for the investigation of short stature, some of which are unpleasant and even dangerous for the patient. Growth hormone (GH) heterogeneity and wide assay biases cause additional complications for interpretation of results. We have used questionnaires to assess protocols and practice in the investigation of short stature by paediatricians and clinical biochemists in Wales.Responses from laboratory staff ...

The higher risk of cardiovascular mortality in women with Turner Syndrome (TS) is partly related to their risk of aortic dissection, which causes death in 1: 50 women. Establishing factors which predict increased risk of aortic dissection is therefore of prime importance. Previous studies have suggested that multiple risk factors exist, notably coarctation, aortic root dilatation, bicuspid aortic valve and systemic hypertension.In this study we focused ...

The factors that establish and maintain adrenocortical zonation and proliferation are poorly understood but include the pituitary hormone adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH), angiotensin II and potassium. To examine this capsular gland preparations largely glomerulosa (zg) with some fasciculata (zf), were cultured in vitro in Eagles MEM (3.6mM K+) for 1, 4 and 8 days and exposed these treatments. Rat zona glomerulosa proliferative activity, as judged by the rate of DNA synthesis, was ...

Expression of the mt1 melatonin receptor has been described in both the pars tuberalis (PT) and pars distalis (PD) of the rat pituitary gland. Expression of mt1 mRNA and iodomelatonin (IMEL) binding sites is high in the neonate PD but rapidly declines over the initial weeks of postnatal life. In contrast, both mt1 mRNA and IMEL binding sites are preserved in the PT through to adulthood, leading to a marked tissue-specific expression profile.To identify ...

Objectives-Aim: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) seems to play an important role in the etiology of atherosclerosis. They stumulate atherosclerosis. Oestradiol and other oestrogens have been shown to be powerful antioxidants in vitro when they are added to ldl oxidation mixtures. Oestrogen deficiency states are increases LDL oxidation. The aim of this study is investigate the effect of growth hormone on LDL oxidation in estrogen deficiency.Materia...

Patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) have increased risk of bone fractures. Despite a well-known decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) in these patients, these changes in bone mineralization cannot explain the increase in fracture rate alone. The purpose of this study was to evaluate collagen morphology in cortical bone from GHD rats in order to provide a further explanation for the increased fracture rate seen in GHD patients.<p class="abstext...

AIMS: The Pituitary Foundation (a national UK Support Group)undertook a questionnaire of its members to solicit patients' views on their experience of growth hormone replacement (GHR). This resulted in a lay submission to NICE regarding GHR in adults.METHOD: A questionnaire was mailed to members known to be receiving GHR. 78% of these (303) were returned. In addition, a further 86 completed questionnaires were received following a...