Endocrine Flashcards
Which HLA is associated with T1DM?
DR3 and DR4
How do Beta Blockers cause worsening hyperglycemia in DMs?
BBlocks mask the warning signs of hyperglycemia such as tachycardia.
What step in the steroid hormone mechanism immediately precedes DNA binding within the nucleus?
Conformation change of the hormone-receptor complex
After binding, the conformation change reveals the DNA binding domain and is able to bind the DNA enhancer element
What changes are seen in thyroid hormone levels in a pregnant woman?
Increased thyroid-binding globulin, increased total T4, unchanged free T4
Increased estrogen -> increased synthesis of thyroid binding globulin -> increased total T4 to maintain a normal level of T4
Which GLUT is in the hepatocyte and describe its Affinity, Km, and insulin responsiveness
Glut 2 (liver, pancreatic B cells, renal tubular cells, small intestinal epithelial cells)
Decreased Glucose affinity (prevents saturation at high glucose levels)
Increased Km
Not responsive to insulin
What is the pathology of T2DM?
Decreased uptake of glucose into muscle cells
What is the pathology of T1DM?
Decreased secretion of insulin
A 45 y/o presents with light headedness, back pain, muscle weakness, fatigue. PE - dark buccal mucosa and hypotensive. Pt recently stopped taking his medication. Dx?
Addison dz
Insufficient production of adrenal hormones (cortisol, androgens, aldosterone)
Syx = hyperpigmentation, hypotension, muscle weakness, salt craving
Tx - po hydrocortisone
How do you differentiate addisons from adrenal crisis?
Addisons will have hyperpigmentation
When do you give dehydroepiandrosterone?
androgen replacement therapy
Can be given in addison’s, but withdrawl doesn’t result in hyperpigmentation
A teenager was found unresponsive after reporting that he has been fatigued and drinking lots of water. He is hyponatremic with an anion gap. Normal urine sodium. Dx?
T1DM
Hyperglycemia causes osmotic diuresis
He appears hyponatremic because the hyperglycemia is pulling fluid into the plasma and makes his salt levels look lower than they are
What labs would be seen in DI that would make it unique from T1DM DKA?
ADH deficiency
hypernatremia, hyperosmotic urine.
Risk factor for spontaneous achondroplasia in a fetus with negative family history?
Advanced paternal age
Normal trunk length but short limbs
defect in fibroblast growth receptor 3 - abn cartilage formation.
A 23 y/o male with marfanoid habitus with pectus excavatum presents with being awakened at night by HA, anxiety, and heart palpitations. Dx?
MEN 2B (1P) Pheochromocytoma Medullary thyroid carcinoma Oral or gastrointestinal neuromas Look for neuromas in the oral mucosa and elevated calcitonin level
Pt presents with a thyroid nodule. Bx = hypochromic ground-glass nuclei, intranuclear pseudoinclusions, and nuclear grooves. What else would be seen on histology?
Extracellular, calcified, spherical bodies
Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is the most common thyroid carcinoma and has the best prognosis
“ground glass” or “Orphan Annie” nuclei, psammoma bodies
Dx thyroid nodules on fine-needle aspiration
What lab findings would be seen in Sheehan syndrome (aka postpartum hypopituitarism)
decreased TSH and ACTH results in decreased thyroxine and cortisol
syx = fatigue, anorexia, poor lactation, loss of pubic and axillary hair.
Order of hormone loss = GH, FSH/LH, ACTH, and TSH
Tx - replace all the deficient hormones
A SLE pt taking prednisone increases risk of what type of syx?
Cushing-like syx - increased infection, cataracts, acne, HTN, hyperglycemia, peptic ulcers, osteoporosis, and psychosis.
Recommend vitamin D
Which type of study has subjects randomly assigned to a sequence of treatments with a washout between the treatment interval? (ie control group undergoes washout and switches to treatment group)
Crossover study
Allows the subjects to serve as their own controls
Drawback - washout may not be long enough
A pt has no change in urine osmolality during water restriction, but they do have an increase in osmolality following vasopressin administration. Dx and where is the damage??
Central DI - low ADH production Nephrogenic would not respond to aDH administration Damage to the hypothalamic nuclei Damage to PP - transiet DI Damage to hypothalamus - permanent DI
Where is ADH synthesized and stored?
Synthesized - paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus
Stored - posterior pituitary
Injury to posterior pituitary = transient DI, but if the hypothalamic tract is intact axonal regeneration and hypertrophy will allow adequate ADH realse
Where are the different versions of Vit D synthesized?
7-dehydrocholesterol -> cholecalciferol in the skin
Cholecalciferol -> 25OHvitD in the liver
1,25dihydoxyvitD in the kidney
A pt taking lots of vitamin and mineral supplements presents with stupor and dry mucous membranes. What’s going on?
Hypercalcemia due to excessive vitamin D (muscle wakness, constipation, mental status changes, polyuria/polydypsia)
Also see hypercalcemia in granulomatous dz (sarcoidosis, TB) due to PTH independent conversion due to over expression of 1-alpha-hydroxylase in active macrophages. High vit D synthesis = high intestinal calcium absorption. Similar process is seen in Hodgkin dz
13 yr old presents with difficulty breathing, hoarseness, dysphagia. Large red lingual mass. Bx = normal thyroid follicles with colloid Dx?
Thryoglossal duct
Thyroid gland is derived from evagination of the pharyngeal epithelium and descends to the lower neck.
If migration fails the thyroid can reside anywhere along the thyroglossal duct’s pathway including the tongue (lingual thyroid)
What is the pathology behind Sheehan Syndrome?
Ischemic necrosis
Pt presents with painful rash of the groin and perineum x 2 weeks. PMH DM, normochromic normocytic anemia both dx’d less than a year ago. PE = coalescing erythematous lesion with crusting and scaling at the borders and central area of bronze-colored induration. Bx = superficial necrolysis. Dx?
Glucagonoma (from alpha cells)
Presents with necrolytic migratory erythema usually affecting the mucus membranes (glossitis, cheilitis, blepharitis)
Also hyperglycemia (DM),GI syx, and anemia of chronic dz.
Dx - elevated glucagon in the serum
A 46XY newborn is born with hypospadias and a small phalus. Testes are well developed but stuck in the inguinal area. Serum testosterone is WNL. Dx?
5alpha-reductase deficiency type II
Male pseudohermaphroditism
Converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (more potent version)
Born with feminized external genitalia that masculinize at puberty
A SLE pt continues taking prednisone following surgery. How would this medication affect her levels of: Corticotropin-releasing hormone, ACTH, and cortisol?
All 3 will be decreased
Acute adrenal insufficiency (adrenal crisis) due to suppresion of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis
steroid blocks CRH release -> low ACTH release -> low cortisol
HPA axis will atrophy with long term steroid use
If a prolactinoma is left untreated, what other syx are likely to develop?
Loss of bone mass
Hyperprolactinemia causes suppression of GnRH causing reduced estrogen in women. Low estrogen -= RF for osteoperosis
Syx of androgenic steroid abuse?
Erythrocytosis
Testicular atrophy
Acne
Virilization in women (cliteromegaly, hirsutism)
A pt with estrogen receptor + but HER2 - breast cancer is given anastrozole. What is its MOA?
Decreased androgen aromatization Aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole, letrozole, exemestane) decrease the synthesis of estrogen from androgens. Decreasing the levels of estrogen will slow the progression of ER positive tumors Less effective in premenopausal women b/c ovarian aromatase is upregulated in response to gonadotropins
A T2DM is found unresponsive because she failed to adjust her DM medication despite being very active and skipping dinner. She is given a bolus of dextrose but hours later becomes confused again and her blood glucose is 49. What medication is she likely taking?
Glyburide
Sulfonylurea - bind receptor on pancreatic beta cells to inhibit the ATP dependent K+ channel and increases insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells independent of glucose concentration
Sulfonylureas have a high incidence of hypoglycemia especially in the elderly
What should be checked prior to initiating long-term amiodarone therapy?
Serum TSH
Amiodarone is 40% iodine by weight - can cause hypothyroidism due to decreased production of thyroid hormone. Can also cause hyperthyroidism due to increased hormone synthesis or destructive thyroiditis with release of preformed thyroid hormone
In the presence of insulin, D-glucose transports across the plasma membrane of adipocytes much faster than L-glucose. Which transport process best describes the mechanism of gluocse entry into the cells?
Carrier-mediated transport
Carrier proteins undergo conformation changes as the substrate is transported.
Facilitated diffusion - no ATP
GLUT 2 and 4
Which side effects are expected when initiating pioglitazone therapy?
Weight gain and edema
Both are due to fluid retention and can exacerbate underlying congestive heart failure
Fluid retention is often worse when TZD is given with insulin
Also causes adipose weight gain
A pt reports a history of having a problem metabolizing sugar but is on no dietary restrictions. Urine shows positive copper reduction test, but glucoase oxidase dipstick is negative.
Essential fructosuria
Fructokinase deficiency
Urine is testing postivie for a reducing sugar due to the presence of unmetabolized fructose
A pt with a pituitary adenoma (HA, bitemporal hemianopsia) becomes hypotensive and loses consciousness shortly after admission
Pituitary apoplexy
Acute hemorrhage into the pituitary most often occurs in pts with preexisting pituatary adenomas
Acute bleed = severe HA, cardiovascular collapse (ACTH deficiency leads to adrenocortical insufficiency)
Tx - emergency neurosurgery and gluccocorticoids
A pt with fatiguability and weight gain presents with elevated creatine kinase. PE - lump rises at the site where the reflex hammer was used. What should be done next?
Serum TSH
Hypothyroidism is a common cause of elevated CK due to hypothyroid myopathy.
Other causes of elevated CK = autoimmune, muscular dystrophies, and statins
Following a thyroidectomy a pt presents with muscle cramps, parethesias, twitching of his facial muscles. Dx?
Post operative hypoparathyroidism
Decreased calcium and phosphate resorption from bone, and decreased calcium reabsorption from urine
Following a Thyroidectomy a pt presents with hypocalcermia. What tx should be given?
Calcitriol = active form of bit D
Post op supplementation with po calcium and Vit D can treat and prevent post op hypocalcemia
Do NOT give calcidiol because the conversion to the active form (calcitriol) depends on PTH
A male pt with 1 testes in his scrotum is found to have elevated FSH but normal LH. Production of which substance is impaired?
Inhibin B
Produced by the sertoli cells and inhibits FSH secreation
Sertoli cells are in the seminiferous tubules of the testes. If a pt has only one testicle then they are only able to produce half of the Inhibin B as a normal male
Which hormone provides negative feedback for LH?
Testosterone
A T1DM pt is found in a store unconscious and hypoglycemic. Best way to normalize her blood sugar?
IM glucagon
Use in a nonmedical settive
Increase hepatic glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis
Takes 10-15 min
Can try sublingual glucose (sugar packets etc) but mucosal absorption is erratic
When is fruit juice an appropriate tx for T1DM related hypoglycemia?
When the pt has acute syx of hypoglycemia (anxiety, tremor, sweating) but still concious
How would you tx a unconscious T1DM pt with hypoglycemia in a medical setting?
IV dextrose
How does propranolol correct hypothyroidism?
Decreases peripheral conversion of T4 to T3
Decrease symphathetic adrenergic impulses on target organs
Following metyrapone stimulation there is a spike in 17-hydroxycorticosteroid in the urine. Why?
ACTH surge
Metyrapone causes a decrease in cortisol synthesis by inhibitin 11-b-hydroxylase. IF the HPA axis is intact there will be an increase in ACTH, 11-deoxycortisol, and urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroid levels
Pt presents to ED with abdominal pain and vomitting. BMI 37 and fasting labs show triglyceride of 1500. After being stabilized what long term tx should he receive?
Fenofibrate
TGs are metabolized to FFa’s by pancreatic lipases causeing acute pancreatitis in pts with severe hypertriglyceridemia. Fibrates are the most effective tx
MOA for fibrates?
Activate peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPAR-a) which increases lipoprotein lipase activity. Can rapidly lower TGs by 25-50%
Surgical removal of brown fat around the adrenals in a neonate would cause?
Hypothermia
Contains more mitochondira and produces heat by uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation with the protein thermogenin
Brown fat has higher oxygen requirement and more vascularization
MOA of flutamide in prostate cancer?
Impaired androgen-recepter interaction
Use in conjunction with long acting GnRH agonist (down regulates LH and therefore testosterone)
A pt presents with hyperthyroidism syx and pain at the front of her neck that radiates to her ears with swallowing. Notes syx started following a URI. Higher ESR but low iodine uptake. Dx and histology?
de Quervain Thyroiditis
Mixed, cellular infiltration with occasional multinucleated giant cells