Endocrinology 2 Flashcards
Pituitary Function
- Controls function of peripheral endocrine glands
- Regulated by stimulatory, inhibitory factors from hypothalamus, feedback from other hormones
- Hormones separately regulated (although gonadotropins have related regulatory factors)
Pituitary Regulation
- Prolactin:
stimulant: TRH, Dopamine antagonist
inhibitor: Dopamine - GH stimulant - GHRH, decrease glucose, exercise inhibitor - somatostatin, glucose - FSH, LH
stimulant - GnRH(pulsatile)
inhibitor - GnRH(stable), sex steroids, inhibit
- TSH
stimulant: TRH, decreased T4/T3 inhibitor - Dopamine, increased T4/T3 - ACTH stimulant - CRH, ADH, decreased cortisol, decreased glucose
inhibitor: glucose, increased cortisol, dexamethasone
Causes of increased prolactin
- Pituitary adenoma: 70-80%
- Pituitary stalk compression: 5-10%
- Drugs (phenothiazines, H2 blockers, others): 5%
- Other: 5-10% -Macroprolactin – high MW forms, sometimes with symptoms
Evaluation of high prolactin
Prolactin level most helpful:
Upper reference limit 20-25 ng/mL
> 200 ng/mL, almost all tumors
100-200 ng/mL, 80-90% tumors
< 100 ng/mL, consider other causes
Growth Hormone
Relatively common syndromes of over- underproduction:
Overproduction: gigantism (children), acromegaly (adults)
Underproduction - pituitary dwarfism (children), few symptoms in adults
GH Excess
Basal GH not useful; often normal or only slightly
Glucose inhibits GH; test 1 h after oral glucose load (GTT): failure to suppress in tumors IGF-1 best single test for diagnosis, follow-up
GH Deficiency
Rare cause of dwarfism
Usually defined as failure of GH to respond to at least 2 stimuli
IGF-1 can be used in children > 5, not as helpful in young children In adults, GH replacement being explored for osteoporosis, aging
Hypopituitarism
Presents end organ failure with low pituitary hormone levels
May affect one or more hormone
Prolactin may be high due to loss of dopamine inhibition GH, gonadotropins early loss, TSH later, ACTH last; not always this order
Male Gonadal Function
FSH stimulates spermatogenesis
LH stimulates testosterone
Sertoli cells make inhibin, decreasing FSH production
Testosterone converted to dihydrotestosterone (more potent) by 5a reductase at cell level (little circulates)
Female Gonadal Function
Slight fall in estrogen causes LH surge
Before ovulation, estrogen dominant After ovulation, progesterone dominant
Lack of fertilization: progesterone falls, menstruation Can tell adequate estrogen by Nl periods, bleeding after progesterone withdrawal
Menstrual Cycle
Cells involved in menstrual cycle
Gonadal Tests
- Clinical evaluation (for estrogen)
- Progesterone, testosterone levels
- Adrenal androgens (DHEA-S)
- Free testosterone level (or estimation)
- Gonadotropins
- HCG
Sex Steroids
- Estrogen usually evaluated clinically, rarely measured (precocious puberty)
- Testosterone mainly bound to SHBG, but inhibits production; as T falls,
- SHBG rises, causing greater fall in active free T than total T
- Most free T assays unreliable, however
Sex Steroids 2
- If total T near lower end of normal, free T can be measured by equilibrium dialysis or estimated from total T, SHBG, and albumin levels
- Alternative approach: precipitate SHBG and measure residual T (called “bioavailable” T)
Progesterone
- Used to evaluate function of corpus luteum; used in fertility problems
- Must be interpreted based on day of cycle
- Considerable variation from one person to next