The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 92, No. 6 17a
Copyright © 2007 by The Endocrine Society
Endocrinology & Metabolism News, June 2007
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Endocrine Discovery
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An annual zoledronic acid infusion for over 3 years in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis reduced risk of vertebral fracture by 70% and hip fracture by 41% compared with placebo in a randomized trial.
(N Engl J Med [May 3, 2007] 356 (18):1809)
In 163 young adults born with a very low birth weight, higher indices of insulin resistance and glucose intolerance as well as higher blood pressure were observed in comparison to subjects born at term with normal weights.
(N Engl J Med [May 17, 2007] 356 (20):2053)
In diabetes patients on oral hypoglycemic agents, chromium therapy resulted in no differences in hemoglobin A1C, lipoproteins, BMI, blood pressure, body fat, or insulin resistance compared to placebo.
(Diabetes Care [May 2007] 30:1092)[CrossRef]
Among 27,000 women who received conjugated equine estrogen with or without medroxyprogesterone in the Women’s Health Initiative, a secondary analysis showed a trend, but no significant decrease in coronary events when estrogen therapy was initiated soon after menopause compared to placebo.
(JAMA [April 4, 2007] 297 (13):1465)
In individuals with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, high-dose immunosuppression followed by autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation induced prolonged insulin independence in the majority in a prospective phase 1/2 study of patients diagnosed within the previous six weeks without ketoacidosis.
(JAMA [April 11, 2007] 297 (14):1568)
Among 183 subjects with coronary artery disease, significant improvements in quantitative coronary angiography scores were observed in patients randomized to receive four weekly infusions of reconstituted HDL compared to placebo, although intravascular ultrasound showed minimal changes in the volume coronary atheromatous plaques.
(JAMA [April 18, 2007] 297 (15):1675)
Roles in the regulation of lipid metabolism for two lymphocyte-produced cytokines—lymphotoxin (LT) and LIGHT—are suggested by observations that 1) dysregulation of T cell LIGHT expression resulted in hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia; and 2) in LDL receptor-deficient mice, inhibition of LT and LIGHT signaling lessened the severity of their dyslipidemia.
(Science [April 13, 2007] 316 (5822):285)
In a genome-wide search, a common variant in the FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) gene was found to predispose to diabetes through an association with greater BMI. The finding was confirmed in 13 cohorts with 38,759 participants. The 16% of adults homozygous for the risk FTO allele had 1.7-fold likelihood of being obese after age 7 years.
(Science [May 11, 2007] 316 (5826):889)
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Endocrine Education & Training
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The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an independent federal organization that advises Congress on Medicare issues, recommended a 30% increase in medical school enrollment and an increase in the number of residency positions funded by Medicare. (For more information, contact Cristina Boccuti [202-220-3705]).
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Endocrine Policy
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed new rules regarding Medicare coverage of routine health care costs incurred during clinical trials, including study registration on ClinicalTrials.gov and requirements regarding public release of results. (For more information, go to: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewdraftdecisionmemo.asp?id=186)
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Endocrinologists
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Ron Evans of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies was awarded the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine for his pioneering cell receptor research.
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Milestones in Endocrinology
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Thirty-two of the original 200 Omaha nuns who participated in the demanding metabolic study that defined modern calcium intake recommendations for adult women celebrated the 40th anniversary of this pivotal Creighton University study, in which they consumed a precisely defined diet and had extensive inpatient evaluations over 25 years, followed by another 15 years of biannual assessments.
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In the Journal 25 Years Ago
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Preparation of 125I-labeled receptor-purified Graves’ Immunoglobulins: Properties of their binding to human thyroid membranes. Endo K, Borges M, Amir S, Ingbar SH.
(J Clin Endocrinol Metab [Sept. 1982] 55 (3):566)
"The studies have provided, therefore, the first direct demonstration of saturable binding of Graves’ specific IgG to human thyroid membranes and strong evidence that such binding occurs at the TSH receptor, though perhaps not exclusively so."
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Footnotes
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Readers are encouraged to suggest items for Endocrinology and Metabolism News by email (sherman{at}endo-society.org). Submissions will be considered based on their significance and timeliness.
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