The Pituitary and Transgender Research Group
The pituitary research group covers pituitary, adrenal, gonadal and transgender research, and we collaborate with a broad group of researchers. ï‚·
Professors: Marianne Skovsager Andersen and Dorte Glintborg ï‚·
Seniors: Assistant professors Louise Lehmann Christensen and Line Velling Magnussen and post doc Richard Christian Jensen.
Ongoing projects:
Double Edge (DE) study (OUH))
Status: Recruiting
PhD-students: Anja Fenger Dreyer, Hajir Al-Jorani.
A national multicenter collaboration with Aarhus University Hospital and Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen.
Perspectives: Investigates adrenal function and mental and physical health issues after long-term prednisolone treatment. Focus on patient reported outcomes and using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). This large project is conducted at three centers in Aarhus, Odense and Copenhagen with a DKK 25 mill. grant from NNF.
REPLACE (OUH)
Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy is widely prescribed for a variety of inflammatory diseases and GC-induced adrenal insufficiency (GIAI) may occur after GC withdrawal. GIAI is diagnosed by a low response to a short synacthen test (SST) or a low basal morning cortisol level. Symptoms of GIAI overlap with glucocorticoid withdrawal syndrome (GWS), but these symptoms are rarely considered when patients are seen after GC withdrawal. Addison’s disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire (AddiQoL) is a validated tool for patient reported outcomes in Addison’s disease, but AddiQoL is also a potential tool for evaluating symptoms of glucocorticoid withdrawal, GWS.
The aim of this study is to generate evidence-based guidance for diagnosing and managing patients with GWS. We hypothesize that hydrocortisone therapy will significantly increase AddiQoL scores compared to placebo. Main study aim is to generate evidence-based guidance for diagnosing and managing patients with GWS. Methods and analysis REPLACE is a multi-centre double-blinded, placebo-controlled RCT in patients with GWS, during GC free remission for 2-12 weeks after prednisolone treatment for more than 12 weeks of polymyalgia rheumatica and/or giant cell arteritis. Inclusion criteria are AddiQoL-30 score <85 and/or SST-stimulated plasma cortisol levels (30-minute p-cortisol) >100 and <420 nmol/L. Patients with SST-stimulated cortisol less than 100 nmol/l and a healthy control group of 50 persons are baseline comparator groups. Eligible patients are randomized to hydrocortisone or placebo for 16 weeks. Baseline and follow-up examinations comprise AddiQol-30 questionnaire and SST, blood samples, standardized blood pressure, physical tests and DXA-scan.
SURVIVE
Status: Recruiting
PhD-student: Nicolaj Bruun Brandt
SURVIVE (Unraveling Endocrine Mechanisms to Improve Maternal Health and Increase Fetal Survival) is a large multicenter project initiated by Prof. Henriette Svarre at Hvidovre Hospital. The project aims to investigate the role of non-diabetic endocrine disorders in women experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss, with a particular focus on thyroid disorders and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The study explores how immunological and genetic factors, beyond hormone status, contribute to non-diabetic endocrine pregnancy loss. It examines whether specific subtypes of PCOS and thyroid disorders are linked to a high risk of euploid pregnancy loss through shared mechanisms. By integrating large-scale genomic, proteomic, immunological, and endocrine data, the project seeks to uncover the underlying mechanisms of these endocrine disorders in pregnancy loss. Additionally, machine learning models will be developed to identify patients at risk of euploid pregnancy loss due to endocrine factors and to predict the likelihood of a live birth in a subsequent pregnancy. The project is being conducted across three centers in Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Aalborg, and Odense, supported by a DKK 25 million grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Study inclusion is expected to conclude in Summer 2025.
Center of Gender Identity: Register based study, audit-Center of Gender Identity and the Body Identity Clinic
PhD Students: Mette Bøgehave, Tine Taulbjerg Kristensen
Undergraduate research Year Students: Mathilde Kamp Nørlund
The prospective audit collects clinical, biochemical, and patient-reported outcomes from all transgender patients attending the Center of Gender Identity in Odense. The Body Identity Clinic (BIC) protocol includes a state-of-the-art evaluation of cardiometabolic health and cortisol metabolism.
Our research aims to investigate changes in psychiatric outcomes following gender-affirming hormone treatment and surgery. We seek to provide recommendations on the most effective hormone therapy regimens for improving mental health outcomes while also identifying strategies to minimize the long-term risks associated with gender-affirming hormone therapy. Current Status: 400 individuals have been included in the prospective audit, and 200 participants are enrolled in the BIC protocol. Published data includes findings on referral patterns, socio-economic status, hormone treatment use, and cardiovascular disease risk within the study cohort.
PCOS – Nordic PCOS cohort
Status: Ongoing
The study is a national cohort study that includes women diagnosed with PCOS from the Nordic countries: Denmark, Sweden, and Finland and controls without PCOS diagnosis, Participants in the study cohorts are followed from the date of PCOS diagnosis onward, which will result in a follow-up duration of up to 35 years and a maximum age of around 75 years. The cohort includes nearly 100,000 women diagnosed with PCOS and 500,000 age-matched female controls.
The research aims to investigate the risk of several diseases in women with PCOS, including cardiovascular diseases (such as coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, venous thromboembolism, and stroke), diabetes mellitus (both Type 1 and Type 2), depression and anxiety disorders, various types of cancer (including endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancer), osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, and lung diseases.
Cortisol and obesity – a vicious circle, EXCENTRICC
Status: Recruiting
Perspectives: Elucidates the interplay between cortisol status, body composition and risk of hypoglycemia in patients before and after bariatric surgery. Collaborations with Odense Child Cohort (OCC) Maternal 3rd trimester testosterone levels and traits of autism spectrum disease in offspring boys at age 3 years.
Odense Child Cohort (OCC)
Status: Ongoing
PhD students: Anja Fenger Dreyer, Hajir Al-Jorani, Camilla Palm
Post doc: Richard C. Jensen
Forskerårsstuderende: Matias Serup
Projects:
- Register studies on mother-child pairs in OCC. In cooperation with Lucas Bacmeister and Dirk Westerman, Freiburg
- Exposure to environmental chemicals with regard to endocrine aspects during pregnancy
- Thyroid function in pregnancy. In cooperation with Tim Korevaar et al. An international multicenter consortium with 25 cohorts from Netherlands, the UK, Belgium, Denmark, the USA, China, Islamic Republic of Iran, Spain, Japan, Chile, Finland, Russia, Greece, and Australia in relation to: Association of gestational thyroid function and thyroid autoimmunity with gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and individual-participant meta-analysis. Association of gestational thyroid function with maternal and offspring outcomes in twin pregnancies.