The Endocrine Laboratory…

…provides specialist testing for the investigation and monitoring of a wide range of endocrine disorders. This includes the investigation of pituitary, hypothalamic, thyroid, adrenal and gonadal function.

The specialist endocrinology laboratory has been established in Newcastle for many years and has been designated as an SAS laboratory since the foundation of the SAS Hormone group in 1974, which was established to provide a network of specialist endocrine services across England and Wales. An extensive menu of specialist endocrine assays is available including:

• 17OHP
• AVP/copeptin
• ACTH
• AMH
• Androstenedione
• Aldosterone/renin
• Calcitonin
• Chromogranin A
• C-peptide/insulin
• Growth hormone/ IGF-1
• Thyroglobulin/TgAbs
• TRAbs
• Urinary free cortisol

There is a close relationship with the clinical Endocrinology department who support the laboratory service.  An active research and development programme is in place involving collaboration with service users and academic colleagues.

Endocrinology is the study of medicine that relates to the endocrine system, which is the system that controls hormones

What do hormones do?

The human body is complex: different parts have to complete many different tasks, which requires co-ordination and communication.

Hormones are natural substances made by the body that act as chemical messengers, allowing different parts of the body to communicate with each other and so co-ordinate the body’s responses to a variety of changes. These range from stress, and illness to changes in the weather and ageing.

The range of effects that hormones have is best reflected in the range of things that can happen when things go wrong with them: too much or too little being made at the wrong time.