Endocrine system possess broad patches of closely opposed plasma membrane linked by transmembrane channels known as connexons. The gap between the cells can usually be between only 2 and 4 nm. Diseases of the endocrine system are common, including conditions such as diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, and obesity. Endocrine disease is characterized by misregulated hormone release (a productive pituitary adenoma), inappropriate response to signaling (hypothyroidism), lack of a gland (diabetes mellitus type 1, diminished erythropoiesis in chronic renal failure), or structural enlargement in a critical site such as the thyroid (toxic multinodular goitre). Hypofunction of endocrine glands can occur as a result
Multiple endocrine neoplasia all but abandoned in the medical literature. Another early report was Schimke "et al." in 1968. OMIM also includes a fourth form of multiple endocrine neoplasia ("MEN4"), associated with CDKN1B. The presentation is believed to overlap that of MEN1 and MEN2. The "MEN1" gene consists of ten exons, spanning about 10 kb, and encodes a 610 amino acid protein named menin. The first exon and the last part of exon 10 are not translated. A main transcript of 2.8 kb has been described in a large variety of human tissues (pancreas, thymus, adrenal glands, thyroid, testis, leukocytes, heart, brain, lung,