Endocrine Abstracts

Medical treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is limited to common cytotoxic agents, which are usually given in combination with mitotane (M). Recently, we investigated together with M the effects of i) the classical EDP protocol (etoposide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin) and ii) a novel paclitaxel containing scheme PDP (paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and cisplatin) on human NCIh295 cells indicating anti-tumoral superiority of PDP-M over EDP-M regarding cell viability (P...

Objective: It is still unknown how pituitary adenomas grow over years and whether growth kinetics follow a distinct growth model. Definition of adenoma growth kinetics would substantially enhance knowledge of biological behaviour. The objective of this study was to define a growth model for non-functioning pituitary adenomas.Methods: Fifteen patients who had five or more serial high-quality examinations with magnetic resonance images or computerized tomo...

Aldosterone is synthesized acutely upon stimulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system from the cells of the zona glomerulosa. Several enzymes are involved in this steroidogenic process including the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), P450 side chain cleavage enzyme (Cyp11a1) and aldosterone synthase, the product of the gene Cyp11b2.We investigated the short time transcriptional regulation of these genes in wild type mi...

Objective: To evaluate reduced fertility rates and their possible causes in a cohort of well controlled male adult patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.Methods: We clinically assessed 22 male patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (15 salt wasting form, 7 simple virilising, age 18–49) according to their hormonal control. Further, we performed testicular ultrasound, MRI of the testis and a sperm count of each. As laboratory markers 17-O...

Recent molecular studies suggest a role of ectopic G protein coupled receptors in primary aldosteronism (PA). The clinical relevance of these findings is not known. We therefore combined expression profiling and a clinical testing of hormone responsiveness in patients with primary aldosteronism. Sixteen tissues from aldosterone producing adenomas and 6 normal adrenal glands were subjected to a quantitative PCR for determination of mRNA expression levels of AT2R, GIPR, MC2R, Gn...

BackgroundUnilateral forms of primary aldosteronism (PA) are usually surgically treated to remove the source of aldosterone excess. After adrenalectomy, aldosteronism persists in a subset of patients indicating abnormal aldosterone production from the unresected gland.ObjectiveTo retrospectively analyze histopathology and post-surgical outcomes in a 3-year prospective cohort of patients diagnosed with unilate...

Context: Transcriptomic based characterization of signaling pathways in the adrenals of different subtypes of Cushing’s syndrome.Patients: For preliminary NGS analyses, a total of 27 adrenal samples were used. The cohort consisted of the following patient groups: Cortisol producing adenoma (CPA, n=9), primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH, n=10). The adjacent normal adrenal tissue from pheochromocytoma patients ...

Background: The role of ferroptosis – a regulated form of cell death – in the pathophysiology of aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA) is unclear.Objective: To identify mechanisms of ferroptosis in human adrenal cells and translate these findings to APA pathophysiology.Methods: Cell death detection, lipid ROS generation and mRNA sequencing were performed on HAC15 cells treated with the specific ferroptosis inducer RSL3 (1,...

Cushing’s disease tumours bear activating mutations in the ubiquitin-specific-protease 8 gene (USP8) gene in 40-60% of cases. We have previously observed that patients with USP8 mutant tumours have smaller tumour size and show a better response to high dose (8mg) dexamethasone stimulation test compared to those with wild type USP8 (1). The aim of this study was to define the role of USP8 on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in corticotroph tumour cells. We did experim...

Introduction: We report the largest case series of concomitant prolactinoma and aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA), diagnosed in four patients from the German Conn Registry and in three patients at the Hypertension Unit, University of Torino. A disproportionate number (five out of seven) presented with macro-prolactinomas indicating that elevated prolactin (PRL) concentrations may play a role in APA formation. Further, increased expression of PRLR in the zona glomeru...