Endocrine Abstracts

Coronavirus disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19) is associated with a variable clinical syndrome, ranging from a mild-moderate to a severe disease, progressing towards acute respiratory distress syndrome. Hypocortisolism is associated with a depletion of innate immunity and disruption of immune response, which could contribute to an increased risk of infection and development of a severe disease. Glucocorticoid (GC) replacement therapy(GCRT), especially if administere...

Cushing’s disease (CD), caused by an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary tumor, is the most common form of hypercortisolism. Pituitary surgery is the first-line treatment of CD and medical treatment is an alternative second-line approach to control cortisol excess. Long-term exposure to glucocorticoids (GC) downregulates the expression of somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2) but not type 5 (SSTR5) in human and mouse ACTH-secreting tumor cell cultures; t...

In vitro studies suggest that glucocorticoids (GC) long-term exposure downregulates SSTR2 but not SSTR5 expression in human and mouse ACTH-secreting tumor cells (AtT20), limiting the efficacy of octreotide (OCT), a somatostatin-receptor ligand with high affinity for SSTR2, in the treatment of Cushing’s disease (CD). In AtT20, dexamethasone treatment increased miR-375 expression, whose analysis revealed a seed-sequence for SSTR2, supporting the hypothesis that exc...

Life-long glucocorticoid (GC) treatment is needed in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, to replace GC deficiency and to control androgens excess. Multiple daily immediate-release-hydrocortisone (IR-HC), characterized by GC overexposure, peaks and troughs, is frequently associated with a suboptimal androgen control, due to ACTH overnight increase. Once daily dual-release-HC (DR-HC), approved for adrenal insufficiency and, despit...