Endocrine Abstracts

Measurements of plasma concentrations of the O-methylated metabolites of catecholamines including metanephrine, normetanephrine and methoxytyramine have advantages over other biochemical tests used to diagnose phaeochromocytoma for several reasons: i) the metabolites are produced within chromaffin cells continuously from catecholamines leaking from storage vesicles; ii) the single largest source of these metabolites is from adrenal medullary chromaffin cells, but this p...

The genetic heterogeneity of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL) offers opportunities to develop individualized treatment approaches for affected patients. Therefore, an improved understanding of the molecular features associated with different tumor phenotypes is required. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 2α-regulated pathways involving the MYC/MAX complex are directly linked to differentiation and aggressiveness in PPGLs. However, the distinct functions of the two...