Endocrine Abstracts

Glucocorticoid resistance syndrome, a rare genetic disease, is often associated with glucocorticoid receptor (GR) loss-of-function mutations. Six patients carrying heterozygous mutations of NR3C1 gene encoding GR, either missense R477S, Q501H, L672P or non-sense R469X, R491X, Y660X mutations were studied. Surprisingly, NR3C1 mutation carriers presented with low kalemia, low plasma renin and aldosterone levels associated or not with arterial hypertension, cons...

The 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11βHSD) isozymes are well-known regulators of glucocorticoid hormone metabolism: 11βHSD2, mostly expressed in the distal nephron, converts cortisol [F] into cortisone [E] in humans or corticosterone into 11-dehydrocorticosterone in rodents (11-dehydro derivatives being inactive compounds), and 11βHSD1, ubiquitously expressed but predominantly in the liver, catalyzes the opposite reaction. Under pathophysiological conditi...

Primary generalized glucocorticoid resistance is characterized by glucocorticoid excess without any Cushing syndrome. Patients exhibit variable clinical presentation including arterial hypertension, hirsutism or adrenal hyperplasia. Although glucocorticoid resistance has been associated with glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mutations (encoded by NR3C1 gene), only 23 mutations have been reported so far. We have conducted a French National Research Program, referred to as M...