Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH) are adrenocortical tumors leading to adrenal Cushing’s syndrome. Recently, our laboratory has identified the first gene predisposing frequently to PBMAH in adults, named ARMC5 (Armadillo Repeat Containing 5)1. The ARMC5-inactivating mutations identified in leucocyte and tumour DNA in PBMAH patients suggest that ARMC5 is a tumour suppressor gene. However, the mechanisms of action of ARMC5 remain unkno...

The cortisol secretion level of adrenocortical adenomas range from hormonally silent to overt hypercortisolism. The mechanisms leading to the autonomous hypersecretion of cortisol are unknown. The aim was to identify the gene expression alterations associated with the autonomous and excessive cortisol secretion of adrenocortical adenomas.Methods: The transcriptome of 22 unilateral adrenocortical adenomas (5 non-secreting, 6 subclinical cortisol-producing...

Introduction: DNA methylation is a mechanism for gene expression dysregulation in cancer. Little is known about methylation in adrenocortical tumors (ACT). Previous transcriptome studies proposed an original classification of ACT, first discriminating carcinomas from adenomas, then separating the carcinomas in two groups with different prognosis (C1A and C1B), the poor outcome group (C1A) being divided in three subgroups: p53 inactivation sub-group (C1Ap53), β-catenin act...

Introduction: CD is a rare disease. Our aim was to describe demographic and clinical characteristics together with initial management of patients with CD.Patients and methods: A retrospective analysis of 437 CD patients diagnosed between 1996 and 2009, followed in 5 tertiary centers (Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Marseille, Paris) was performed in the frame of the national program for rare diseases.Results: 347 (80%) were women. Mean a...

Background: Cushing syndrome due to PPNAD is the main endocrine disorder of CNC, an autosomal dominant multiple neoplasia caused by germline inactivating mutations of the subunit type 1A (PRKAR1A) of the protein kinase A (PKA). In addition, germline inactivating mutations in the gene encoding phosphodiesterase 11A (PDE11A) have been identified in patients with PPNAD.Aim of the study: To investigate the role of PDE11A genetic alterati...

Diagnosing malignancy and assessing the prognosis of adrenocortical tumors is challenging. The aim is to identify molecular predictors of malignancy and of survival.Patients and methods: Of 153 unilateral adrenocortical tumors were studied by microarray (n=92) or RT-qPCR (n=148). A 2-gene predictor of malignancy was built using the disease-free survival as the end-point in a training cohort (n=47), then validated in an independent va...

Introduction: We have previously identified (using a whole-genome large scale SNP- screening approach) germline inactivating stop codon mutations of the PDE11A4 in patients with Cushing syndrome due to micronodular adrenal hyperplasia. PDE11A4 is a cAMP/cGMP phosphodiesterase.Aim of the study: To investigate the role of PDE11A genetic alterations in a large cohort of ACT.Materials and methods: Leukocyte DNA from 117 adrenocortical ...

Adrenocortical tumor (ACT) is a rare, heterogeneous malignancy whose pathogenesis is unclear. The oncoprotein PTHrP, found in many common tumors, can regulate their growth in an autocrine/paracrine fashion through the receptor PTH-R1. Little is known about the role of PTHrP in ACT. We monitored the synthesis of PTHrP and PTH-R1 in a series of 25 ACT: 12 adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), 13 adrenocortical adenoma (ACA), and investigated the effects of PTHrP (1–34) on H295R c...

Limited data are available about pregnancy in acromegalic women. Forty-three women, 32±1 years, presented GH hypersecretion (GH=44±7 ng/ml, IGF-1=1009±82 ng/ml) due to micro (n=6) or macroadenoma (n=37). Thirty-six women had transsphenoidal incomplete surgical resection and 9 external radiation of the pituitary adenoma performed 2.8±0.5 and 7.1±3.3 years before pregnancy. Women received dopamine agonists (n=6), somatostatin analogu...

IntroductionFasting trial remains the gold standard to confirm the diagnosis of insulinoma, based on low blood glucose level concomitant with inadequate high insulin level. However, diagnostic criteria are not consensual. Glycemia and insulin thresholds differ between the different consensus statements : endogenous hyperinsulism diagnosis relies on a glycemia < 3 mmol/l associated with an insulin level > 3 mUI/l in Endocrine Society guidelines (2009)...