Malignant melanoma with ectopic production of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Palliative treatment with inhibitors of adrenal steroid biosynthesis.
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To evaluate the usefulness of blood testosterone (T) in monitoring the effects of therapy in congenital virilizing adrenal hyperplasia due to 21- or 11- hydroxylation defect (CVAH), T levels were measured on 45 occasions in 13 patients with CVAH; 32 urinary 17-ketosteroid levels and 31 preganetriol values were available for comparison. Bone age levels, growth data, and medication are listed to help assess the clinical state of the patient at the time of each T determination. Blood T values were above normal for age and sex in untreated patients with CVAH and declined with glucocorticoid suppression. A blood T value of 20 ng/100 ml appeared to distinguish between well-controlled cases and those with inadequate steroid suppression. Serial measurement of blood T in girls and in prepubertal boys with CVAH provides assistance in evaluating chemical control of the disease, particularly when accurate 24-h urine collections cannot be obtained for 17-ketosteroid and pregnanetriol assessments.
Concentrations of 17-hydroxyprogesterone are significantly greater in heterozygous carriers of CVAH than in controls 30 and 60 minutes after an infusion of 25 units of synthetic ACTH 1-24 and 2 hours after beginning a 4-hour infusion of 50 units ACTH. The majority of carriers were clearly above the control range at these collection times. Hence, heterozygous carriers have a partial enzyme deficiency although all cannot be diagnosed based on 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels after ACTH stimulation.
Three premenarchial, 2 primary amenorrheic, and 5 post-menarchial patients with congenital virilizing adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) were examined, utilizing frequent blood sampling techniques and the administration of synthetic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) to determine whether a normal pattern of gonadotropin output occurs in CAH. Pulsatile gonadotropin output was not observed in premenarchial patients, but was seen in all who had had spontaneous menses. Bone age did not correlate with baseline or episodic gonadotropin output, or with response to LRH, but did reflect the past or present therapeutic control. The normal developmental progression of gonadotropin output was only documented in those patients who had been maintained at doses of suppressive glucocorticoids appropriate for body surface.
In a patient with pituitary ACTH-dependent adrenal hyperplasia (AH), the standard oral metyrapone test resulted in a decrease in "apparent 11beta-hydroxylase activity" (-48%) accompanied by an increase in "apparent cholesterol cleavage activity" (+318%). When incubated adrenal mitochondria from this patient were studied, metyrapone inhibited both 11beta-hydroxylation of labeled 11-deoxycorticosterone and cleavage of labeled cholesterol, although at 0.1 and 1.0 mM metyrapone concentrations, depression of cholesterol cleavage (23 and 54%, respectively) was less than that of 11beta-hydroxylation (62 and 84%, respectively). The inhibition of cholesterol cleavage by metyrapone (26 and 62%, at 0.1 and 1.0 mM concentrations, respectively) was also demonstrable in adrenal mitochondria from a patient with hypercorticism resulting from an ACTH-independent adrenal adenoman (AA). Metyrapone administration to AA resulted in a significant depression of both 11beta-hydroxylase (-62%) and cholesterol cleavage (-36%) "apparent activities"; when metyrapone and ACTH were given together to this patient, however, only 11beta-hydroxylase "apparent activity" diminished (-26%), while cholesterol cleavage "apparent activity" was greatly augmented (+231%), thereby simulating the results of the standard metyrapone test in AH. These data demonstrate that metyrapone inhibits both mitochondrial reactions involved in cortisol synthesis--initial cholesterol cleavage and final 11beta-hydroxylation; these effects probably result from interference by this agent with the interaction between substrate and related cytochrome P - 450. Since ACTH has a major stimulatory effect on cholesterol cleavage but not on 11beta-hydroxylation, the outcome of metyrapone administration is thus determined by whether a change in ACTH level ensues: while 11beta-hydroxylation is inhibited by metyrapone under any circumstances, total steroid output rises when a compensatory ACTH increase overcomes metyrapone inhibition of cholesterol conversion into pregnenolone and falls when metyrapone inhibition of this reaction is unopposed.
Both pregnenolone and 17-OH-pregnenolone were found to be higher in the plasma of patients with poorly controlled congential adrenal hyperplasia than in normal subjects. The plasma levels of these precursor steroids were significantly correlated with urinary 17-ketosteroid and pregnanetriol excretion and with plasma testosterone. The mechanism where by plasma pregnenolone and 17-OH-pregnenolone levels are elevated in patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency is unknown, but the phenomenon of product inhibition is suggested as a possible explanation. As 17-OH-pregnenolone in plasma is almost entirely of adrenal origin, its measurement promises to be useful in the management of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Acute stimulation with ACTH caused negligible changes in the plasma levels of pregnenolone and 17-OH-pregnenolone and failed to distinguish between overly, appropriately, and under-treated patients. However, following repeated stimulation with repository ACTH, the steroid levels rose. These findings indicate limited adrenal responsiveness to ACTH following chronic glucocorticoid treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, even in under-treated patients, and suggest that normal precursor steroid levels in plasma and normal 17-ketosteroid and pregnanetriol excretion can only be achieved by the suppression of total steroidogenesis to less than that occurring in normal subjects.
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) concentration was measured in the sera of premature and full-term infants and in children throughout puberty. Panhypopituitary, Addisonian, and virilized children were also studied. DS decreased slowly during the first weeks of life from a high level in neonates to the low levels observed between one to five years. After five years of age, DS concentration started to rise. A steeper increase was observed with the onset of puberty, and adult DS concentrations were reached in late puberty. There was no sex difference in DS concentration at any pubertal stage or bone age. Day-to-day variations were small in childhood and during puberty, but were considerable in premature infants. DS concentrations measured at 0900 h were not significantly different from those at 1700 h. There was a positive correlation of serum DS concentrations with the excretion of urinary 17-ketosteroids in boys and girls (r=0.789). Premature infants had DS concentration in or above the late pubertal range. Five panhypopituitary patients and five Addisonian patients had DS concentrations below normal. DS was markedly elevated in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia and in one girl with adrenal carcinoma, and was suppressible with dexamethasone in the former. The ease of measurement and the small amount of blood required make serum DS determination a useful guide for adrenal androgen secretion.
One of the first described cases of hypertensive virilizing adrenal hyperplasia (VAH) (Pediatrics 8: 805, 1951) has been followed from age 2 1/2 until age 26. Blood pressure as an infant was 150/90, and at age 25 was 220/160. During childhood the patient was lost to follow-up for prolonged periods, and received no therapy from age 20 to 25. At this time 24 h urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids was 89 mg; tetrahydro 11-deoxycortisol (tetrahydro S), 47 mg and pregnanetriol 5.7 mg. Hourly measurements of several plasma steroids utilizing sephadex LH 20 chromatography and competitive protein binding were made during 24 h; concentration ranges were made during 24 h; concentration ranges were as follows (mug/100 ml): 11-deoxycortisol 8-40; cortisol 0-48; corticosterone 0-15; deoxycorticosterone 1-18. Plasma cortisol, especially showed a significiant morning impairment, but reached normal and even markedly elevated levels during the day and early evening. Urinary cyclic AMP per 24 h ranged from 5.3 to 11.6 n mol/mg creatinine before therapy, and was 1.9 n mol after therapy. The results suggest either the formation of an alternate pathway to cortisol synthesis, or the existence of a form of VAH with two independent 11-B hydroxylating systems, exhibiting only minimal impairment of the synthetic route to cortisol. The latter would support the presence of two independent 11-B hydroxylating systems in the normal human adrenal. This has been suggested by Zachmann et al. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 33: 501, 1971) to be true in infancy. Our observations on an adult indicate that these two systems may not be transitory, but persist into adulthood.
Basal release of gonadotropin and the response to an infusion of 100 mug of synthetic luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LRH) were studied in a teenage girl with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The initial study was done during a period of poor adrenal suppression, and second study was done after adequate adrenal suppression was achieved. To assess adrenal function, circulating levels of adrenal steroid hormones were evaluated continuously over a 24 h period. During the period increased production of adrenal androgens, the pattern of gonadotropin release was that of a prepubertal child. After 3 months of adrenal suppression the pattern of gonadotropin secretion was similar to that of a normal girl in mid-puberty. This demonstrates the rapid change from prepubertal to pubertal gonadotropin dynamics in a teenage patient following adequate suppression of androgens from the adrenal.
The circadian periodicity of adrenal function in patients with congenital virilizing adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) was examined by measuring the urinary 17-ketosteroids, 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, sodium, and potassium. Patients with the salt-losing and the non-salt-losing types were studied with and without treatment. Cosine curves were fitted to the data by the least-squares method to determine the mesors, amplitudes, and acrophases of the variable for each patient. The data reveal distinct circadian rhythms for all variables measured whether or not the patient was receiving treatment. The acrophases for 17-ketosteroids and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids were between 1500 and 1800 h. These acrophases are about 6 h later than those for normal subjects. The treatment on a fixed daytime schedule for many years may have shifted the natural rhythm.
The pituitary reserve of GH, ACTH, TSH, LH, and FSH was determined in seven prepubertal birls suffering from congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylation defect and under treatment with cortisone acetate. GH and ACTH were studied during the insulin induced hypoglycemia test. The LH, FSH, and TSH reserved were assayed by means of the LH-RH and TRH tests. GH behavior proved to be similar to that found in normal subjects, whereas basal and/or after stimulus ACTH turned out to be higher than the upper limits of the normal range in five out of six girls. The mean basal value and the mean LH peak were not significantly higher than those found in normal prepubertal girls; the mean basal value and the mean FSH peak were lower than the mean of the control group. The difference is significant (P less than 0.05) only between the peak values. The mean basal TSH in the patients is significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than the mean value of the control group. The maximum TSH after TRH is not significantly different from the mean value fo the control group.
A 22-year-old male with bilateral testicular tumors and the 21-hydroxylase variety of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) was studied. Preoperatively, on his usual glucocorticoid regimen, his urinary pregnanetriol excretion was increased (8.0-23.5 mg/day), serum LH and FSH were normal to increased (14.3-28.7 mIU/ml and 13.2-19.5 mIU/ml, respectively) and testosterone (T) was normal to decreased (176-600 ng/dl). At surgery, testicular vein concentrations of 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) and adnrostenedione (delta) were increased (30.1 mug/dl and 38.3 mug/dl respectively) while T was decreased (1,503 ng/dl); a positive peripheral vein--testicular vein gradient was not seen for these steroids. Following injection of 10 U of crystalline ACTH into the testicular artery; testicular vein concentrations of 17-OHP, delta and T increased to 729 mug/dl, 2,390 mug/dl and 9,660 ng/dl respectively. Microscopic examination of the testes revealed multinodular tumors composed of polygonal or rounded eosinophilic cells, arranged in cords, nests and clusters. The tumors extended from the hilus and compressed the adjacent testicular tissue. Electron microscopic examination of the tumors showed features, common to steroid-secreting tissues, with abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum in close proximity to mitochondria which was moderate in number. The adjacent testicular tissue was composed of immature tubules with normally developed Leydig cells in the interstitial tissues. From these data and a survey of previous works, it was postulated that these tumors were dependent upon ACTH for growth and steroid secretion. In view of the high serum LH concentration seen in association with incomplete suppression of adrenal steroid secretion in this study and the association of evidence of gonadotropin secretion with testicular tumors in other CAH patients, LH may also have contributed to the growth of these tumors.
Extensive hormonal evaluation was performed in a girl with adrenal carcinoma during the primary tumor stage, following adrenalectomy, during the period when metastases were evident and while on treatment with o,p'-DDD. At the age of 14 months a diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia was made and treatment with dexamethasone (0.125 to 0.25 mg/day) resulted in a fall-off in growth rate, normal advancement in bone age, decrease in virilization and suppression of 17- ketosteroid excretion which continued until 4 3/12 years of age when virilization increased. At five years of age elevated serum and urinary androgen levels unsuppressible with dexamethasone were noted. Following removal of a large right adrenal carcinoma, serum and urinary hormone levels returned to normal. There months following surgery, liver metastases were documented associated with elevated levels of serum androgens. With o,p'-DDD treatment, serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) and urinary 17-ketosteroid (17-KS) excretion fell rapidly while there was a delay in the fall of free androgens. The persistence of free steroid secretion with decreased formation of DS suggests that the o,p'-DDD may have altered sulfatase activity before causing tumor necrosis and total decrease in steroidogenesis.
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