Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “ADDISON'S DISEASE”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Celiac disease in North Italian patients with autoimmune Addison's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD) are prone to develop other autoimmune manifestations. An increased prevalence of celiac disease (CD) has recently been demonstrated in Northern European patients with AAD. IgA deficiency is the most frequent type of immunodeficiency among humans and is present in about one in every 600 individuals in the population. IgA deficiency is frequent in patients with other autoimmune diseases, but data concerning AAD are still unavailable. DESIGN: The aim was to define the prevalence of CD and of IgA deficiency in a group of Italian patients with AAD. METHODS: One hundred and nine patients with AAD were enrolled and examined for tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies of the IgA class, circulating levels of IgA and adrenal cortex antibodies. RESULTS: Two (1.8%) of the patients were affected by already diagnosed CD and were already on a gluten-free diet. Out of the remaining 107 patients, four (3.7%) were found to be positive for IgA antibodies to human tissue transglutaminase. Three of the four patients who were positive for tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies agreed to undergo endoscopy and duodenal biopsies and, in one, a latent form of CD was identified. The clinical, silent or latent form of CD was present in six out of 109 (5.4%). This prevalence was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) than that reported for the Northern Italian population which was equal to 0.063%. Specifically, CD was present in 12.5% of the autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS) type 1 cases, in four out of 60 (6.7%) of the APS type 2 cases and in one out of 40 (2.5%) of the isolated AAD cases. IgA deficiency was present in two out of 109 patients (1.8%), all of whom had normal IgG anti-gliadin. Autoantibodies to the adrenal cortex were detected in 81 out of 109 patients (74.3%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AAD there is a high prevalence of both CD and IgA deficiency. Consequently, it is important to screen for CD with tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies of the IgA class and for IgA levels.

Addison Disease↗

Antibody that blocks stimulation of cortisol secretion by adrenocorticotrophic hormone in Addison's disease.

To investigate whether Addison's disease may in some cases be due to the blocking of adrenocorticotrophic hormone's action at the adrenal cortex by antibodies IgG isolated from a woman with Addison's disease associated with the autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type I was studied. Its effects on guinea pig adrenal cells in vitro were investigated and compared with those of IgG from three normal subjects and IgG obtained commercially. IgG from the patient inhibited the stimulation of cortisol secretion by adrenocorticotrophic hormone by 77 (SD 2)% and 57 (12)% at concentrations of 0.5 and 0.05 g/l, respectively; IgG prepared five months after she had started treatment with replacement steroids inhibited cortisol secretion by 74 (1)% (0.5 g/l) and 51 (15)% (0.05 g/l). The other IgGs had no inhibitory effects. The IgG from the patient and that obtained commercially did not inhibit the stimulation of cortisol secretion by dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate or precursors of cortisol. None of the IgGs bound to adrenocorticotrophic hormone. These results suggest that the IgG from the patient acted against the receptor for adrenocorticotrophic hormone, and its presence may explain the patient's raised concentrations of adrenocorticotrophic hormone, failure to respond to exogenous adrenocorticotrophic hormone, and normal basal cortisol concentrations. Addison's disease may thus in some instances be a receptor antibody disease.

Addison Disease↗

A haplotype of the CYP27B1 promoter is associated with autoimmune Addison's disease but not with Graves' disease in a UK population.

Previous studies have suggested an association between alleles of the CYP27B1 (1-alpha hydroxylase) gene and autoimmune conditions. We have examined three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are located in the 5' region and promoter of the CYP27B1 gene for association in a cohort of Graves' disease and autoimmune Addison's disease subjects from the UK. Genomic DNA samples from white patients with autoimmune Addison's disease (n = 104) and healthy controls (n = 464) were genotyped by PCR-RFLP analysis for the SNPs at positions -1260 and -1077 5' of the coding CYP27B1 sequences. The -1260 SNP was also examined in a cohort of patients with Graves' disease (n = 446). Chi 2 testing of contingency tables was used to determine the significance of genotypes and alleles. Haplotype frequencies and linkage disequilibrium measures were estimated using the UNPHASED and HAPLOVIEW packages. Alleles at the three CYP27B1 markers were in tight linkage disequilibrium with each other and all showed association with autoimmune Addison's disease. The maximum evidence for association was with the -1260 C allele (76.0% in Addison's subjects versus 64.9% in controls; P = 0.003; odds ratio 1.71 (5-95% confidence intervals, 1.20-2.44). A global test of significance for the common -1918 T, -1260 C and -1077 G haplotype was significant in Addison's subjects compared with controls (P = 0.01). In contrast, there was no association of alleles at the -1260 SNP with Graves' disease. We are able to confirm that a CYP27B1 promoter allele is associated with autoimmune Addison's disease, and extend this finding to include an associated promoter haplotype.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase↗

I. Adrenal cortex and steroid 21-hydroxylase autoantibodies in adult patients with organ-specific autoimmune diseases: markers of low progression to clinical Addison's disease.

Adrenal cortex antibodies (ACA) were measured by immunofluorescence in 8840 adult patients with organ-specific autoimmune diseases without overt hypoadrenalism. Sixty-seven (0.8%) patients were ACA-positive, with the highest prevalence in those with premature ovarian failure (8.9%). Forty-eight ACA-positive and 20 ACA-negative individuals were enrolled into a prospective study. Antibodies to steroid 21-hydroxylases (21-OH), steroid 17 alpha-hydroxylase (17 alpha-OH) and cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) were measured by immunoprecipitation assay. Human leucocyte antigens D-related (HLA-DR) genotyping was also carried out and adrenal function assessed by ACTH test. On enrollment, 75% of ACA-positive patients had a normal adrenal function, while 25% revealed a subclinical hypoadrenalism. 21-OH antibodies were positive in 91% of ACA-positive sera. Eleven patients were positive for steroid-cell antibodies by immunofluorescence, and 9 revealed a positivity for antibodies to 17 alpha-OH and/or P450scc. During the prospective study, overt Addison's disease developed in 21% and subclinical hypoadrenalism in 29% of ACA-positive patients, while 50% maintained normal adrenal function. Progression to Addison's disease was more frequent in patients with subclinical hypoadrenalism, high titers of ACA and higher levels of 21-OH antibodies, complement-fixing ACA and HLA-DR3 status. All 20 persistently ACA-negative patients were also negative for antibodies to 21-OH, 17 alpha-OH, and P450scc, and all maintained normal adrenal function during follow-up. In conclusion, the detection of ACA/21-OH antibodies in adults is a marker of low progression toward clinical Addison's disease.

Addison Disease↗

[IgA deficiency and Addison's disease].

A case of Addison's disease and selective IgA deficiency in a 15-year-old male is discussed. The etiology of Addison's disease in this case is unknown. Investigation of HLA-antigens in the family does not yield the usual pattern of autoimmune diseases. Nevertheless, this very rare association does not appear to be fortuitous.

Addison Disease↗

II. Adrenal cortex and steroid 21-hydroxylase autoantibodies in children with organ-specific autoimmune diseases: markers of high progression to clinical Addison's disease.

Adrenal cortex autoantibodies (ACA) were measured by immunofluorescence in 808 children with organ-specific autoimmune diseases without adrenal insufficiency. ACA were found in 14 children (1.7%), mostly in hypoparathyroidism (48%). Ten ACA-positive and 12 ACA-negative children were followed up for a maximum of 10 yr by evaluation of adrenocortical function (ACTH test) and autoantibody status. In all patients steroid-producing cell autoantibodies were assessed by immunofluorescence and autoantibodies to steroid 21-hydroxylase, 17 alpha-hydroxylase, and cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme by immunoprecipitation assay. All 10 ACA-positive patients were positive for 21-hydroxylase autoantibodies. Six were positive for steroid-producing cell autoantibodies and 5 also for autoantibodies to 17 alpha-hydroxylase and/or P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme. Overt Addison's disease developed in 9 (90%) ACA/21-OH-antibody-positive children after 3-121 months, and 1 remaining child had subclinical hypoadrenalism. By contrast, all ACA/21-OH antibody-negative children maintained normal adrenal function. Adrenal failure was not related to ACA titres, sex, adrenal function, type of preexisting autoimmune disorder, or human leucocyte antigens D-related status. In conclusion, in children with autoimmune endocrine diseases, ACA/21-hydroxylase autoantibodies are important predictive markers for the development of Addison's disease.

Addison Disease↗

Subjective health status in Norwegian patients with Addison's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Many patients with Addison's disease have complaints that might be related to the disease or to its treatment. However, only a few studies have addressed the subjective health status of patients with adrenocortical failure. The aim of the present study was to assess the subjective health status with special emphasis on fatigue among patients with Addison's disease. SUBJECTS, DESIGN AND MEASUREMENT: In a postal survey, 79 patients with confirmed primary adrenal failure (Addison's disease) completed the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and the Fatigue questionnaires. The subjective health status in Addison's disease was compared with normative data from the general population. RESULTS: General health and vitality perception were most consistently impaired in the patients with Addison's disease. The scores on physical functioning and role-physical were low in women. Social functioning and role-emotional scores were also lower than normal in the female patients, but this was confined to the patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes. Patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes tended to have lower scores than patients with solitary Addison's disease. The level of fatigue was higher than normal for both men and women. Working disability at ages 18-67 years was 26%, compared with 10% in the corresponding general Norwegian population. The high working disability increased with age and was higher in subgroups with concomitant endocrine diseases. Most subjective health parameters were lower among the disabled compared to the patients in work. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Addison's disease under replacement therapy with cortisone acetate and fludrocortisone have reduced general health perception and vitality, and increased fatigue. Female patients reported reduced physical function, which might be due to adrenal androgen depletion. Mental health seems more influenced by concomitant endocrine diseases, but mental fatigue might be a specific feature in adrenal failure. The patient population is heterogeneous, with normal findings in a substantial proportion but markedly reduced subjective health status and working ability in many others. Thus, there might be potential for further refinement of replacement therapy.

Addison Disease↗

Secondary pituitary hyperplasia in Addison's disease.

In patients with Addison's disease, whether treated or untreated for the previous 24 hours, hydrocortisone produced only a partial suppression of their elevated adrenocorticotrophic-hormone (A.C.T.H.) levels. This is comparable to untreated myxoedema, in which administration of triiodothyronine fails to inhibit secretion of thyrotrophin (T.S.H.). In myxoedema, however, continued treatment produces normal T.S.H. levels. Inadequate A.C.T.H. suppressibility in patients with Addison's disease while on treatment may be due to the maintenance of a secondary pituitary hyperplasia by inadequate replacement therapy. This may be clinically important, especially in the genesis of Nelson's syndrome.

Addison Disease↗

Autoantibody epitope mapping of the 21-hydroxylase antigen in autoimmune Addison's disease.

Patients with idiopathic Addison's disease are characterized by cytoplasmic adrenal autoantibodies, detectable by indirect immunofluorescence of cryocut sections of human adrenal cortex. Recently, autoantibodies that bind a 55-kilodalton protein in the microsomal fraction of adrenal gland extracts identified to be the cytochrome P450 enzyme 21-hydroxylase have been found in Addisonian patient sera. We confirm the finding and report here the autoantigenic epitopes involved in the autoantibody reactivity using recombinant DNA technology. Six cDNA fragments spanning different regions of the 21-hydroxylase gene were expressed as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase in Escherichia coli. Immunoblot analyses were used to evaluate the reactivity of the recombinant proteins with patients' sera to determine the autoepitopes involved. We found that a conserved region (amino acids 164-356) reacted with 25 of 30 adrenal autoantibody-positive sera tested. One serum sample reacted only with the amino portion of the 21-hydroxylase (amino acids 1-162). In addition, 4 other enzymes important to steroid hormone biosynthesis, 11 beta-hydroxylase, 17 alpha-hydroxylase, side-chain cleavage enzyme P450, and 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, were expressed in E. coli, but none of them gave positive autoantibody reactions by Western blot assays, even using sera from 5 patients with type I autoimmune polyglandular syndrome. The availability of recombinant antigens has permitted structural analysis of the autoepitopes involved in the autoimmune response to 21-hydroxylase in Addison's disease. Our findings should lead to the development of a simple and specific tool for immunodiagnosis of the disease.

Addison Disease↗

Analysis of autoantibody epitopes on human thyroid peroxidase.

A number of studies have indicated that the major autoantibody epitopes on human thyroid peroxidase (TPO) are conformational and are formed by two overlapping immunodominant regions on the TPO molecule. In order to investigate further autoantibody reactivity with TPO, we have studied the TPO binding characteristics of sera from patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (n = 20), autoimmune adrenal disease (Addison's disease; n = 8) and apparently healthy blood donors (n = 9) using recombinant TPO expressed with a series of truncations and internal deletions. This material was obtained using an in vitro transcription/translation system in the presence of 35S-methionine and the reactivity of TPO autoantibodies tested in an immunoprecipitation assay. In addition, we have studied the effects of denaturing purified recombinant TPO by reduction and/or sodium dodecyl sulphate on its reactivity with TPO autoantibodies by Western blotting analysis. These studies show that TPO autoantibodies can recognise TPO in Western blotting analysis when large amounts of purified TPO are run on the gels and the blotted proteins renatured prior to addition of antibody. Under these conditions TPO autoantibodies in all 20 Graves' or Hashimoto's sera tested reacted strongly with blots of non-reduced TPO but reduction of TPO had a marked effect on the ability of autoantibodies to recognise it in Western blotting analysis. Analysis of TPO autoantibody binding to 35S-labelled TPO proteins containing N-terminal, central or C-terminal deletions indicated that all modifications studied caused a statistically significant lowering of binding. In the case of some modifications, there were differences in the reactivity of TPO autoantibodies in sera from patients with Addison's disease compared to TPO autoantibodies in autoimmune thyroid disease and/or healthy blood donor sera. Overall, our results of analysis of T PO autoantibody binding in Western blotting and with modified TPO proteins in immunoprecipitation assays suggest that the main autoantibody binding sites on the TPO molecule involve extensive amino acid sequences. Our studies also suggest that TPO autoantibodies from patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, Addison's disease and apparently healthy blood donors show some differences in epitope recognition on TPO and this approach may allow differentiation between disease related and unrelated TPO autoantibodies.

Autoantibodies↗

A possible ACTH secreting tumour of the pituitary developing in a conventionally treated case of Addison's disease.

A patient with Addison's disease, treated with conventional corticosteroid therapy, developed endocrine and radiological features suggestive of an ACTH secreting pituitary tumour. The negative feedback control of ACTH secretion by the inhibitory effect of hydrocortisone was shown to be preserved although attenuated. Retiming and alteration of corticosteroid therapy reinforced this feedback control, without the need for supraphysiological amounts of steroid, and resulted in the regression of the endocrine disorder.

Addison Disease↗

Inappropriate secretion of adrenocorticotropin from corticotroph hyperplasia in a case of Addison's disease.

A patient with Addison's disease, treated with conventional hydrocortisone replacement, developed deep hyperpigmentation, headache and vomiting. Plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) level was extremely high, showing abnormal diurnal rhythm. Suppression of ACTH with glucocorticoids was attenuated and the responses to ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (oCRF) and lysine vasopressin (LVP) were absent. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested an enlargement of the pituitary gland, while immunohistological examination of pituitary fragments obtained by transsphenoidal surgery revealed corticotroph hyperplasia without microadenoma. Postoperatively, plasma ACTH returned to normal and adequately responded to oCRF and LVP. Over the year since surgery, the symptoms have gradually improved and the patient has resumed normal activities.

Addison Disease↗