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Adrenocorticotropic hormone and β-endorphin concentrations in the inferior petrosal sinuses in Cushing’s disease and other pituitary diseases

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Abstract

Aim of the present study was the evaluation of ACTH and B-endorphin-like-immunoreactivity (B-ELI) in the inferior petrosal sinuses (IPS’s) and in the peripheral blood of patients with Cushing’s disease (Group 1), with GH- or PRL-secreting adenomas or nontumoral hyperprolactinemia (Group 2). These patients had undergone selective and bilateral simultaneous IPS sampling for diagnostic purposes or for neurosurgical indications. In the patients of Group 1, ACTH and B-ELI levels were higher in the IPS ipsilateral than in the contralateral to the adenoma and in the periphery (p<0.001). In the patients of Group 2 ACTH and B-ELI levels were higher in the IPS’s than in the peripheral blood (p<0.001) and, in the 9 patients with GH- or PRL-secreting adenomas, they were higher in the IPS ipsilateral than in the contralateral to the adenoma and in the periphery (p<0.05). A significant correlation exists between ACTH and B-ELI in the periphery (p<0.01; r=0.72), in the IPS ipsilateral (p<0.05; r=0.54) and contralateral (p<0.01; r=0.66) to the adenoma in Group 1, but not in Group 2. In conclusion, higher B-ELI levels were detected in the IPS’s than in the peripheral blood not only in patients with Cushing’s disease but also in those with other pituitary diseases not involving ACTH secretion. The absence of correlation between ACTH and B-ELI in patients not bearing Cushing’s disease suggests that in these conditions corticotropins release ACTH and B-endorphin in an independent manner.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cattedra di Endocrinologia, II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli, Napoli, Italy

    B. Merola

  2. Istituto di Neurochirurgia, II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli, Via G. Santacroce 40, 80129, Napoli, Italy

    R. Spaziante &  G. Lombardi

  3. Istituto di Radiologia, II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli, Napoli, Italy

    G. La Tessa

  4. INSERM U297, Laboratoire de Médecine Expérimentale, Université Aix ll-Marseille, Marseille, France

    F. Boudouresque & C. Oliver

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  1. B. Merola
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  2. R. Spaziante
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  3. G. La Tessa
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  4. F. Boudouresque
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  5. C. Oliver
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  6. G. Lombardi
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Merola, B., Spaziante, R., La Tessa, G. et al. Adrenocorticotropic hormone and β-endorphin concentrations in the inferior petrosal sinuses in Cushing’s disease and other pituitary diseases. J Endocrinol Invest 15, 807–813 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348809

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348809

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