Twenty-one hydroxylase (P450c21) is a key enzyme essential for normal zona glomerulosa and fasciculata function. Recently, 21-hydroxylase deficiency has been implicated in the pathogenesis of adrenocortical tumors. Therefore, we investigated the mutational spectrum of the CYP21B gene and the messenger RNA expression of P450c21 in six aldosterone-producing adenomas, seven cortisol-producing aden...

In their elegant study published in the December 15, 2009 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, Soon and colleagues described differences in the microRNA expression profiles of adrenocortical tumors (ACT) and established predictors for poor prognosis. Twenty-three microRNAs were found to be significantly differentially expressed between adrenocortical adenomas (ACA) and carcinomas (ACC) but only t...

AIMS AND BACKGROUND The incidental finding of nonfunctioning adrenal masses (incidentalomas) is common, but no reliable criteria in differentiating between benign and malignant adrenal masses have been defined. The aim of this preliminary study was to assess the usefulness of adrenal imaging and image-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology in patients with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas ...

PURPOSE We have reported previously nonsense inactivating mutations of the phosphodiesterase 11A (PDE11A) gene in patients with micronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia and Cushing syndrome. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of somatic or germ-line PDE11A mutations in various types of adrenocortical tumors: ACTH-independent macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (AIMAH), adre...

Endogenous Cushing's syndrome is a rare endocrine disorder that incurs significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, due to glucocorticoid excess. It comprises adrenal (20%) and non-adrenal (80%) aetiologies. While the majority of cases are attributed to pituitary or ectopic corticotropin (ACTH) overproduction, primary cortisol-producing adrenal cortical lesions are increasingly recognise...

Context Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs) are revealed in 60% of cases by steroid hypersecretion. Alternatively, it is uncommon to observe a paraneoplastic syndrome due to a peptide oversecretion. Case Description We describe a 60-year-old man with a right adrenal mass. Hormonal evaluation showed an ACTH-independent Cushing syndrome. Surprisingly, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were...

HYPOTHESIS The gene expression profiles of benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors are different. DESIGN Genomewide gene expression profiling and validation. SETTING Tertiary medical center. PATIENTS Eighty-five patients with benign adrenocortical tumors (n = 74) and adrenocortical carcinoma (n = 11). INTERVENTION Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction...

Adrenocortical cancer is an orphan tumor with poor prognosis. The combination of EDP chemotherapy regimen and mitotane the standard for first‑line therapy. But there are no effective options second consequent lines second‑line therapy gemcitabine, capecitabine mitotane, which provides objective response in 4–7 % patients. Achievement therapeutic concentration most important predictive factor ef...