Epilepsy can induce hypercortisolism secondary to altered temporolimbic modulation of the hypothalamopituitary secretion of ACTH. 2 Hypercortisolism can produce a reversible myopathy. Epilepsy, however, has not been recognised to cause a symptomatic Cushing’s syndrome. The development of proximal myopathy as part of an epilepsy based Cushing’s syndrome, in particular, has not been reported. We ...

In this issue of Journal, Yamamoto (1) reported the occurrence of latent primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) in patients with low or low-normal early morning cortisol levels. It has previously been reported that the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms and anemia, especially in conjunction with autoimmune disorders, should alert the physician regarding the possibility of Addison’s disease (2)....

Fragmented sleep has great effects on daily life, including sleepiness, impaired cognitive function, decreased mood, and elevated BP. 1 3 In an excellent study in a recent issue of CHEST (January 2010), Stamatakis and Punjabi 4 show that two nights of nonspecifi c sleep fragmentation in healthy volunteers led to decreased insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness despite normal sleep durati...

Fragmented sleep has great effects on daily life, including sleepiness, impaired cognitive function, decreased mood, and elevated BP. 1 3 In an excellent study in a recent issue of CHEST (January 2010), Stamatakis and Punjabi 4 show that two nights of nonspecifi c sleep fragmentation in healthy volunteers led to decreased insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness despite normal sleep durati...

At birth testicular androgens irreversibly program brain centers involved in hypothalamopituitary control of hepatic sex-dependent steroid and drug metabolism. This imprinting process results in activation of a hypothalamic "feminostatin"-a secreting center that is turned on just before puberty. Feminostatin inhibits pituitary secretion of "feminizing factor," a pituitary hormone that feminizes...

It has been shown that acute administration of interleukin-1 (IL-1 ) to rats elicits a transitory increase in plasma ACTH and corticosterone (B) levels. To investigate the effects of chronic administration of IL-1 on plasma ACTH and B levels, in the present study rats were equipped with Alzet osmotic minipumps loaded with either IL-1 (delivery rate 0.5, 2.0, or 4.0 fig/ 24 h, ip, for 1 week) or...

It has been shown that acute administration of interleukin-1 (IL-1 ) to rats elicits a transitory increase in plasma ACTH and corticosterone (B) levels. To investigate the effects of chronic administration of IL-1 on plasma ACTH and B levels, in the present study rats were equipped with Alzet osmotic minipumps loaded with either IL-1 (delivery rate 0.5, 2.0, or 4.0 fig/ 24 h, ip, for 1 week) or...

The article by Pere Berbel and his Spanish coworkers, published in this issue of Thyroid (1), is fascinating both for the results reported and its clever study design, unique among all other studies published so far on the consequences of iodine deficiency (ID) during pregnancy. Because this study combines data on specific maternal aspects with information on infant neurodevelopment, the presen...

To the Editor : Heterozygous, loss of function mutations in the high mobility group (HMG) gene, SOX2 , encoding the sex-determining region Y-box 2 (MIM 184429) protein, lead to severe developmental eye and brain malformations, and some anophthalmos-esophagealgenital syndrome cases (1). However, the fate of these cases into adulthood is unknown. We report an adult with SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome...