Increased ratio of mRNA expression of the genes CYP17 and CYP11B1 indicates autonomous Cortisol production in adrenocortical tumors
- Resource Type
- Authors
- C. Volpe; Joakim Hennings; Per Hellman; Anders Höög; U. Enberg; Marja Thorén; Bertil Hamberger
- Source
- Journal of Endocrinological Investigation. 32:810-815
- Subject
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Hydrocortisone
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Adrenocortical Tumor
Mrna expression
medicine.medical_treatment
In situ hybridization
Aldosterone urine
Statistics, Nonparametric
Endocrinology
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
Internal medicine
medicine
Humans
RNA, Messenger
Steroid 11-beta-hydroxylase
Aldosterone
Cushing Syndrome
Gene
In Situ Hybridization
Aged
Retrospective Studies
Incidental Findings
business.industry
Adrenalectomy
Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase
Middle Aged
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms
Adrenocortical Adenoma
Steroid 11-beta-Hydroxylase
Female
Aldosterone blood
business
- Language
- ISSN
- 1720-8386
0391-4097
Due to increased use of imaging techniques, adrenal incidentalomas are frequently detected. The majority are non-hyperfunctioning adrenocortical tumors. We have previously shown that expression of the gene CYP17, coding for the enzyme in the cortisol pathway, correlates with cortisol release from adrenocortical tumors in vitro. The aim of this study was to compare clinical data with mRNA expression of CYP17 and CYP11B1 in adrenocortical tumors from patients with and without Cushing's syndrome and to identify adrenal tumors that may cause subclinical Cushing's syndrome.A retrospective study of 34 patients undergoing adrenalectomy due to an adrenal tumor.Clinical data were collected. In the adrenal gland the mRNA expression of the genes CYP17 and CYP11B1 was studied with in situ hybridisation technique.The median ratio of CYP17/CYP11B1 expression in tumors from patients with Cushing's syndrome was significantly higher than the median ratio in the non-hyperfunctioning tumors. Tumors from 2 patients with subclinical Cushing's syndrome had ratios within the upper range for non-hyperfunctioning tumors.The ratio between the expression of the genes CYP17 and CYP11B1 in tumors from patients with Cushing's syndrome is significantly higher than in the non-hyperfunctioning tumors. This indicates that 17alpha-hydroxylase is a major determinant of cortisol overproduction. The patients with subclinical Cushing's syndrome in this study are too few to draw any firm conclusions although the results suggest that subclinical Cushing's syndrome may be identified post-operatively with this method.