title: Adrenocorticotropic hormone and beta-endorphin concentrations in the inferior petrosal sinuses in Cushing's disease and other pituitary diseases.
abstract: Aim of the present study was the evaluation of ACTH and beta-endorphin-like-immunoreactivity (beta-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 beta-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 beta-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 beta-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 beta-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 beta-ELI in patients not bearing Cushing's disease suggests that in these conditions corticotrophs release ACTH and beta-endorphin in an independent manner.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Endocrinologia, II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Merola
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spaziante
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Tessa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boudouresque
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D003392:Cranial Sinuses / Q000378:metabolism*; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001615:beta-Endorphin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone