Aldosterone-producing adenomas do not contain glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism chimeric gene duplications.
In glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism (GRA) a chimeric gene has been described with the activity of aldosterone synthase, but the promoter of 11 beta-hydroxylase leading to ectopic expression of aldosterone synthase activity in the zona fasciculata. Similar to GRA, in aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA), the primary regulation of aldosterone production is ACTH, and there is increased production of the 18-oxygenated cortisol compounds, 18-oxocortisol and 18-hydroxycortisol. Because of these hormonal similarities, we tested whether a chimeric GRA-like gene was present in APA from 11 patients. A GRA-like chimeric gene was not found in the DNA from these tumors and, therefore, is not the mechanism responsible for hyperaldosteronism in APA.
Carroll
J
J
Endocrine Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Dluhy
R
R
Fallo
F
F
Pistorello
M
M
Bradwin
G
G
Gomez-Sanchez
C E
CE
Mortensen
R
R
D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002678:Chimera; D019405:Cytochrome P-450 CYP11B2 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005810:Multigene Family; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013252:Steroid 11-beta-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics*
D000450:Aldosterone; D019405:Cytochrome P-450 CYP11B2; D013252:Steroid 11-beta-Hydroxylase