title: High plasma levels of endothelin-1 in untreated Addison's disease.
abstract: The aim of this study has been to investigate the plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in adult patients with proven Addison's disease (AD). Plasma ET-1 levels were measured in 29 subjects (17 males and 12 females, aged between 20 and 54 years): 15 of them were patients with AD and 14 were sex- and age-matched normal subjects, used as a control group. All patients with AD have been studied under basal conditions and nine of them also after 2 weeks on oral corticosteroid therapy (individual cortisol dosage ranging from 25 to 37.5 mg/day and 0.1 mg/day 9 alpha-fluorohydrocortisone). Extracted plasma ET-1 was determined by a specific radioimmunoassay using rabbit endothelin antisera. Mean ET-1 values in the patients with AD were three times higher than in normal subjects (21.09 +/- 4.38 pg/ml vs 6.72 +/- 1.74 pg/ml; p < 0.0001). Plasma ET-1 levels assayed in the patients with AD after 2 weeks of corticosteroid therapy were significantly decreased (14.47 +/- 3.7 pg/ml vs 22.8 +/- 5.2 pg/ml; -37%; p < 0.001) compared to values in untreated patients. However, the plasma ET-1 values obtained following corticosteroid therapy were still significantly higher (p < 0.001) than those detected in the control subjects. These results clearly indicate that patients with untreated AD have increased circulating ET-1 levels that may be reduced by short-term corticosteroid therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Letizia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Centanni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scuro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Canettieri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cerci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Ciocchis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Ambrosio
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scavo
mesh_terms: D000224:Addison Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005438:Fludrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008901:Mineralocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011817:Rabbits; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D019332:Endothelin-1; D007106:Immune Sera; D008901:Mineralocorticoids; D005438:Fludrocortisone; D006854:Hydrocortisone