title: [The changes in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system in different subtypes of Cushing's syndrome].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cushing's syndrome is a clinical condition resulting from chronic exposure to excess glucocorticoid. As a consequence, long-term hypercortisolism contributes significantly to the development of systemic disorders by direct and/or indirect effects. The present study was to analyze the changes of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system in different subtypes of Cushing's syndrome on the standard posture test.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 150 patients with histologically confirmed Cushing's syndrome treated at the PLA General Hospital between 2002 and 2014. Among them, 128 patients were diagnosed as adreno-cortico-tropic-hormone (ACTH)-independent Cushing's syndrome, and 22 were ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome. All patients were undertaken the posture test. Plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin II, plasma aldosterone concertration (PAC) levels were measured before and after the test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Basal plasma PRA [0.5 (0.2,1.3)µg·L(-1)·h(-1), angiotensin II [(48.9±20.1) ng/L] and PAC [(285.0±128.1) pmol/L] levels were within the normal range in supine position. Compared with the subjects with ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome, the basal PAC levels were higher in subjects with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome [(348.0±130.4) pmol/L vs (274.2±125.0) pmol/L, P<0.05]. However, the PAC response in subjects with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome [(49.7±26.4)%] was significantly lower than that in those with ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome [(81.2±69.3)%] upon upright posture stimulation (P<0.05). There were no statistical significances in PRA and angiotensin II levels between the two groups. The basal PAC and PRA levels were positively correlated with ACTH, whereas PAC response was negatively correlated with ACTH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system activity in subjects with Cushing's syndrome was similar to that in normal control. The basal PAC level and its response to upright posture are differently associated with ACTH level in Cushing's syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; Email: jingtaodou@sohu.com.
authors.forename: Jingtao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Weijun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Xianling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Jianming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Juming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Jiangyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Changyu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood*; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000097:blood*; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood*; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000804:Angiotensin II; D000450:Aldosterone; D012083:Renin