Compensated Autoimmune Adrenocortical Insufficiency

Oxidative stress and adrenocortical insufficiency

Maintenance of redox balance is essential for normal cellular functions. Any perturbation in this balance due to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to oxidative stress and may lead to cell dysfunction/damage/death. Mitochondria are responsible for the majority of cellular ROS production secondary to electron leakage as a consequence of respiration. Furthermore, electron leakage by th...

Diagnosis and Treatment of Adrenocortical Insufficiency

ONE hundred and three years ago Thomas Addison (Addison, 1855) described the disease which now bears his name. Since his classical description, knowledge of adrenal disorders has widened and increased until it has developed into one of the most exciting and fruitful fields of clinical and biochemical research in the history of medicine. After Addison, many years had to pass before new chemical ...

Immunoreactive corticotrophin levels in adrenocortical insufficiency.

Plasma concentrations of immunoreactive corticotrophin (ACTH) have been determined in 14 patients with untreated Addison's disease and in 42 patients with secondary adrenocortical insufficiency. Basal morning plasma ACTH levels were markedly raised in those with Addison's disease but were either in the normal range or undetectable in the group with secondary adrenocortical insufficiency. In the...

Refractory hypotension in preterm infants with adrenocortical insufficiency.

Five preterm, very low birthweight infants with severe hypotension and adrenocortical insufficiency are described. The profound hypotension was resistant to volume expansion and inotrope treatment, but responded promptly to corticosteroid treatment. A human corticotrophin releasing hormone (hCRH) test performed before corticosteroid treatment showed adequate pituitary response, and the endocrin...

Gonadotrophin deficiency and adrenocortical insufficiency in children: a new syndrome.