Adrenal insufficiency treated with conventional hydrocortisone leads to elevated levels of Interleukin-6: a pilot study

Altered biomarkers for cardiovascular disease and inflammation in autoimmune Addison's disease - a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease has been reported in autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD), but pathomechanisms are poorly understood.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

We compared serum levels of 177 cardiovascular and inflammatory biomarkers in 43 patients with AAD at >18-h glucocorticoid withdrawal and 43 matched controls, overall and stratified for sex. Biomarker levels were correlated with the frequency of adrenal crises and quality of life (QoL) by AddiQoL-30. Finally, we investigated changes in biomarker levels following 250 µg tetracosactide injection in patients without residual adrenocortical function (RAF) to explore glucocorticoid-independent effects of high ACTH.

RESULTS

Nineteen biomarkers significantly differed between patients with AAD and controls; all but 1 (ST1A1) were higher in AAD. Eight biomarkers were significantly higher in female patients compared with controls (IL6, MCP1, GAL9, SPON2, DR4, RAGE, TNFRSF9, and PGF), but none differed between male patients and controls. Levels of RAGE correlated with the frequency of adrenal crises (r = 0.415, P = .006) and AddiQoL-30 scores (r = -0.347, P = .028) but not after correction for multiple testing. PDL2 and leptin significantly declined 60 min after injection of ACTH in AAD without RAF (-0.15 normalized protein expression [NPX], P = .0001, and -0.25 NPX, P = .0003, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

We show that cardiovascular and inflammatory biomarkers are altered in AAD compared with controls, particularly in women. RAGE might be a marker of disease severity in AAD, associated with more adrenal crises and reduced QoL. High ACTH reduced PDL2 and leptin levels in a glucocorticoid-independent manner but the overall effect on biomarker profiles was small.

Glucocorticoid replacement therapy for primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency and their impact on cognition

Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) are treated with conventional or modified-release glucocorticoid (GC) replacement therapy (GRT). Although current GRT regimens aim to mimic the physiological circadian pattern of cortisol secretion, temporary phases of hypo- and hypercortisolism are common. There is good evidence that prolonged phases of hypo- or hypercortisolism are associated with impaired cognitive functioning. However, little is known about cognitive functioning in patients with AI regarding the effects of dosage and duration of glucocorticoid replacement therapy. There is also little data available comparing the effects of GC therapy on patients with primary and secondary forms of AI as well as with respect to different formulas. This Mini-Review gives an overview of the current studies on GRT for primary and secondary AI and their impact on cognition. Strengths and weaknesses of the studies and their Implications for clinical daily routine are discussed with a special emphasis on practical considerations for the treating endocrinologist.