Germline mutations in the new E1' cryptic exon of the VHL gene in patients with tumours of von Hippel-Lindau disease spectrum or with paraganglioma.

BACKGROUNDS: The incidence of germline mutations in the newly discovered cryptic exon (E1') of VHL gene in patients with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease and in patients with paraganglioma or pheochromocytoma (PPGL) is not currently known. METHODS: We studied a large international multicentre cohort of 1167 patients with a previous negative genetic testing. Germline DNA from 75 patients with a single tumour of the VHL spectrum ('Single VHL tumour' cohort), 70 patients with multiple tumours of the VHL spectrum ('Multiple VHL tumours' cohort), 76 patients with a VHL disease as described in the literature ('VHL-like' cohort) and 946 patients with a PPGL were screened for E1' genetic variants. RESULTS: Six different genetic variants in E1' were detected in 12 patients. Two were classified as pathogenic, 3 as variants of unknown significance and 1 as benign. The rs139622356 was found in seven unrelated patients but described in only 16 patients out of the 31 390 of the Genome Aggregation Database (p<0.0001) suggesting that this variant might be either a recurrent mutation or a modifier mutation conferring a risk for the development of tumours and cancers of the VHL spectrum. CONCLUSIONS: VHL E1' cryptic exon mutations contribute to 1.32% (1/76) of 'VHL-like' cohort and to 0.11% (1/946) of PPGL cohort and should be screened in patients with clinical suspicion of VHL, and added to panels for Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) diagnostic testing of hereditary PPGL. Our data highlight the importance of studying variants identified in deep intronic sequences, which would have been missed by examining only coding sequences of genes/exomes. These variants will likely be more frequently detected and studied with the upcoming implementation of whole-genome sequencing into clinical practice.

The metabolic phenotype of patients with primary aldosteronism: impact of subtype and sex - a multicenter-study of 3566 Caucasian and Asian subjects.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with several features of the metabolic syndrome, in particular with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Whether these manifestations are primarily linked to aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) or bilateral idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA) remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in metabolic parameters between APA and IHA patients and to assess the impact of treatment on these clinical characteristics. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study including 3566 patients with APA or IHA of Caucasian and Asian origin. We compared the prevalence of metabolic disorders between APA and IHA patients at the time of diagnosis and 1-year post-intervention, with special references to sex differences. Furthermore, correlations between metabolic parameters and plasma aldosterone, renin, or plasma cortisol levels after 1 mg dexamethasone (DST) were performed. Results: As expected, APA patients were characterized by higher plasma aldosterone and lower serum potassium levels. Only female IHA patients demonstrated significantly worse metabolic parameters than age-matched female APA patients, which were associated with lower cortisol levels upon DST. One-year post-intervention, female adrenalectomized patients showed deterioration of their lipid profile, when compared to patients treated with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Plasma aldosterone levels negatively correlated with the BMI only in APA patients. Conclusions: Metabolic alterations appear more prominent in women with IHA. Although IHA patients have worse metabolic profiles, a correlation with cortisol autonomy is documented only in APAs, suggesting an uncoupling of cortisol action from metabolic traits in IHA patients.

Adrenal ganglioneuromas: a retrospective multicentric study of 104 cases from the COMETE network.

OBJECTIVE: Adrenal ganglioneuromas are rare, differentiated, neuroblastic tumors that originate from the peripheral sympathetic nervous system. Because of their rarity, information is limited, derived from small cases series. Our objective was to characterize this tumor and provide help for its management. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter analysis of adrenal ganglioneuromas from 20 French centers belonging to the COMETE network and one Belgian center. RESULTS: Among the 104 cases identified, 59.6% were women (n = 62/104), median age at diagnosis was 29 years, with 24 pediatric cases. 60.6% (n = 63/104) were incidentalomas. Ganglioneuromas were non-secreting tumors in 90.8% of cases (n = 89/98), whereas the preoperative hormonal evaluation was indeterminate for 9.2% of patients (n = 9/98). CT imaging, performed on 96 patients, revealed large tumors (median diameter of 50 mm) with a non-contrast density > 10 Hounsfield units in 98.1% (n = 52/53) and calcifications in 64.6% of cases (n = 31/48). Increased uptake on 123I-MIBG scintigraphy and 18F-FDG-PET/CT was observed in 26.7% (n = 8/30) and 42.2% (n = 19/45) of the tumors, respectively. All 104 patients underwent surgery. No recurrence was observed among the 42 patients who had an imaging follow-up (mean 29.6 months, median 18 months (4-156)). CONCLUSION: Adrenal ganglioneuromas are large tumors, mostly nonfunctioning, without benign imaging features. Although the duration of follow-up was limited in our series, no recurrence was identified. A review of the literature confirms the absence of postoperative recurrence. Based on all available data, in the absence of special circumstances (genetic form, uncertain histological diagnosis), long-term follow-up is not necessary after complete surgery for patients with an adrenal ganglioneuroma.