Cannabidiol (Epidyolex®) for severe behavioral manifestations in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex, mucopolysaccharidosis type III and fragile X syndrome: protocol for a series of randomized, placebo-controlled N-of-1 trials.

BACKGROUND: Many rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorders (RGNDs) are characterized by intellectual disability (ID), severe cognitive and behavioral impairments, potentially diagnosed as a comorbid autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Quality of life is often impaired due to irritability, aggression and self-injurious behavior, generally refractory to standard therapies. There are indications from previous (case) studies and patient reporting that cannabidiol (CBD) may be an effective treatment for severe behavioral manifestations in RGNDs. However, clear evidence is lacking and interventional research is challenging due to the rarity as well as the heterogeneity within and between disease groups and interindividual differences in treatment response. Our objective is to examine the effectiveness of CBD on severe behavioral manifestations in three RGNDs, including Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), mucopolysaccharidosis type III (MPS III), and Fragile X syndrome (FXS), using an innovative trial design. METHODS: We aim to conduct placebo-controlled, double-blind, block-randomized, multiple crossover N-of-1 studies with oral CBD (twice daily) in 30 patients (aged ≥ 6 years) with confirmed TSC, MPS III or FXS and severe behavioral manifestations. The treatment is oral CBD up to a maximum of 25 mg/kg/day, twice daily. The primary outcome measure is the subscale irritability of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist. Secondary outcome measures include (personalized) patient-reported outcome measures with regard to behavioral and psychiatric outcomes, disease-specific outcome measures, parental stress, seizure frequency, and adverse effects of CBD. Questionnaires will be completed and study medication will be taken at the participants' natural setting. Individual treatment effects will be determined based on summary statistics. A mixed model analysis will be applied for analyzing the effectiveness of the intervention per disorder and across disorders combining data from the individual N-of-1 trials. DISCUSSION: These N-of-1 trials address an unmet medical need and will provide information on the effectiveness of CBD for severe behavioral manifestations in RGNDs, potentially generating generalizable knowledge at an individual-, disorder- and RGND population level. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT: 2021-003250-23, registered 25 August 2022, https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2021-003250-23/NL .

[How the DSM helps psychiatry move forward]. / Hoe de DSM de psychiatrie verder kan helpen.

The prospect of 'disease' in psychiatry has been debated for centuries. In the 21st century, this discussion often focusses on the usefulness of DSM classifications, the diagnostic manual of psychiatry. This criticism on the DSM is exemplary for our struggle to understand, classify and treat psychiatric problems. However, we tend to forget that the DSM system has provided a wealth of knowledge and structure to psychiatric care and science. Moreover, there is no elaborated alternative and an abolishment of the DSM will lead to confusion and polarisation. We should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. In this perspective, we argue how we can build on decades of experience with the DSM and how historical weighting and accurate use of the DSM can offer fertile grounds for refinement and precision of diagnostics in psychiatry.

Imminent ischemia in normal and hypertrophic Langendorff rat hearts; effects of fatty acids and superoxide dismutase monitored by NADH surface fluorescence.

Hypertrophic hearts contain areas of hypoperfusion which can be visualized by increased NADH surface fluorescence during in vitro perfusion without oxygen-carrying particles under constant pressure and pacing. By contrast, fluorescence remained low when non-hypertrophic hearts were used instead. When during perfusion of normal hearts the pH of the medium was lowered from 7.5 to 7.0, areas of high fluorescence appeared in a few minutes. The high fluorescent areas under conditions of cardiac hypertrophy or pH 7.0 perfusion could be reduced by addition of superoxide dismutase. It indicates that oxygen free radicals interfere with proper flow regulation in areas of low pH. Fluorescence in hypertrophic hearts also diminished during addition of albumin-bound oleate to the standard, glucose-containing, medium. This is in agreement with our earlier finding of fatty acid protection from acidosis-initiated loss of capillary flow (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1033 (1990) 214-218). In contrast to low concentrations of free fatty acids, high concentrations interfere with tissue oxygenation. This has been illustrated by the use of 1 mM octanoate, which after a few min caused the appearance of high fluorescent areas. We conclude that decompensation of flow in hypoperfused areas of heart, as occurs in hypertrophy, may be stimulated by acidosis and oxygen free radicals.

Endothelin-1 and blood pressure after inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis in human septic shock.

BACKGROUND: The systemic hypotension during human sepsis has been ascribed to increased production of nitric oxide (NO). Therefore, inhibitors of NO synthesis have been used in the treatment of hypotension in patients with septic shock. In addition, NO production may inhibit the synthesis and vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1). In this study, we tested whether ET-1 contributed to the vasopressor action of the NO synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) in patients with severe septic shock. METHODS AND RESULTS: Compared with healthy volunteers, patients with septic shock had increased plasma levels of nitrite/nitrate (37+/-5 [SEM] versus 12+/-5 mmol/L, P<0.01), the stable end products of NO metabolism, and ET-1 (45+/-7 versus 3+/-2 pg/mL, P<0.001). Plasma ET-1 concentration was not related to plasma nitrite/nitrate concentration or blood pressure. Continuous infusion of L-NAME (1 mg. kg-1. h-1 IV) for 12 hours increased mean arterial pressure by 43+/-5% and systemic vascular resistance by 64+/-10% (both P<0.01). The increase in blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance correlated positively with the level of ET-1 (both P<0. 005) but not with plasma nitrite/nitrate level. L-NAME infusion did not result in significant changes in the plasma concentrations of ET-1 or nitrite/nitrate. CONCLUSIONS: NO and ET-1 may both play a role in the cardiovascular derangements of human sepsis. Although L-NAME does not increase ET-1 concentration in patients with septic shock, the vasopressor response induced by L-NAME depends on the plasma level of ET-1. These findings may indicate that inhibitors of NO synthesis unmask a tonic pressor response of ET-1 in human septic shock.

Rapid identification of Candida spp. in peritonitis patients by Raman spectroscopy.

This prospective study evaluated Raman spectroscopy for the identification of clinically relevant Candida spp. in peritonitis patients. A Raman database was developed by measuring spectra from 93 reference strains belonging to ten different Candida spp. Clinical samples were obtained from the surgical department and intensive care unit of a tertiary university hospital. In total, 88 peritoneal specimens from 45 patients with primary, secondary or tertiary peritonitis were included. Specimens were cultured initially on a selective Sabouraud medium that contained gentamicin to suppress bacterial growth. For conventional identification, a chromogenic medium was used for presumptive identification, followed by use of the Vitek 2 system for definitive identification (requiring a total time of 48-96 h). Raman measurements were taken on overnight cultures from Sabouraud-gentamicin medium. Thirty-one samples were positive for Candida by culture. Using multivariate statistical analyses, a prediction accuracy of 90% was obtained for Raman spectroscopy, which appears to offer an accurate and rapid (12-24 h) alternative for the identification of Candida spp. in peritonitis patients. The reduced turn-around time is of great clinical importance for the treatment of critically ill patients with invasive candidiasis in intensive care units.

Design and validation of an analyser to measure sulphur hexafluoride gas during respiration.

The study presents the results of the development of an analyser to measure sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas in breathing circuits, for application is studies of lung function. The analyser consists of an in-line breathing circuit measurement transducer and a compact unit for signal treatment. The detector unit of the analyser consists of a near-infrared light source, a bandpass filter and a pyro-electrical detector. When incremental steps of SF6 gas between 0 and 2% were presented to the analyser, the maximum deviation from the theoretical calibration curve was calculated to be 0.01% SF6. The step response of the analyser (10-90%) was 250 ms. The sensitivity of the analyser to ambient temperature was 0.01% SF6 degrees C(-1) in the range between 0 and 2% SF6. It is concluded that the analyser presented is accurate, and has a sufficient response speed to be used in clinical measurement settings. Furthermore, the analyser is resistant to changes in temperature, gas flow, orientation and movement, which are likely to occur in clinical measurement settings.

Nitric oxide causes dysfunction of coronary autoregulation in endotoxemic rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study tested the hypothesis that overproduction of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) during endotoxemia may modulate coronary autoregulation and myocardial reactive hyperemia. METHODS: Hearts of endotoxin-pretreated rats and controls were isolated and arranged for perfusion in a Langendorff preparation. Autoregulation was studied by examining flow-pressure relations during stepwise changes in perfusion pressure. The contribution of nitric oxide was examined by perfusion with N omega-nitro-L-arginine (NNLA), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis and methylene blue (MB), an inhibitor of soluble guanylate-cyclase. RESULTS: Endotoxin-treated hearts showed massive coronary vasodilatation and autoregulatory function was impaired at perfusion pressures from 20 to 60 mmHg. Both NNLA and MB reduced coronary flow, improved autoregulation and eliminated differences in coronary flow and autoregulation between the control and endotoxin-treated group. Vasoconstriction with vasopressin, a direct smooth muscle constrictor, could not eliminate differences in autoregulation between groups. Reactive hyperemia following coronary occlusion in endotoxin-treated hearts showed decreased duration, flow repayment and repayment ratio. In the presence of NNLA or MB, however, no significant differences in reactive hyperemic flow patterns were present. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that massive coronary vasodilatation due to increased myocardial NO synthesis can result in autoregulatory dysfunction and altered myocardial reactive hyperemia during endotoxemia.

In vivo confocal Raman microspectroscopy of the skin: noninvasive determination of molecular concentration profiles.

Confocal Raman spectroscopy is introduced as a noninvasive in vivo optical method to measure molecular concentration profiles in the skin. It is shown how it can be applied to determine the water concentration in the stratum corneum as a function of distance to the skin surface, with a depth resolution of 5 microm. The resulting in vivo concentration profiles are in qualitative and quantitative agreement with published data, obtained by in vitro X-ray microanalysis of skin samples. Semi-quantitative concentration profiles were determined for the major constituents of natural moisturizing factor (serine, glycine, pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid, arginine, ornithine, citrulline, alanine, histidine, urocanic acid) and for the sweat constituents lactate and urea. A detailed description is given of the signal analysis methodology that enables the extraction of this information from the skin Raman spectra. No other noninvasive in vivo method exists that enables an analysis of skin molecular composition as a function of distance to the skin surface with similar detail and spatial resolution. Therefore, it may be expected that in vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy will find many applications in basic and applied dermatologic research.

Different sensitivity to adrenocorticotropin of dispersed adrenocortical cells from patients with Cushing's disease with macronodular and diffuse adrenal hyperplasia.

A patient with Cushing's syndrome and low plasma ACTH levels had a unilateral adrenal mass (diameter, 3 cm), which proved to consist of adenomatous hyperplasia. Dispersed adrenocortical cells prepared from this mass responded to ACTH with a maximal increment in cortisol release of more than 400%. Five months after operation Cushing's syndrome recurred. Computed tomography scanning showed an enlarged macronodular adrenal gland on the other side. The cells prepared from this adrenal gland were stimulated by ACTH by more than 600%. In adrenal glands from eight other patients with Cushing's disease cells from macroscopic nodules in hyperplastic adrenocortical tissue had increased responsiveness to ACTH in vitro, in comparison to cells from macroscopically diffuse hyperplastic adrenal tissue. The stimulability of the pituitary-adrenal axis (by metyrapone) and its suppressibility (by high dose dexamethasone) did not differ between the two groups of patients. These observations suggest that in the presence of adenomatous or macronodular adrenal hyperplasia lower circulating ACTH levels may sustain hypercortisolism than in diffuse adrenal hyperplasia. The presence of a unilateral adrenal mass and low normal plasma ACTH levels in patients with Cushing's syndrome, therefore, does not unequivocally indicate the presence of an autonomous adrenal adenoma. Tests with metyrapone and dexamethasone should still be carried out in order to make a secure differential diagnosis.

In vivo somatostatin receptor imaging in medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Using in vivo scintigraphy with the 111In-labeled somatostatin analog octreotide, tumor localizations were demonstrated in 11 of 17 patients (65%) with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Tumor localizations in the liver in 7 patients, and in the thyroid in 1 patient were not detected on octreotide scintigraphy, most probably because of normal uptake of labeled octreotide in these organs. Specific somatostatin receptors were demonstrated in vitro on all 5 investigated tumors which had also been visualized in vivo, as well as on 1 tumor that was not. Immunohistochemically, somatostatin was present in 1 of 6 tumors that were visualized in vivo, and in neither of 2 tumors that were not. The ratio of serum calcitonin over carcino-embryonic antigen concentrations was significantly higher in patients whose MTCs were visualized during octreotide scintigraphy than in those whose tumors were not. We have formed the following conclusions: 1) In the majority of patients with metastatic MTC, tumor sites can be visualized using octreotide scintigraphy, although this technique is insensitive in detecting liver metastases or intrathyroidal tumor; 2) The visualization of MTC during in vivo somatostatin receptor imaging correlates with the in vitro presence of somatostatin receptors; 3) The immunohistochemical presence of somatostatin in the tumor does not seem to influence the outcome of in vivo somatostatin receptor imaging; and 4) Higher serum calcitonin over carcino-embryonic antigen ratios in patients whose MTC is visualized during octreotide scintigraphy might imply that somatostatin receptors are present on more differentiated MTC.

Successful treatment with SMS 201-995 of Cushing's syndrome caused by ectopic adrenocorticotropin secretion from a metastatic gastrin-secreting pancreatic islet cell carcinoma.

Signs and symptoms of Cushing's syndrome developed rapidly after total gastrectomy in a 37-yr-old man with a metastatic gastrin-secreting islet cell carcinoma. Argyrophilic tumor cells in a lymph node removed during operation immunostained for gastrin and ACTH. Treatment for more than 6 months with the somatostatin analog SMS 201-995 (300 micrograms/day) greatly reduced serum gastrin levels and normalized plasma ACTH and cortisol levels and urinary cortisol excretion, and the signs and symptoms of Cushing's syndrome disappeared. The size of the primary tumor in the head of the pancreas, which had grown rapidly before SMS 201-995 therapy, stabilized after 6 months of treatment with the analog. We conclude that SMS 201-995 can reduce ACTH as well as gastrin secretion from islet cell carcinomas as well as control tumor growth.

Characterization of adrenal autonomy in Cushing's syndrome: a comparison between in vivo and in vitro responsiveness of the adrenal gland.

We measured cortisol and precursor steroid production in response to ACTH, cholera toxin, and forskolin by the dispersed adrenocortical cells prepared from the adrenal glands of 10 patients with different forms of Cushing's syndrome. The cells prepared from the hyperplastic adrenal glands from 4 patients with Cushing's disease responded in a dose-dependent manner to ACTH, cholera toxin, and forskolin. The adrenal cells prepared from 4 encapsulated adrenal adenomas showed no (n = 2), a lowered (n = 1), or a clear (n = 1) response of cortisol release to ACTH. The cells prepared from the adrenal glands of 1 patient with dysplastic micronodular adrenal glands showed a limited response to ACTH, while the cells from an adrenocortical carcinoma, which secreted very little cortisol per cell, were unresponsive to ACTH, cholera toxin, and forskolin. The reaction of the dispersed adrenal cells from these 10 patients to ACTH, cholera toxin, and forskolin showed a close correlation (P less than 0.001 in all instances). This suggests that the defect in autonomous glands is not located at the level of the ACTH receptor, but, rather, involves the adenylate cyclase complex as a whole or its coupling to cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The release into the medium of the cortisol precursors deoxycortisol, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and progesterone showed that the four autonomous nodules were characterized by a significantly higher deoxycortisol/cortisol ratio in the medium (P less than 0.01), suggesting a relative blockade of 11 beta-hydroxylase in these adrenal adenomas. This was further substantiated in cells from several adrenals by a significant increase in the release of these precursors in response to ACTH in the absence of a cortisol response. We conclude the following. 1) Adrenal adenoma formation in patients with Cushing's syndrome is accompanied by a parallel decrease in the stimulation of the release of steroid hormones in response to ACTH, cholera toxin, and forskolin. This points to a defect in the adenoma cells beyond the ACTH receptor. 2) Adrenal adenoma formation in patients with Cushing's syndrome is accompanied by a relative blockade of 11 beta-hydroxylase activity. 3) By comparing the preoperative dynamic tests of the pituitary-adrenal axis, the plasma ACTH concentration, the morphology of the adrenal glands, and their in vitro responsiveness, a gradual transition from pituitary to (partial) adrenal autonomy could be recognized in several patients.

Parallel in vivo and in vitro detection of functional somatostatin receptors in human endocrine pancreatic tumors: consequences with regard to diagnosis, localization, and therapy.

The effects of octreotide in vivo and in vitro on hormone release, in vivo [123I]Tyr3-octreotide scanning, and in vitro [125I]Tyr3-octreotide autoradiography were compared in five patients with endocrine pancreatic tumors. [123I]Tyr3-octreotide scanning localized the primary tumor and/or previously unknown metastases in four of the five patients. The patient with a negative scan had an insulinoma that did not respond to octreotide in vivo. No Tyr3-octreotide-binding sites were subsequently found at autoradiography of the tumor, whereas somatostatin-14 receptors were present at a high density. In parallel, culture studies with the cells prepared from this adenoma showed that insulin release was not affected by octreotide, while both somatostatin-14 and -28 significantly suppressed hormone release. Culture studies of the tumor cells from two gastrinomas showed a dose-dependent inhibition of gastrin release by octreotide. Octreotide exerted direct antiproliferative effects in one of these gastrinomas, which had been shown to be rapidly growing in vivo. Both gastrinomas had specific somatostatin receptors, as measured by in vitro receptor autoradiography. Somatostatin release by the cultured somatostatinoma cells from one of these patients was suppressed by octreotide. In conclusion, 1) the [123I]Tyr3-octreotide scanning procedure is valuable in the localization of primary endocrine pancreatic tumors as well their often clinically not yet recognized metastases; 2) the in vitro detection of somatostatin receptors in those tumors that were also visualized in vivo after injection of [123I] Tyr3-octreotide indicates that the ligand binding to the tumor in vivo indeed represents binding to specific somatostatin receptors; and 3) the parallel between the presence of somatostatin receptors on tumors and in in vivo and in vitro effects of octreotide on hormonal release from these tumors indicate that a positive scan predicts a good suppressive effect of octreotide on hormonal hypersecretion by these tumors.

The new aromatase inhibitor CGS-16949A suppresses aldosterone and cortisol production by human adrenal cells in vitro.

CGS-16949A is a new orally active nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor which is more than 100-fold more potent than aminoglutethimide. This compound is an imidazole derivative, and therefore, its possible effect on cytochrome P-450-dependent enzyme activities in the adrenal gland was evaluated. In vitro investigations with dispersed normal and hyperplastic human adrenocortical cells showed that CGS-16949A at 10(-7)-10(-6) M is a potent 11 beta-hydroxylase inhibitor, which inhibits ACTH-stimulated cortisol release to a similar extent as an equimolar concentration of metyrapone (IC50 for both compounds, 10(-7)-5 X 10(-7) M). Etomidate was a more potent 11 beta-hydroxylase inhibitor (IC50, approximately 10(-8) M), while 10(-7)-10(-6) M ketoconazole caused (via 17 alpha-hydroxylase inhibition) a similar inhibition of cortisol release as 10(-7) M CGS-16949A (IC50, 10(-7)-5 X 10(-7) M). The 11 beta-hydroxylase inhibition by CGS-16949A was accompanied by a dose-dependent increase in the release of precursor steroids by the adrenocortical cells in vitro, including deoxycortisol, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and androstenedione. Aldosterone release was suppressed 50% by 10(-9) M CGS-16949A, while the IC50 for cortisol in the same cells was 10(-7) M. Aldosterone release by the dispersed adenoma cells obtained from a patient with primary aldosteronism was also significantly suppressed by CGS-16949A. We concluded that 1) the new nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor CGS 16949A is an inhibitor of 11 beta-hydroxylase which is equipotent to metyrapone. At present it is unclear whether the compound at the dose that causes complete aromatase inhibition in vivo also affects stress-induced cortisol release in man. 2) CGS-16949A exerts a very potent inhibitory effect on normal aldosterone release (IC50, 10(-9) M) and on tumorous aldosterone secretion. CGS-16949A might, therefore, be a drug that can be used in the treatment of primary hyperaldosteronism.

Fertility and body composition after laparoscopic bilateral adrenalectomy in a 30-year-old female with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is caused by an inborn defect in the 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21), leading to virilization of female patients and causing ambiguous genitals in the majority of female infants. Adult women may suffer from loss of libido, irregular or absent cycles, and reduced fertility, despite intensive medical treatment. These problems have stimulated the search for alternative treatment modalities. We present an adult female patient, who was difficult to treat medically and whose clinical situation markedly improved after laparoscopic bilateral adrenalectomy. The procedure was well tolerated and without side effects. Postoperatively the elevated serum progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels, as well as the undetectable LH levels, normalized. The procedure resulted in marked clinical improvement. Within 12 months after surgery she lost 11 kg in weight. This weight loss consisted mainly of adipose tissue. Acne disappeared, and she had a regular 4-week menstrual cycle, with progesterone levels that are compatible with a luteal phase. The introduction of laparoscopic techniques may give an impulse to the application of surgical therapy at a larger scale in patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency who are difficult to treat with adrenal suppression therapy.

Differential adaptation of glucocorticoid sensitivity of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes in patients with sepsis or septic shock.

In view of the immunosuppressive action of glucocorticoids (GCs), the activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in patients with sepsis or septic shock is paradoxical. At the same time, administration of GCs to these patients is not clearly beneficial. We investigated the role of GCs in severe illness by measuring the sensitivity of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes to GCs in a mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation assay. In addition, we studied the role of interleukin-2 and several other cytokines in this system. Cells from patients with sepsis or septic shock (n = 15) were more sensitive to the antiproliferative action of GCs than were cells from normal controls (IC50 6.7 +/- 2.1 nmol/L for patients vs. 19.5 +/- 2.5 nmol/L for controls; P < 0.01). This increased sensitivity of the peripheral mononuclear cells to dexamethasone during the period of sepsis normalized during the ensuing period of clinical recovery of these patients. Dexamethasone inhibited the production of interleukin-2 in the mitogen-stimulated cells. Addition of interleukin-2 antagonized the suppressive effects of dexamethasone in a dose-dependent manner, both in cells from controls and in cells from patients with sepsis. To a lesser extent, the combination of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha also counteracted the effects of dexamethasone. In conclusion, our results suggest that not only the activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis but also the sensitivity to GCs is regulated during sepsis and septic shock. Generally there is an increased sensitivity to GCs, which might help to protect the organism as a whole through supportive effects on metabolism and vasculature. This hypersensitivity is counteracted, possibly at the site of inflammation, by high local concentrations of cytokines. This would enable an adequate local response of the immune system in the presence of elevated cortisol levels. In view of the increased sensitivity of peripheral leukocytes to GCs, treatment of these patients with high doses of GCs may not be beneficial or may even be harmful.

[(123)I]metaiodobenzylguanidine and [(111)In]octreotide uptake in begnign and malignant pheochromocytomas.

Selecting the appropriate approach for resection and follow-up of pheochromocytomas (PCCs) is highly dependent upon reliable localization and exclusion of multifocal, bilateral, or metastatic disease. Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy was developed for functional localization of catecholamine-secreting tissues. Somatostatin receptor imaging (SRI) has a high sensitivity for localizing head and neck paragangliomas, but studies of intraabdominal PCCs are rare. In this study we review our experience of [(123)I]MIBG and SRI, performed since 1983 and 1989, respectively, in the work-up of primary and recurrent PCCs. Scintigraphic results were correlated with catecholamine secretion, size and site, malignancy, associated tumor syndromes, and morphological features. [(123)I]MIBG scans were performed in a total of 75 patients, in 70 cases before resection of primary PCCs and in 5 cases because of recurrent disease. Ninety-one PCCs were resected. The overall detection rates were 83.3% and 89.8% for PCCs larger than 1.0 cm. Multifocal disease was detected in 4 patients with [(123)I]MIBG. [(123)I]MIBG uptake correlated with greater size of PCC (r = 0.33; P = 0.008) and greater concentration of plasma epinephrine (r = 0.32; P = 0.006). [(123)I]MIBG-negative PCCs (n = 14) had significantly (P = 0.01) smaller diameters than [(123I)]MIBG-positive tumors. Furthermore, [(123)I]MIBG uptake was significantly higher in unilateral (P = 0.02), benign (P = 0.02), sporadic (P = 0.02), intraadrenal (P = 0.02), and capsular invasive (P = 0.03) PCCs than in bilateral, malignant, MEN2A/2B-related, extraadrenal, and noninvasive PCCs, respectively. The detection rate of SRI was only 25% (8 of 32) for primary benign PCCs. In 14 patients metastases occurred, which were effectively visualized with [(123)I]MIBG in 8 of 14 cases. SRI was able to detect metastases in 7 of 8 cases, including 3 [(123)I]MIBG-negative metastatic cases. In addition, [(123)I]MIBG and SRI detected 2 recurrences. In conclusion, [(123)I]MIBG uptake is correlated with the size, epinephrine production, and site of PCCs. Its role in bilateral and MEN2A/2B-related PCCs seems limited. In cases of recurrent elevation of catecholamines, localization of metastases and/or recurrence should be attempted with [(123)I]MIBG scintigraphy. In suspicious metastatic PCCs, SRI might be considered to supplement [(123)I]MIBG scintigraphy.

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy: its value in tumor localization in patients with Cushing's syndrome caused by ectopic corticotropin or corticotropin-releasing hormone secretion.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy for patients with Cushing's syndrome caused by tumors secreting ectopic corticotropin or corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten patients with Cushing's syndrome, nine with ectopic corticotropin-secreting tumors and one with a CRH-secreting tumor, were consecutively studied. For comparison purposes, eight patients with corticotropin-secreting pituitary tumors and one patient with an autonomous adrenal adenoma were investigated. In vivo tumor localization was performed for all patients using a radionuclide-coupled somatostatin analog. The results obtained with this technique were compared with those obtained with conventional imaging techniques. For some patients, the clinical effects of octreotide therapy were evaluated. RESULTS: Somatostatin analog scintigraphy successfully identified the primary ectopic corticotropin-secreting and CRH-secreting tumors or their metastases, or both, in 8 of 10 patients; in 2 patients with corticotropin-secreting bronchial carcinoids, the tumors could not be visualized. Normal scans were obtained for the 8 patients with corticotropin-secreting pituitary tumors and the one patient with an adrenal adenoma. CONCLUSION: Somatostatin analog scintigraphy can be included as a diagnostic step in the workup of Cushing's syndrome patients with a suspected ectopic corticotropin-secreting tumor or a CRH-secreting tumor.

The value of plasma markers for the clinical behaviour of phaeochromocytomas.

OBJECTIVE: Phaeochromocytomas (PCCs) are widely known for their clinical unpredictability. This study intends to define predictive plasma markers for their variable postoperative behaviour. Furthermore, the diagnostic accuracy of these plasma tests was determined. DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective correlative study was performed in a series of 83 operated and four autopsied patients in order to correlate preoperative catecholamine (CAT) levels of 103 PCCs with their clinical behaviour. In a subset of cases, chromogranin-A (Chr-A) and enzymes/precursors of the CAT biosynthesis were studied for their predictive value. RESULTS: Basal CAT levels were elevated in 81/87 instances (sensitivity: 93%). Four of six cases with normal measurements showed only medullary hyperplasia. Larger PCCs, particularly those showing necrosis, capsular and vascular invasion, secreted higher CAT levels. Bilateral, hereditary tumours were less productive than their unilateral counterparts. Extra-adrenal PCCs secreted significantly lower levels of epinephrine (EPI) than intra-adrenal tumours. Fourteen patients developed metastases. According to Kaplan-Meier estimations, patients with higher levels of dopamine, norepinephrine (NE) and aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase as well as lower ratios of EPI/EPI+NE, had significantly shorter metastases-free intervals. Existence of preoperative hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy and measured blood pressures showed significant positive relationships with CAT levels, but not with Chr-A. CONCLUSIONS: These data showed that plasma CAT measurement is a sensitive method in the diagnostic work-up of PCCs. Those tumours producing normal levels are commonly small and asymptomatic. Furthermore, certain secretion patterns are indicative of the presence of metastases as well as the size and site of sporadic and syndrome-related PCCs.

Pulmonary hypertension and reduced cardiac output during inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis in human septic shock.

It has been suggested that inhibitors of nitric oxide synthesis are of value in the treatment of hypotension during sepsis. In this pilot study, we examined the effects of inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis by continuous infusion of N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) at 1.5 mg/kg/h in a patient with severe septic shock. L-NAME produced a rise in mean arterial blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance; catecholamine infusion could be reduced. Parallel to these findings, there was a 50% reduction in cardiac output and a 5-fold rise in pulmonary vascular resistance, which resulted in severe pulmonary hypertension after 3 h of L-NAME infusion, for which the infusion had to be stopped. Following the termination of L-NAME infusion, pulmonary artery pressure and blood pressure returned to baseline values, although pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance remained elevated for several hours. We conclude that nitric oxide appears to play a role in the cardiovascular derangements during human sepsis. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis with L-NAME can increase blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance. However, reduced cardiac output and pulmonary hypertension are possible side effects of continuous NO synthase inhibition. These side effects necessitate careful monitoring and may hinder the clinical application of NO synthase inhibitors.