High LDL Particle and APOB Concentrations in Patients With Adrenal Cortical Adenomas: A Cross Sectional Study.

CONTEXT: Patients with nonfunctioning adenomas (NFA), adenomas with mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) and Cushing syndrome (CS) demonstrate an increased cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent of lipoprotein abnormalities in NFA, MACS, and CS. METHODS: We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study of patients with NFA (n = 167), MACS (n = 213), CS (n = 142) and referent subjects (n = 202) between January 2015 and July 2022. Triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles (TRLP), low density lipoprotein particles (LDLP), high density lipoprotein particles (HDLP), their subclasses and sizes were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Multivariable logistic analyses were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking, hypertension, diabetes and lipid lowering drug therapy. RESULTS: In age- and sex-adjusted analysis, all patients categories demonstrated increased very large TRLP, large TRLP and greater TRL size (odds ratio (OR) ranging from 1.22 to 2.08) and total LDLP (OR ranging from 1.22 to 1.75) and decreased LDL and HDL size compared to referent subjects. In fully adjusted analysis, LDLP concentrations remained elevated in all patient categories (odds ratios ranging from 1.31 to 1.84). Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B were also higher in all patient categories in age- and sex-adjusted analysis with apoB remaining elevated in all patient categories in fully adjusted analysis. Similar LDLP and apoB elevations were observed in all patient categories after excluding subjects on lipid lowering therapy. CONCLUSION: Patients with overt, mild, and even absent cortisol excess demonstrate lipoprotein profile abnormalities, in particular, high LDLP and apoB concentrations, which conceivably contribute to high cardiometabolic risk.

Kidney function in patients with adrenal adenomas: A single-center retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with nonfunctioning adrenal adenomas (NFA) and mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) demonstrate an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), however factors associated with CKD are unknown. We aimed to identify the factors associated with CKD and assess the impact of adrenalectomy on kidney function in patients with NFA or MACS. DESIGN: Single-center cohort study of patients with NFA and MACS, 1999-2020. METHODS: MACS was diagnosed based on post-dexamethasone cortisol (DST) ≥ 1.8 mcg/dL. Age, sex, dysglycemia, hypertension, therapy with statin, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, or angiotensin II receptor blocker were included in the multivariable analysis. Outcomes included estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the time of diagnosis with MACS or NFA and post-adrenalectomy delta eGFR. RESULTS: Of 972 patients, 429 (44%) had MACS and 543 (56%) had NFA. At the time of diagnosis, patients with MACS had lower eGFR (median 79.6 vs 83.8 ml/min/1.73m2, p < 0.001) than patients with NFA. In a multivariable analysis, factors associated with lower eGFR were older age, hypertension, and higher DST. In 204 patients (MACS: 155, 76% and NFA: 49, 24%) treated with adrenalectomy, post adrenalectomy eGFR improved in both groups starting at 18 months up to 3.5 years of follow up. Factors associated with increased eGFR were younger age, lower pre-adrenalectomy eGFR and longer follow-up period. CONCLUSION: DST cortisol is an independent risk factor for lower eGFR in patients with adrenal adenomas. Both patients with MACS and NFA demonstrate an increase in eGFR post-adrenalectomy, especially younger patients with lower eGFR pre-adrenalectomy.

Etiology, morphology, and outcomes of adrenal calcifications in 540 adult patients-a retrospective single-center study.

Sparse data are available on the etiology, morphology, clinical presentation, and outcomes of adrenal calcification. In this single-center retrospective study of 540 consecutive patients (median age 65 years, 45% women) with adrenal calcification on computed tomography (December 2017 to January 2021), most were discovered incidentally (472, 87%). The commonest etiology was idiopathic (389, 72%), followed by the adrenal tumor (113, 21%), hemorrhage (29, 5%), and infiltrative disease (7, 1%). Calcified adrenal tumors were predominantly benign (92, 81%) and primarily adenomas (63, 69%), whereas the most common calcified adrenal malignancy (16, 18%) was metastasis (12, 67%). Calcification (unilateral 94%, bilateral 6%) morphology varied from punctate (313, 58%) to coarse (165, 30%), linear/curvilinear (46, 9%), and rim-like (16, 3%). In summary, adrenal calcifications are usually incidentally discovered unilateral, punctate, or coarse lesions of unclear etiology. Most calcified adrenal tumors are benign and <20% malignant or pheochromocytomas.

Prediction of cardiovascular outcome by estimated glomerular filtration rate among high-risk patients: a Thai nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality, but the predictive value of different eGFR on CV outcomes is limited in Southeast Asian populations. AIMS: We aimed to stratify CV outcomes according to renal function among Thai patients with high atherosclerosis risk. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis in a 5-year national cohort entitled "CORE-Thailand study." Subjects were classified in 6 groups according to baseline kidney function: group I, eGFR ≥ 90; group II, eGFR 60-89; group IIIa, eGFR 45-59; group IIIb, eGFR 30-44; group IV, eGFR 15-29; group V, eGFR < 15 ml/min/1.73 m2 or receiving renal replacement therapy. The primary outcome was 4-point major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, CV mortality, hospitalization for heart failure, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke. RESULTS: A total of 6376 subjects (3467 men and 2909 women) were categorized in 6 groups. After adjusting covariates in the Cox proportional hazards model, compared to group I, subjects in groups II-V had a 1.65-fold, 2.17-fold, 2.67-fold, 4.24-fold, and 4.87-fold risk for 4-point MACE, respectively, with statistical significance at P < 0.05 in all groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis illustrated stepwise lower survivals from 4-point MACE following the groups with lower baseline eGFR (log-rank test with P < 0.001). All secondary outcomes showed similar trends as the primary outcome, except nonfatal stroke. CONCLUSION: Lower baseline kidney function was independently associated with increased risk of CV events and all-cause mortality in Thai populations at high CV risk.