Oxytocin alterations and neurocognitive domains in patients with hypopituitarism.

PURPOSE: Oxytocin is a hypothalamus derived, posterior pituitary stored nonapeptide which has gained recent interest as an important neuropsychiatric and metabolic hormone beyond its classic role in lactation and parturition. Hypopituitarism is a heterogenous disorder of derangement in one or more anterior or posterior pituitary hormones. Diagnosis of deficiency and hormone replacement exists to address all relevant axes except for oxytocin. Our study aims to define derangements in oxytocin in a unique population of patients with hypopituitarism and correlate levels with measures of emotional health and quality of life. METHODS: A cross-sectional, single day study was completed to measure plasma oxytocin levels in a diverse population of patients with hypopituitarism compared to controls. Subjects also completed depression, quality of life and stress-related questionnaires, and emotion recognition tasks. RESULTS: Thirty-eight subjects completed the study, 18 with hypopituitarism (9 with diabetes insipidus) and 20 controls. After controlling for differences in age, weight and gender, plasma oxytocin levels were highest in subjects with diabetes insipidus compared to control [mean, IQR: 44.3 pg/ml (29.8-78.2) vs. 20.6 (17-31.3), p = 0.032]. Amongst hypopituitary subjects, those with duration of disease greater than 1 year had higher oxytocin levels. No significant differences were observed for psychosocial measures including emotion recognition tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma oxytocin levels were found higher in patients with hypopituitarism compared to controls and highest in those with diabetes insipidus. Longer duration of hypopituitarism was also associated with higher plasma levels of oxytocin. Further study is needed to better define oxytocin deficiency and investigate response to treatment.

ENDOCRINE MANIFESTATIONS OF PRIMARY HYPEROXALURIA.

OBJECTIVE: Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) is a rare metabolic disorder of oxalate overproduction. It is associated with urolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis, which progress to end-stage renal disease and systemic oxalosis. As oxalate deposits in tissues, non-parathyroid hormone (nonPTH)-mediated hypercalcemia, oxalate osteopathy, primary hypothyroidism, and primary hypogonadism develop. In this review, we will present a case of PH1 and provide an overview of this clinical entity and its endocrine manifestations. METHODS: We conducted a PubMed search for articles related to PH1. The terms "primary hyperoxaluria," "nonPTH mediated hypercalcemia," "hypothyroidism," and "hypogonadism" were used to identify pertinent literature. RESULTS: Given the rarity of PH1, there is scant literature regarding the incidence and clinical significance of endocrine manifestations of this disorder. There are rare reports of hypercalcemia secondary to osteoclast-stimulating activity of macrophages in bone granulomas, which occur in response to oxalate deposits. We report that hypercalcemia may also be mediated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and PTH-related protein (PTHrP). Primary hypothyroidism and primary hypogonadism are thought to be due partly to calcium oxalate deposition in thyroid and testicular tissue. The presented case is the first to report PTHrP-mediated hypercalcemia and primary hypogonadism in a patient with PH1. CONCLUSION: PH1 is a metabolic disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Owing to its rarity, it is not widely recognized in the field of endocrinology, despite presenting with several endocrinopathies. Recognition of endocrine disturbances can result in early and successful treatment, limiting morbidity and improving quality of life in these challenging patients. ABBREVIATIONS: 1,25(OH)2D= 1,25-dihydoxyvitamin D AGT = alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase ESRD = end-stage renal disease GRHPR = glyoxylate reductase-hydroxypyruvate reductase nonPTH = non-parathyroid hormone PH = primary hyperoxaluria pQCT = peripheral quantitative computed tomography PTH = parathyroid hormone PTHrP = parathyroid hormone-related protein T4 = thyroxine TSH = thyroid-stimulating hormone.

A case report of mediastinal parathyroid carcinoma in a chronic kidney disease patient: Addressing management conundrum.

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare malignancy; and it is rarer to find one located in an ectopic location. Ectopic parathyroid glands are a reported cause of failed primary surgery for hyperparathyroidism. We report here a 73-year-old male who previously had parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism but then had recurrence of his symptoms with a diagnosis of a mediastinal parathyroid carcinoma on further evaluation. This presentation of complicated mediastinal parathyroid carcinoma posed significant diagnostic and management challenges due to comorbid stage IV chronic kidney disease (CKD). Secondly, due to the same comorbid condition, a more aggressive calcimimetic regimen could not be undertaken due to the risk of renal dysfunction with potential progression to dialysis status. Thirdly, he was a high-risk surgical candidate due to significant cardiovascular risks. Ideally, open surgical intervention would be recommended but due to the associated risks, he was managed with robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. He subsequently developed hypocalcemia which normalized with supplemental calcium at follow-up.

Premature coronary heart disease and autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia: Increased risk in women with LDLR mutations.

BACKGROUND: For patients with autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia (ADH), it remains unclear whether differences exist in the risk of premature coronary heart disease (CHD) between patients with confirmed mutations in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) vs those without detectable mutations. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to assess the risk of premature CHD in ADH patients with mutations in LDLR (referred to as familial hypercholesterolemia [FH]) vs those without detectable mutations (unexplained ADH), stratified by sex. METHODS: Comparative study of premature CHD in a multiethnic cohort of 111 men and 165 women meeting adult Simon-Broome criteria for ADH. RESULTS: Women with FH (n = 51) had an increased risk of premature CHD compared with unexplained ADH women (n = 111; hazard ratio [HR], 2.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-5.34; P = .003) even after adjustment for lipid levels and traditional CHD risk factors (HR, 2.53 [1.10-5.83]; P = .005). Men with FH (n = 42), in contrast, had a similar risk of premature CHD when compared with unexplained ADH men (n = 66; unadjusted: HR, 1.48 [0.84-2.63]; P = .18; adjusted: HR, 1.04 [0.46-2.37]; P = .72). To address whether mutation status provides additional information beyond LDL-cholesterol level, we analyzed premature CHD risk for FH vs unexplained ADH at various percentiles of LDL-cholesterol: the risk ratios were significant for women at 25th percentile (HR, 4.90 [1.69-14.19]) and 50th percentile (HR, 3.44 [1.42-8.32]) but not at 75th percentile (HR, 1.99 [0.95-4.17]), and were not significant for men at any percentile. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that genetic confirmation of ADH may be important to identify patient's risk of CHD, especially for female LDLR mutation carriers.