Endocrine vigilance in COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus responsible for a pandemic that emerged in December 2019. Heterogeneous clinical forms are described from asymptomatic to severe hypoxaemic acute respiratory syndrome with multisystem organ failure. The impact of this coronavirus disease 2019 on the endocrine glands remains unknown. However, the results of previous studies on viruses from the same family allow us to write proposals for patients followed for chronic endocrine diseases. Currently, if these subjects are infected with SARS-CoV-2, they must not stop their treatment. In some cases, hormone replacement doses have to be increased. In case of worsening clinical signs, hormonal biological monitoring must be done. This article will be helpful for improving the management of chronic endocrine diseases that could affect thyroid, adrenals, gonads and pituitary gland functions. Proposals could be applied in COVID-19 infected subjects or in those who have been in contact with COVID-19 infected people.

Autophagy in the endocrine glands.

Autophagy is an important cellular process involving the degradation of intracellular components. Its regulation is complex and while there are many methods available, there is currently no single effective way of detecting and monitoring autophagy. It has several cellular functions that are conserved throughout the body, as well as a variety of different physiological roles depending on the context of its occurrence in the body. Autophagy is also involved in the pathology of a wide range of diseases. Within the endocrine system, autophagy has both its traditional conserved functions and specific functions. In the endocrine glands, autophagy plays a critical role in controlling intracellular hormone levels. In peptide-secreting cells of glands such as the pituitary gland, crinophagy, a specific form of autophagy, targets the secretory granules to control the levels of stored hormone. In steroid-secreting cells of glands such as the testes and adrenal gland, autophagy targets the steroid-producing organelles. The dysregulation of autophagy in the endocrine glands leads to several different endocrine diseases such as diabetes and infertility. This review aims to clarify the known roles of autophagy in the physiology of the endocrine system, as well as in various endocrine diseases.

Leiomiossarcoma primário de adrenal / Primary adrenal leiomyosarcoma

O leiomiossarcoma da glândula adrenal é uma neoplasia extremamente rara, cuja origem provém da veia central da adrenal ou de suas tributárias. Estes tumores são vistos com incidência aumentada em pacientes infectados pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana adquirida (HIV) e também pelo vírus Epstein-Barr (EBV). Relata-se o caso de uma paciente de 48 anos diagnosticada, por meio de exames de imagem, massa ocupando loja adrenal esquerda, próxima ao pâncreas. Foi submetida à ressecção cirúrgica com achados histopatológicos e imunohistoquímico compatíveis com leiomiossarcoma primário de adrenal. A paciente foi a óbito após 53 meses da adrenalectomia. Concluiu-se que, não obstante a raridade desta neoplasia, sabe-se que, bem como os demais sarcomas de partes moles, o leiomiossarcoma de adrenal se comporta de maneira agressiva e tem na adrenalectomia o tratamento de escolha, não sendo necessário o emprego de quimio ou radioterapias de rotina, exceto em doença metastática ou irressecável.

Leiomyosarcoma of adrenal gland is an extremely rare tumor originating from the central adrenal vein or its tributaries. Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Epstein-Barr infection have a higher incidence of these tumors, but even in those, the overall incidence is very low. In this paper we report a case of a 48 year-old woman whose diagnosis was made by image exams that had suggested a mass in adrenal area. This patient was submitted to surgery for resection of the mass. The histopathologic and immunohistochemistry exams were compatible with primary leiomyosarcoma of adrenal gland. Fifty-three months after adrenalectomy the patient died with recurrent disease. Despite of the rarity of this tumor, leiomyosarcoma of adrenal gland has an aggressive behavior, such as the others soft tissue sarcomas. The adrenalectomy is the primary treatment, while chemotherapy or radiotherapy is not prescribed except in metastatic or bulky and not operative disease.