[Hormonal deficiencies in the elderly: is there a role for replacement therapy?]. / Déficiences hormonales du sujet âgé: faut-il les traiter?

Biological aging is characterized by a progressive loss of the secretion of various hormones, a phenomenon that leads some physicians to propose an anti-aging hormonal therapy. It is mandatory to differentiate: 1) the physiological functional loss, which is a natural phenomenon without clear deleterious consequences on health and should not be compensated by the administration of hormones only to restore plasma levels similar to those measured in young people and 2) a pathological defect that deserves a replacement therapy to correct the endocrine deficiency and improve the health status of older individuals. This article considers the deficiencies in insulin, thyroid hormones, growth hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and testosterone. For each hormone, a benefit/risk ratio of a so-called replacement therapy will be analyzed.

Long-term remission of disseminated parathyroid cancer following immunotherapy.

PURPOSE: Parathyroid cancer is a rare tumor associated with poor prognosis particularly when disseminated. While chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy are of no clinical value in disseminated disease, immunotherapy should be considered. SUBJECT AND RESULTS: A patient with CDC73-associated metastatic parathyroid carcinoma was treated with combined anti-hPTH immunotherapy and surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Following five courses of anti-hPTH immunotherapy and subsequent surgery, a 12-year long remission of disseminated parathyroid cancer is reported. This case further supports the ever-expanding spectrum of cancers that may benefit from immunotherapy.

AIP-mutated acromegaly resistant to first-generation somatostatin analogs: long-term control with pasireotide LAR in two patients.

Acromegaly is a rare disease due to chronic excess growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) mutations are associated with an aggressive, inheritable form of acromegaly that responds poorly to SST2-specific somatostatin analogs (SSA). The role of pasireotide, an SSA with affinity for multiple SSTs, in patients with AIP mutations has not been reported. We studied two AIP mutation positive acromegaly patients with early-onset, invasive macroadenomas and inoperable residues after neurosurgery. Patient 1 came from a FIPA kindred and had uncontrolled GH/IGF-1 throughout 10 years of octreotide/lanreotide treatment. When switched to pasireotide LAR, he rapidly experienced hormonal control which was associated with marked regression of his tumor residue. Pasireotide LAR was stopped after >10 years due to low IGF-1 and he maintained hormonal control without tumor regrowth for >18 months off pasireotide LAR. Patient 2 had a pituitary adenoma diagnosed when aged 17 that was not cured by surgery. Chronic pasireotide LAR therapy produced hormonal control and marked tumor shrinkage but control was lost when switched to octreotide. Tumor immunohistochemistry showed absent AIP and SST2 staining and positive SST5. Her AIP mutation positive sister developed a 2.5 cm follicular thyroid carcinoma aged 21 with tumoral loss of heterozygosity at the AIP locus and absent AIP staining. Patients 1 and 2 required multi-modal therapy to control diabetes. On stopping pasireotide LAR after >10 years of treatment, Patient 1's glucose metabolism returned to baseline levels. Long-term pasireotide LAR therapy can be beneficial in some AIP mutation positive acromegaly patients that are resistant to first-generation SSA.

Conversion to Graves disease from Hashimoto thyroiditis: a study of 24 patients.

OBJECTIVE: The conversion of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) to hyperthyroidism due to thyrotropin receptor antibodies is intriguing and considered rare. The contribution of TSH receptor blocking antibodies (TRAb), which may be stimulators (TSAb) or blockers (TBAb), is suspected. We describe clinical and biological variables in a series of patients switching from Hashimoto's thyroiditis to Grave's disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Retrospective case study of 24 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis followed during 48 ± 36 months that developed later Graves' disease (GD). These variables were analysed in the hypo and hyperthyroid phase: age, sex, initial TSH, free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), anti-TPO, TBII antibodies, parietal cell autoantibodies, time between hypo and hyperthyroidism, thyroid volume and levothyroxine doses (LT). RESULTS: In HT, mean TSH was 9.4 ± 26.1 UI/L and levothyroxine treatment was 66.2 ± 30.8 µg/day. The switch to GD was observed 38 ± 45 months after HT diagnosis. As expected, we found significant differences on TSH, FT3, FT4 and TBAb levels. Three out of 14 patients had parietal cell autoantibodies. In two of these three cases there was an Helicobacter pylori infection. There were no significant differences between HT and GD groups with respect to thyroid volume. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, large series documenting the conversion of HT to GD are scarce. Although rare, this phenomenon should not be misdiagnosed. Suspicion should be raised whenever thyroxine posology must be tapered down during the follow-up of HT patients. Further immunological and genetic studies are needed to explain this unusual autoimmune change.

Gross total resection or debulking of pituitary adenomas improves hormonal control of acromegaly by somatostatin analogs.

INTRODUCTION: Invasive GH-secreting pituitary adenomas are rarely cured by surgery and although long-term therapy with somatostatin analogs (SSAs) may be employed, hormonal control is achieved in only 60% of cases. The impact of tumor debulking on subsequent control of acromegaly with SSAs has not been studied previously. METHODS: We studied retrospectively the response to SSA therapy in acromegalic patients before and after incomplete surgical tumor excision. A case review identified 24 acromegalic patients who had received SSA therapy for > or = 1 month before and after gross total resection or debulking of adenomas. No patient received radiotherapy or combination treatment with SSAs and dopamine agonists during the study. GH and IGV-I responses to SSAs were recorded pre- and postoperatively. Postoperative SSA therapy was begun after a washout period of 1-3 months to assess the hormonal effects of the surgery alone. RESULTS: Before preoperative SSA treatment, 24/24 (100%) patients had elevated GH levels and IGF-I levels were elevated in 19/21 (90.5%) patients with recorded values. During preoperative SSA treatment, GH and IGF-I levels were normalized in 7/24 (29.2%) and 11/24 (45.8%) patients respectively. Following postoperative washout, GH was controlled in only 3/24 (12.5%) patients, while IGF-I was controlled in 8/19 (42.1%) patients with available data. During the second SSA treatment period, normal GH levels were seen in 13/24 (54.2%) patients, while IGF-I control was noted in 18/23 (78.3%). CONCLUSION: Gross total tumor resection or debulking increases the likelihood of achieving biochemical disease control with SSAs in acromegalic patients with adenomas that were not amenable to complete surgical resection and in whom primary SSA therapy was unable to achieve good biochemical control.

Parathyroid carcinoma: Challenges in diagnosis and treatment.

Parathyroid carcinoma is a malignant neoplasm affecting 0.5 to 5.0% of all patients suffering from primary hyperparathyroidism. This cancer continues to cause challenges for diagnosis and treatment because of its rarity, overlapping features with benign parathyroid disease, and lack of distinct characteristics. The third/second generation PTH assay ratio provides valuable information to distinguish between benign parathyroid disease and parathyroid carcinoma. An abnormal ratio (>1) could indicate a high suspicion regarding carcinoma and metastatic disease. Early en bloc surgical resection of the primary tumour with clear margins remains the best curative treatment. Although prolonged survival is possible with recurrent or metastatic disease, cure is rarely achievable. The efficacy of classical adjuvant therapies, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, in management of persistent, recurrent, or metastatic disease has been disappointing. In metastatic disease the goal of therapeutic support is to control the PTH-driven hypercalcemia that represents the primary cause of mortality. Calcimimetics, which are allosteric modulators of the calcium sensing receptor, have a sustained effect in lowering serum calcium levels. Bone anti-resorptive therapy, like intravenous bisphosphonates (pamidronate and zolendronate), or more recently denosumab (fully human monoclonal antibody with high affinity to bind RANK ligand) might be temporarily useful. In a small number of cases treated with anti-PTH immunotherapy, inducing anti-PTH antibodies, promising results have been seen with clinical improvements and decrease of calcemia. In one case metastasis shrinkage has been observed.

Familial colloid cyst of the third ventricle: neuroendocrinological follow-up and review of the literature.

Colloid cysts of the third ventricle are rare, benign cysts of endodermal origin. Between 1989 and 1999, eight patients with this lesion (five females, three males), with a mean age of 40.5 years (range 20-54), were identified out of 1354 operated for tumours of the central nervous system. Among the eight, two were familial. They were half sisters 38 and 28 years-old, who were diagnosed to have colloid cysts of the third ventricle on CT scanning. Transcortical excision yielded 10 and 15 mm sized colloid cysts, respectively. Moreover, both sisters developed a multinodular goiter associated with these congenital tumours. The second sibling developed hyperprolactinemia associated with macroprolactinemia. Pregnancy was only possible after bromocriptine treatment. These cases provide further evidences that colloid cysts probably have an autosomic recessive pattern of inheritance with variable penetrance.

The third/second generation PTH assay ratio as a marker for parathyroid carcinoma: evaluation using an automated platform.

BACKGROUND: Parathyroid carcinoma (PCa) is rare and often difficult to differentiate initially from benign disease. Because PCa oversecretes amino PTH that is detected by third-generation but not by second-generation PTH assays, the normal 3rd/2nd generation PTH ratio (<1) is inverted in PCa (ie, >1). OBJECTIVE: The objective of the investigation was to study the utility and advantages of automated 3rd/2nd generation PTH ratio measurements using the Liaison XL platform over existing manual techniques. SETTING: The study was conducted at a tertiary-referral academic center. DESIGN: This was a retrospective laboratory study. SUBJECTS: Eleven patients with advanced PCa (mean age 56.0 y). The controls were patients with primary-hyperparathyroidism (n = 144; mean age 53.8 y), renal transplantation (n = 41; mean age 50.6 y), hemodialysis (n = 80; mean age 65.2 y), and healthy elderly subjects (n = 40; mean age 72.6 y). RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) 3rd/2nd generation PTH ratio was 1.16 (1.10-1.38) in the PCa group, which was significantly higher than the control groups: hemodialysis: 0.74 (0.71-0.75); renal transplant: 0.77 (0.73-0.79); primary hyperparathyroidism: 0.76 (0.74-0.78); healthy elderly: 0.80 (0.74-0.83). An inverted 3rd/2nd-generation PTH ratio (>1) was seen in 9 of 11 PCa patients (81.8%) and in 7 of 305 controls (2.3%): 3 of 80 hemodialysis (3.8%), and 4 of 144 primary-hyperparathyroidism patients (2.8%). Of four PCa patients who had a normal PTH ratio with the manual method, two had an inverted 3rd/2nd-generation PTH ratio with the automated method. CONCLUSIONS: Study of the 3rd/2nd-generation PTH ratio in large patient populations should be feasible using a mainstream automated platform like the Liaison XL. The current study confirms the utility of the inverted 3rd/2nd-generation PTH ratio as a marker of PCa (sensitivity: 81.8%; specificity: 97.3%).

Conversion to Graves disease from Hashimoto thyroiditis: a study of 24 patients

ABSTRACT Objective: The conversion of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) to hyperthyroidism due to thyrotropin receptor antibodies is intriguing and considered rare. The contribution of TSH receptor blocking antibodies (TRAb), which may be stimulators (TSAb) or blockers (TBAb), is suspected. We describe clinical and biological variables in a series of patients switching from Hashimoto's thyroiditis to Grave's disease. Subjects and methods: Retrospective case study of 24 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis followed during 48 ± 36 months that developed later Graves' disease (GD). These variables were analysed in the hypo and hyperthyroid phase: age, sex, initial TSH, free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), anti-TPO, TBII antibodies, parietal cell autoantibodies, time between hypo and hyperthyroidism, thyroid volume and levothyroxine doses (LT). Results: In HT, mean TSH was 9.4 ± 26.1 UI/L and levothyroxine treatment was 66.2 ± 30.8 µg/day. The switch to GD was observed 38 ± 45 months after HT diagnosis. As expected, we found significant differences on TSH, FT3, FT4 and TBAb levels. Three out of 14 patients had parietal cell autoantibodies. In two of these three cases there was an Helicobacter pylori infection. There were no significant differences between HT and GD groups with respect to thyroid volume. Conclusions: To our knowledge, large series documenting the conversion of HT to GD are scarce. Although rare, this phenomenon should not be misdiagnosed. Suspicion should be raised whenever thyroxine posology must be tapered down during the follow-up of HT patients. Further immunological and genetic studies are needed to explain this unusual autoimmune change.

Mutations of calcium-sensing receptor gene: two novel mutations and overview of impact on calcium homeostasis.

OBJECTIVE: Genetic disorders of calcium metabolism arise in a familial or sporadic setting. The calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) plays a key role in maintaining calcium homeostasis and study of the CASR gene can be clinically useful in determining etiology and appropriate therapeutic approaches. We report two cases of novel CASR gene mutations that illustrate the varying clinical presentations and discuss these in terms of the current understanding of CASR function. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 16-year-old patient had mild hypercalcemia associated with low-normal urinary calcium excretion and normal-to-high parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Because of negative family history, familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia was originally excluded. The second patient was a 54-year-old man with symptomatic hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, low PTH, and mild hypercalciuria. Familial investigation revealed the same phenotype in the patient's sister. The coding region of the CASR gene was sequenced in both probands and their available first-degree relatives. RESULTS: The first patient had a novel heterozygous inactivating CASR mutation in exon 4, which predicted a p.A423K change; genetic analysis was negative in the parents. The second patient had a novel heterozygous activating CASR mutation in exon 6, which predicted a p.E556K change; the affected sister of the proband was also positive. CONCLUSIONS: We reported two novel heterozygous mutations of the CASR gene, an inactivating mutation in exon 4 and the first activating mutation reported to date in exon 6. These cases illustrate the importance of genetic testing of CASR gene to aid correct diagnosis and to assist in clinical management.

The ratio of parathyroid hormone as measured by third- and second-generation assays as a marker for parathyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Parathyroid carcinoma (PCa) is a rare disease that can be difficult to differentiate initially from severe benign parathyroid adenoma. PCa oversecrete the amino form of PTH, which is recognized by third-generation but not by second-generation PTH immunoassays. In normal individuals, the third-generation to second-generation PTH ratio should be less than 1. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to study the utility of the third-generation to second-generation PTH ratio as a means of distinguishing PCa patients (n=24) from control groups with and without disorders of calcium secretion, including patients on renal hemodialysis (n=74), postrenal transplantation (n=60), and primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP; n=30). SETTING AND DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective, laboratory-based study at tertiary referral academic centers. RESULTS: The mean third-generation to second-generation ratio was 0.58+/-0.10 in the dialysis patients, 0.54+/-0.10 in the renal transplant group, 0.54+/-0.12 in the elderly healthy patients, and 0.68+/-0.11 in the PHP group. All 245 of these patients presented a PTH third-generation to second-generation ratio of less than 1. In contrast, we observed an inverted third-generation to second-generation PTH ratio of more than one in 20 PCa patients, whereas only four PCa patients had a normal ratio of less than 1. CONCLUSIONS: An inverted third-generation to second-generation PTH ratio occurred in the majority of patients with advanced PCa and was absent in all 245 relevant controls. A third-generation to second-generation PTH ratio higher than 1 had a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 100% among PHP patients as a marker for PCa. This ratio may be useful to identify patients with PCa earlier and to detect patients either at risk of developing PCa or those in whom recurrence is taking place.

Cabergoline and the risk of valvular lesions in endocrine disease.

AIMS: The cardiac valvular risk associated with lower exposure to cabergoline in common endocrine conditions such as hyperprolactinemia is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a cross-sectional, case-control echocardiographic study to assess the valvular status in 102 subjects receiving cabergoline for endocrine disorders and 51 matched control subjects. Cabergoline treatment ranged from 12 to 228 months, with a cumulative dose of 18-1718 mg. Valvular regurgitation was equally prevalent in both groups and was almost exclusively mild. Two cabergoline-treated subjects had moderate mitral regurgitation; there was no relationship between cabergoline dose and the presence or severity of mitral valve regurgitation (P=NS). Mitral valve tenting area was significantly greater in the cabergoline group when compared with the control subjects (P=0.03). Mitral valve leaflet thickening was observed in 5.9% of cabergoline-treated subjects; no relationship with the cumulative cabergoline dose was found. No patient had aortic or tricuspid valvular restriction. CONCLUSION: No significantly increased risk of clinically relevant cardiac valve disorders was found in subjects treated with long-term cabergoline therapy at the doses used in endocrine practice. While exposure to cabergoline appears to be safe during low-dose long-term therapy, an association with subclinical changes in mitral valve geometry cannot be completely excluded.

Skin tensile properties in patients treated for acromegaly.

BACKGROUND: Somatotropic effects are described in the skin. Indeed, acromegaly is in part clinically recognized by cutaneous coarsening. The actual changes in tensile properties associated with the cutaneous manifestations are largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: To study the relationships between the skin tensile properties and the severity of acromegaly as assessed by serum levels of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). PATIENTS AND METHOD: Assessments were made in 13 patients with acromegaly treated by somatostatin agonists combined or not with surgery. A total of 39 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects served as controls. Skin tensile properties were measured on the forearm and nape of the neck using a computerized suction device. RESULTS: Significant differences were yielded between the skin tensile properties in patients and normal subjects. The highest IGF-1 values in the patients' medical records were positively correlated with both skin distensibility and biologic elasticity. The most recent IGF-1 serum levels were negatively correlated with the visco-elastic ratio. No correlations were yielded between any of the biomechanical parameters and GH levels, disease duration and treatment dosages, respectively. CONCLUSION: The skin in acromegaly appears to be functionally more redundant and elastic than normal skin. The biomechanical changes appear quite different from those observed in other diseases with collagen deposition such as diabetes mellitus and scleroderma.