Effects of chronic glucocorticoid excess in man on insulin binding to circulating cells: differences between endogenous and exogenous hypercorticism.

We measured [125I]insulin binding to circulating monocytes or erythrocytes from 16 patients with chronic glucocorticoid excess, 9 chronically treated with prednisone and 7 with adrenocortical hyperfunction. With monocytes, [125I]insulin binding was iincreased in all patients. Analysis of binding data indicated that increased binding in patients treated with prednisone was due to an ncrease in receptor concentration, whereas in patients with adrenocortical hyperfunction, it was due to an increase in receptor affinity.

Heterogeneity of the insulin-receptor interaction in lipoatropic diabetes.

[125] Insulin binding to its receptors was studied on circulating cells from 11 patients (8 females and 3 males) with lipoatropic diabetes. The patients ranged in age from 9-54 yr. All were insulin resistant, as evidenced by fasting hyperinsulinemia and insulin tolerance tests.

Limited adrenal reserve in paracoccidioidomycosis: cortisol and aldosterone responses to 1-24 ACTH.

Adrenal function in twenty-three patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (South American Blastomycosis) has been assessed by measuring the response to adrenocortical stimulation with 1-24 ACTH. Two patients with overt Addison's disease showed very low basal levels and the complete absence of an increase in either cortisol or aldosterone secretion. Six patients showed probable diminished adrenal reserve in terms of cortisol and three patients showed diminished reserve in terms of aldosterone function.