Do catecholamines influence the level of plasma leptin in patients with phaeochromocytoma?

The relationship between plasma leptin and catecholamine concentrations during chronic and acute catecholamine excess is studied. Patients with phaeochromocytoma, divided according to gender, were examined under basal conditions (n = 18) and at selected time-points during surgical removal of the tumour (n = 12). Appropriate controls were used (n = 23) for the basal study.

Do catecholamines influence the level of plasma leptin in patients with phaeochromocytoma?

The relationship between plasma leptin and catecholamine concentrations during chronic and acute catecholamine excess is studied. Patients with phaeochromocytoma, divided according to gender, were examined under basal conditions (n=18) and at selected time-points during surgical removal of the tumour (n=12). Appropriate controls were used (n=23) for the basal study.

Discriminatory power of MRI for differentiation of adrenal non-adenomas vs adenomas evaluated by means of ROC analysis: can biopsy be obviated?

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the discriminatory power of MRI in high-field magnet (1.5 T) for differentiation of adrenal non-adenomas vs adenomas assessing the following parameters separately and in combination: mean diameter of adrenal mass; previously described and new ratios as well as index calculated from signal intensity (SI) on SE T2-weighted images, chemical shift imaging (CSI), and Gd-DTPA-enhanced dynamic studies. One hundred eight adrenal masses (36 non-hyperfunctioning adenomas, 27 pheochromocytomas, 23 aldosterone-secreting adenomas, 20 malignant masses and 2 cortisol-secreting adenomas) in 95 patients were evaluated with SE sequences, CSI and Gd-DTPA dynamic studies.

Alterations in plasma neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity and catecholamine levels during surgical removal of pheochromocytoma.

Background: Neuropeptide Y, an abundant neurohormone present with catecholamines in the adrenal medulla, is a potent non-adrenergic vasoconstrictor and a vascular growth factor.

Objective: To determine the mechanism of the release from, and possible role of neuropeptide Y in, pheochromocytomas, compared with those of catecholamines.

Methods: Plasma and tumour levels of neuropeptide Y-immunoreactivity (by, radioimmunoassay) and of noradrenaline and adrenaline (by a radioenzymatic method) in 29 patients (19 women and 10 men, aged 22-68 years) were measured during surgical removal of the tumour, during alpha-adrenergic and beta-adrenergic blockade.

Evaluation of plasma aldosterone to plasma renin activity ratio in patients with primary aldosteronism.

The plasma aldosterone to renin activity ratio (A/PRA) was assessed retrospectively in 103 patients with primary aldosteronism including 74 patients with surgically proven adrenal cortical adenoma (APA) and 29 patients with idiopathic adrenal cortical hyperplasia (IHA). The results were compared with those obtained in 31 patients with essential hypertension (EH) and 45 healthy normotensive controls. The upper limit of normal A/PRA ratio, as obtained in the controls was 17.