Translational Physiology Block 7 Flashcards
What is a paraneoplastic syndrome?
ability of nonendocrine tissues to produce hormones (primarily peptide)
examples: different types of lung cancers may cause hypercalcemia (secretion of PTH-related peptide), or hyponatremia (secretion of AVP)
Describe pseudohypoparathyroidism
abnormality in Gs g protein
impairment in PTH signaling (low serum calcium, high serum phosphate, and increased circulating PTH; increased risk of hypothyroidism and female gonadal dysfunction
How are steroid receptors quantified in cancer patients?
labeled immunoassay; Scatchard plot: y-axis is steroid/free hormone, x-axis is bound hormone concentration; slope is dissociation constant
Is a high expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast tumors a favorable prognosis?
Yes; suggests advanced state of differentiation and predicts favorable response to hormone therapy
What is Cushing’s syndrome? What causes it?
How is it treated?
truncal adiposity, hypertension, loss of subcutaneous adipose and connective tissue in the extremities with associated bruising, loss of bone mineral, muscle wasting and weakness, and hyperglycemia
primary cortisol-producing adrenal tumor or secondary pituitary tumor
treatment depends on the elucidating the cause and eliminating it
Treatment of glucocorticoid therapy is used in what clinical setting?
chronic inflammatory and neoplastic disorder
What is Addison disease?
What causes it?
Treatment?
increases in circulating concentration of ACTH and other products of POMC (skin hyperpigmentation), hypoglycemia, hypotension, and hyperkalemia
caused by tuberculosis or autoimmune disorders
treated with glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid therapy
Describe 21alpha-hydroxylase deficiency.
inadequate production of both glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid hormones
symptoms: hypotension and dehydration; hypoglycemia; body responds by increasing ACTH secretion resulting in: hyperplasia of adrenal gland, greater than normal activity of SCC enzyme, 3beta-HSD, 17alpha-hydroxylase, and 11beta-hydoxylase (net effect is production of adrenal androgens)
Describe the consequences of glucocorticoid therapy.
rounding of the face (moon facies), thinning of the skin, and fragility of cutaneous blood vessels; osteopenia (or osteoporosis; pathologic fractures); increased frequency and severity of infections; wasting of muscle leading to generalized muscle weakness; glucose intolerance (antagonist of insulin); does not result in hypertension
What are common treatment modalities for hypertension?
spironolactone: weak diuretic that directly antagonizes the effects of aldosterone on the renal tubule (patients present with ascites; may be combined with common thiazide diuretics in treatment of hypertension or congestive heart failure to prevent potassium wasting)
ACE inhibitors: captopril and AT1-receptor targeted therapies (most common side effect of ACE inhibitors is chronic cough)
Describe pheochromocytoma. How is it diagnosed?
How is it treated?
tumor caused be hyperplasia of either adrenal medullary tissue or extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue that failed to involute after birth
may be benign or malignant
symptoms: paroxysmal (sudden outburst) hypertension, tachycardia, headache, episodes of sweating, anxiousness, tremor, and glucose intolerance
diagnosis: history, evidence on physical examination of excessive adrenergic tone, and laboratory detection of increased amounts of urinary catecholamines and their metabolites
treatment: locate and resect tumor (if bilateral adrenalectomy is elected, glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid therapy is required); no therapy is routinely given to replace the adrenal medullary function
Why are patients weaned off of cortisol or its derivatives?
Too allow for the normal CRH-ACTH-cortisol axis to reinitiate
Can beta blockers decrease renin release?
Yes
What pathologies affecting the CRH-ACTH-cortisol axis are ACTH-dependent? independent?
dependent: Cushing, ectopic ACTH, or ectopic CRH
independent: adrenal adenocarcinoma, adrenal adenoma, adrenal hyperplasia, and exogenous steroid administration
Describe pseduo-Cushing’s.
(exogenous steroid) a consequence of obesity, depression, poorly controlled diabetes, alcoholic liver disease, and poly-cystic ovarian syndrome
What is metyraprone?
a drug used to diagnose adrenal insufficiency and occasionally used in the treatment of Cushing’s syndrome;
Metyrapone blocks cortisol synthesis by reversibly inhibiting steroid 11β-hydroxylase. This stimulates ACTH secretion, which in turn increases plasma 11-deoxycortisol levels (ectopic ACTH-producing tumors do not increase ACTH secretion in response to metyraprone)
What happens to the contralateral adrenal gland in the case of a adrenal adenoma in the right hemisphere?
the left adrenal gland will atrophy (due to the feedback inhibition on ACTH secretion by the increased cortisol production the right adrenal gland)
What is a common symptom of pituitary adenomas?
Papilledema (compression of optic chiasm from below)
How is primary aldosteronism diagnosed?
findings of hypernatermia, hyporeninemia, hypokalamia (muscle weakness and polyuria), metabolic alkalosis, ST-depression and U wave elevation
What is Conn’s syndrome? Barrter syndrome?
Primary aldosteronism secondary to an adrenal adenoma
Secondary hyperaldosteronism as a result of increased renin secretion from renal artery stenosis, congestive heart failure, renal salt-wasting, juxtaglomerular hyperplasia
What are characteristics of iodine deficiency? (geography and pathology)
common in inland areas (seawater and seafood contains large amounts of iodine; Andes Mountains in South America, central Africa, and Southeast Asia); goiter formation; cretinism- mental retardation
How do you calculate the amount of free T4 in the circulation?
[T4 ] free = concentration of T4 bound to TBG divided by the binding constant (T4TBG/T4 x TBG) multiplied by the concentration of TBG
Describe Grave’s disease.
What are key clinical features of this disease that are not associated with the thyroid?
activation of TSH receptor by antibodies secreted from B lymphocytes (not regulated)
increased iodide trapping; increased synthesis of T3 and T4; goiter; Increased metabolic rate with associated weight loss, sweating and heat intolerance, a rapid and more forceful heartbeat, muscle weakness and wasting, tremulousness, difficulty concentration, and changes in hair growth and texture; palpable isthmus
Antibodies are also able to stimulate connective tissue in the extraocular muscles and in the dermis of the lower extremity to synthesize mucus (exopthlamos and pretibial myxedema)
Describe hypothyroidism. (trends, symptoms, causes)
more common in women; peripheral edema, constipation, headache, joint aches, fatigue, and, in women, anovulation (hypothermia and coma in elderly patients); caused by iodine deficiency (sometimes autoimmune disorder known as Hashimoto thyroiditis)