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Background: Patients with Cushing syndrome (CS) are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Objective: The aim was to evaluate the current management of new cases of CS with a focus on VTE and thromboprophylaxis. Design and methods: A survey was conducted within those that report in the electronic reporting tool (e-REC) of the European Registries for Rare Endocrine Conditions (EuRRECa) and the involved main thematic groups (MTG’s) of the European Reference Networks for Rare Endocrine Disorders (Endo-ERN) on new patients with CS from January 2021 to July 2022. Results: Of 222 patients (mean age 44 years, 165 females), 141 patients had Cushing disease (64%), 69 adrenal CS (31%), and 12 patients with ectopic CS (5.4%). The mean follow-up period post-CS diagnosis was 15 months (range 3–30). Cortisol-lowering medications were initiated in 38% of patients. One hundred fifty-four patients (69%) received thromboprophylaxis (including patients on chronic anticoagulant treatment), of which low-molecular-weight heparins were used in 96% of cases. VTE was reported in six patients (2.7%), of which one was fatal: two long before CS diagnosis, two between diagnosis and surgery, and two postoperatively. Three patients were using thromboprophylaxis at time of the VTE diagnosis. The incidence rate of VTE in patients after Cushing syndrome diagnosis in our study cohort was 14.6 (95% CI 5.5; 38.6) per 1000 person-years. Conclusion: Thirty percent of patients with CS did not receive preoperative thromboprophylaxis during their active disease stage, and half of the VTE cases even occurred during this stage despite thromboprophylaxis. Prospective trials to establish the optimal thromboprophylaxis strategy in CS patients are highly needed. Significance statement The incidence rate of venous thromboembolism in our study cohort was 14.6 (95% CI 5.5; 38.6) per 1000 person-years. N

Purpose The aim of this study was to establish a valid national cohort of patients diagnosed with acromegaly by combining data from the general National Patient Register (NPR) and the disease-specific Swedish Pituitary Register (SPR).Methods Patients >= 18 years of age at diagnosis of acromegaly reported from 1991 to 2018 who were registered in the NPR and/or SPR were included. The diagnosis of acromegaly was considered correct for patients identified in both registers or confirmed through chart review. Medical records were reviewed in two of Swedens six health care regions if the patient was reported only in the NPR. An algorithm for the NPR, with criteria requiring multiple diagnosis registrations and tumour and/or surgery codes, was constructed to reduce the number of patients to review in the remaining four regions.Results A total of 1866 patients were identified. Among these, 938 were reported in both registers. After application of the algorithm and chart review, the diagnosis was confirmed for 83 of the 906 patients found only in the NPR. Among 22 patients only registered in the SPR, a review of medical records confirmed acromegaly in 13. This resulted in a total of 1034 cases with acromegaly during the study period. The incidence rate of acromegaly in Sweden 1991-2018 was calculated to 4.0/million/year in the entire population and 5.1/million/year among subjects >= 18 years of age.Conclusion The combination of the SPR and NPR established a valid cohort of patients diagnosed with acromegaly and increased the estimated incidence in Sweden., Funding Agencies|Linkoping University; Region Uppsala; Region Ostergotland; Pfizer Inc.

Item does not contain fulltext, OBJECTIVE: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is one of the most frequent causes of secondary hypertension. Although clinical practice guidelines recommend a diagnostic process, details of the steps remain incompletely standardized. DESIGN: In the present SCOT-PA survey, we have investigated the diversity of approaches utilized for each diagnostic step in different expert centers through a survey using Google questionnaires. A total of 33 centers from 3 continents participated. RESULTS: We demonstrated a prominent diversity in the conditions of blood sampling, assay methods for aldosterone and renin, and the methods and diagnostic cutoff for screening and confirmatory tests. The most standard measures were modification of antihypertensive medication and sitting posture for blood sampling, measurement of plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and active renin concentration by chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay, a combination of aldosterone-to-renin ratio with PAC as an index for screening, and saline infusion test in a seated position for confirmatory testing. The cutoff values for screening and confirmatory testing showed significant variation among centers. CONCLUSIONS: Diversity of the diagnostic steps may lead to an inconsistent diagnosis of PA among centers and limit comparison of evidence for PA between different centers. We expect the impact of this diversity to be most prominent in patients with mild PA. The survey raises 2 issues: the need for standardization of the diagnostic process and revisiting the concept of mild PA. Further standardization of the diagnostic process/criteria will improve the quality of evidence and management of patients with PA.

Item does not contain fulltext, OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether age-related differences exist in clinical characteristics, diagnostic approach, and management strategies in patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS) included in the European Registry on Cushing's Syndrome (ERCUSYN). DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: We analyzed 1791 patients with CS, of whom 1234 (69%) had pituitary-dependent CS (PIT-CS), 450 (25%) adrenal-dependent CS (ADR-CS), and 107 (6%) had an ectopic source (ECT-CS). According to the WHO criteria, 1616 patients (90.2%) were classified as younger (<65 years old) and 175 (9.8%) as older (≥65 years old). RESULTS: Older patients were more frequently males and had a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference when compared with the younger. Older patients also had a lower prevalence of skin alterations, depression, hair loss, hirsutism, and reduced libido, but a higher prevalence of muscle weakness, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, venous thromboembolism, and bone fractures than younger patients, regardless of sex (P < .01 for all comparisons). Measurement of urinary free cortisol supported the diagnosis of CS less frequently in older patients when compared with the younger (P < .05). An extrasellar macroadenoma (macrocorticotropinoma with extrasellar extension) was more common in older PIT-CS patients than in the younger (P < .01). Older PIT-CS patients more frequently received cortisol-lowering medications and radiotherapy as a first-line treatment, whereas surgery was the preferred approach in the younger (P < .01 for all comparisons). When transsphenoidal surgery was performed, the remission rate was lower in the elderly when compared with their younger counterpart (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Older CS patients lack several typical symptoms of hypercortisolism, present with more comorbidities regardless of sex, and are more often conservatively treated.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to establish a valid national cohort of patients diagnosed with acromegaly by combining data from the general National Patient Register (NPR) and the disease-specific Swedish Pituitary Register (SPR). Methods: Patients ≥ 18 years of age at diagnosis of acromegaly reported from 1991 to 2018 who were registered in the NPR and/or SPR were included. The diagnosis of acromegaly was considered correct for patients identified in both registers or confirmed through chart review. Medical records were reviewed in two of Sweden´s six health care regions if the patient was reported only in the NPR. An algorithm for the NPR, with criteria requiring multiple diagnosis registrations and tumour and/or surgery codes, was constructed to reduce the number of patients to review in the remaining four regions. Results: A total of 1866 patients were identified. Among these, 938 were reported in both registers. After application of the algorithm and chart review, the diagnosis was confirmed for 83 of the 906 patients found only in the NPR. Among 22 patients only registered in the SPR, a review of medical records confirmed acromegaly in 13. This resulted in a total of 1034 cases with acromegaly during the study period. The incidence rate of acromegaly in Sweden 1991–2018 was calculated to 4.0/million/year in the entire population and 5.1/million/year among subjects ≥ 18 years of age. Conclusion: The combination of the SPR and NPR established a valid cohort of patients diagnosed with acromegaly and increased the estimated incidence in Sweden.

Item does not contain fulltext, Objective: Patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS) have increased mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the causes and time of death in a large cohort of patients with CS and to establish factors associated with increased mortality. Methods: In this cohort study, we analyzed 1564 patients included in the European Registry on CS (ERCUSYN); 1045 (67%) had pituitary-dependent CS, 385 (25%) adrenal-dependent CS, 89 (5%) had an ectopic source and 45 (3%) other causes. The median (IQR) overall follow-up time in ERCUSYN was 2.7 (1.2-5.5) years. Results: Forty-nine patients had died at the time of the analysis; 23 (47%) with pituitary-dependent CS, 6 (12%) with adrenal-dependent CS, 18 (37%) with ectopic CS and two (4%) with CS due to other causes. Of 42 patients whose cause of death was known, 15 (36%) died due to progression of the underlying disease, 13 (31%) due to infections, 7 (17%) due to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease and 2 due to pulmonary embolism. The commonest cause of death in patients with pituitary-dependent CS and adrenal-dependent CS were infectious diseases (n = 8) and progression of the underlying tumor (n = 10) in patients with ectopic CS. Patients who had died were older and more often males, and had more frequently muscle weakness, diabetes mellitus and ectopic CS, compared to survivors. Of 49 deceased patients, 22 (45%) died within 90 days from start of treatment and 5 (10%) before any treatment was given. The commonest cause of deaths in these 27 patients were infections (n = 10; 37%). In a regression analysis, age, ectopic CS and active disease were independently associated with overall death before and within 90 days from the start of treatment. Conclusion: Mortality rate was highest in patients with ectopic CS. Infectious diseases were the commonest cause of death soon after diagnosis, emphasizing the need for careful clinical vigilance at that time, especially in patients presenting with concomitant diabetes mellitus.

Importance: Neurofilament light protein (NfL) is elevated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a number of neurological conditions compared with healthy controls (HC) and is a candidate biomarker for neuroaxonal damage. The influence of age and sex is largely unknown, and levels across neurological disorders have not been compared systematically to date. Objectives: To assess the associations of age, sex, and diagnosis with NfL in CSF (cNfL) and to evaluate its potential in discriminating clinically similar conditions. Data Sources: PubMed was searched for studies published between January 1, 2006, and January 1, 2016, reporting cNfL levels (using the search terms neurofilament light and cerebrospinal fluid) in neurological or psychiatric conditions and/or in HC. Study Selection: Studies reporting NfL levels measured in lumbar CSF using a commercially available immunoassay, as well as age and sex. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Individual-level data were requested from study authors. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the fixed effects of age, sex, and diagnosis on log-transformed NfL levels, with cohort of origin modeled as a random intercept. Main Outcome and Measure: The cNfL levels adjusted for age and sex across diagnoses. Results: Data were collected for 10059 individuals (mean [SD] age, 59.7 [18.8] years; 54.1% female). Thirty-five diagnoses were identified, including inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (n = 2795), dementias and predementia stages (n = 4284), parkinsonian disorders (n = 984), and HC (n = 1332). The cNfL was elevated compared with HC in a majority of neurological conditions studied. Highest levels were observed in cognitively impaired HIV-positive individuals (iHIV), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Huntington disease. In 33.3% of diagnoses, including HC, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer disease (AD), and Parkinson disease (PD), cNfL was higher in men than women. The cNfL incr

Temozolomide (TMZ) has recently been recommended as the first line chemotherapy in patients with aggressive pituitary tumors (APT) and pituitary carcinomas (PC) not controlled by standard treatment, i.e., surgery, radiotherapy and/or medical therapy (dopamine agonists, somatostatin analogs) [1]. About 40% of patients respond initially to TMZ, complete tumor regression is observed in <10% of patients [2, 3]. The predictive value of the DNA repair protein O6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) as a biomarker for response to TMZ has been debated. Here we present survival data after TMZ treatment in relation to tumoral MGMT content. […]

n/a, Funding Agencies|Skane University Hospital, Region Skane, Sweden; Medical Research Council of Southeast Sweden

Objective: The objective was to assess the long-term safety profile of dual-release hydrocortisone (DR-HC) in patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI). Design: Randomised, open-label, crossover trial of DR-HC or thrice-daily hydrocortisone for 3 months each (stage 1) followed by two consecutive, prospective, open-label studies of DR-HC for 6 months (stage 2) and 18 months (stage 3) at five university clinics in Sweden. Methods: Sixty-four adults with primary AI started stage 1, and an additional 16 entered stage 3. Patients received DR-HC 20-40 mg once daily and hydrocortisone 20-40 mg divided into three daily doses (stage 1 only). Main outcome measures were adverse events (AEs) and intercurrent illness (self-reported hydrocortisone use during illness). Results: In stage 1, patients had a median 1.5 (range, 1-9) intercurrent illness events with DR-HC and 1.0 (1-8) with thrice-daily hydrocortisone. AEs during stage 1 were not related to the cortisol exposure-time profile. The percentage of patients with one or more AEs during stage 1 (73.4% with DR-HC; 65.6% with thrice-daily hydrocortisone) decreased during stage 2, when all patients received DR-HC (51% in the first 3 months; 54% in the second 3 months). In stages 1-3 combined, 19 patients experienced 27 serious AEs, equating to 18.6 serious AEs/100 patient-years of DR-HC exposure. Conclusions: This long-term prospective trial is the first to document the safety of DR-HC in patients with primary AI and demonstrates that such treatment is well tolerated during 24 consecutive months of therapy. European Journal of Endocrinology

Context: Patients with treated adrenal insufficiency (AI) have increased morbidity and mortality rate. Our goal was to improve outcome by developing a once-daily (OD) oral hydrocortisone dual-release tablet with a more physiological exposure-time cortisol profile. Objective: The aim was to compare pharmacokinetics and metabolic outcome between OD and the same daily dose of thrice-daily (TID) dose of conventional hydrocortisone tablets.Design and Setting:We conducted an open, randomized, two-period, 12-wk crossover multicenter trial with a 24-wk extension at five university hospital centers. Patients: The trial enrolled 64 adults with primary AI; 11 had concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM). Intervention: The same daily dose of hydrocortisone was administered as OD dual-release or TID. Main Outcome Measure: We evaluated cortisol pharmacokinetics. Results: Compared with conventional TID, OD provided a sustained serum cortisol profile 0-4 h after the morning intake and reduced the late afternoon and the 24-h cortisol exposure. The mean weight (difference = -0.7 kg, P = 0.005), systolic blood pressure (difference = -5.5 mm Hg, P = 0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (difference: -2.3 mm Hg; P = 0.03), and glycated hemoglobin (absolute difference = -0.1%, P = 0.0006) were all reduced after OD compared with TID at 12 wk. Compared with TID, a reduction in glycated hemoglobin by 0.6% was observed in patients with concomitant DM during OD (P = 0.004). Conclusion: The OD dual-release tablet provided a more circadian-based serum cortisol profile. Reduced body weight, reduced blood pressure, and improved glucose metabolism were observed during OD treatment. In particular, glucose metabolism improved in patients with concomitant DM.

Context: Patients with treated adrenal insufficiency (AI) have increased morbidity and mortality rate. Our goal was to improve outcome by developing a once-daily (OD) oral hydrocortisone dual-release tablet with a more physiological exposure-time cortisol profile. Objective: The aim was to compare pharmacokinetics and metabolic outcome between OD and the same daily dose of thrice-daily (TID) dose of conventional hydrocortisone tablets. Design and Setting: We conducted an open, randomized, two-period, 12-wk crossover multicenter trial with a 24-wk extension at five university hospital centers. Patients: The trial enrolled 64 adults with primary AI; 11 had concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM). Intervention: The same daily dose of hydrocortisone was administered as OD dual-release or TID. Main Outcome Measure: We evaluated cortisol pharmacokinetics. Results: Compared with conventional TID, OD provided a sustained serum cortisol profile 0-4 h after the morning intake and reduced the late afternoon and the 24-h cortisol exposure. The mean weight (difference = -0.7 kg, P = 0.005), systolic blood pressure (difference = -5.5 mm Hg, P = 0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (difference: -2.3 mm Hg; P = 0.03), and glycated hemoglobin (absolute difference = -0.1%, P = 0.0006) were all reduced after OD compared with TID at 12 wk. Compared with TID, a reduction in glycated hemoglobin by 0.6% was observed in patients with concomitant DM during OD (P = 0.004). Conclusion: The OD dual-release tablet provided a more circadian-based serum cortisol profile. Reduced body weight, reduced blood pressure, and improved glucose metabolism were observed during OD treatment. In particular, glucose metabolism improved in patients with concomitant DM., Funding Agencies:DuoCort Pharma ABSwedish Foundation of Strategic Research

Context:Patients with treated adrenal insufficiency (AI) have increased morbidity and mortality rate. Our goal was to improve outcome by developing a once-daily (OD) oral hydrocortisone dual-release tablet with a more physiological exposure-time cortisol profile.Objective:The aim was to compare pharmacokinetics and metabolic outcome between OD and the same daily dose of thrice-daily (TID) dose of conventional hydrocortisone tablets.Design and Setting:We conducted an open, randomized, two-period, 12-wk crossover multicenter trial with a 24-wk extension at five university hospital centers.Patients:The trial enrolled 64 adults with primary AI; 11 had concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM).Intervention:The same daily dose of hydrocortisone was administered as OD dual-release or TID.Main Outcome Measure:We evaluated cortisol pharmacokinetics.Results:Compared with conventional TID, OD provided a sustained serum cortisol profile 0-4 h after the morning intake and reduced the late afternoon and the 24-h cortisol exposure. The mean weight (difference = -0.7 kg, P = 0.005), systolic blood pressure (difference = -5.5 mm Hg, P = 0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (difference: -2.3 mm Hg; P = 0.03), and glycated hemoglobin (absolute difference = -0.1%, P = 0.0006) were all reduced after OD compared with TID at 12 wk. Compared with TID, a reduction in glycated hemoglobin by 0.6% was observed in patients with concomitant DM during OD (P = 0.004).Conclusion:The OD dual-release tablet provided a more circadian-based serum cortisol profile. Reduced body weight, reduced blood pressure, and improved glucose metabolism were observed during OD treatment. In particular, glucose metabolism improved in patients with concomitant DM.

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