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Caroline Culen University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Diana-Alexandra Ertl University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Katharina Schubert University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Lisa Bartha-Doering University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Gabriele Haeusler University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Turner syndrome (TS), although considered a rare disease, is the most common sex chromosome abnormality in women, with an incident of 1 in 2500 female births. TS is characterized by distinctive physical features such as short stature, ovarian dysgenesis, an increased risk for heart and renal defects as well as a specific cognitive and psychosocial phenotype. Given the complexity of the condition, patients face manifold difficulties which increase over the lifespan. Furthermore, failures during the transitional phase to adult care result in moderate health outcomes and decreased quality of life. Guidelines on the optimal screening procedures and medical treatment are easy to find. However, recommendations for the treatment of the incriminating psychosocial aspects in TS are scarce. In this work, we first reviewed the literature on the cognitive and psychosocial development of girls with TS compared with normal development, from disclosure to young adulthood, and then introduce a psychosocial approach to counseling and treating patients with TS, including recommendations for age-appropriate psychological diagnostics. With this work, we aim to facilitate the integration of emphasized psychosocial care in state-of-the-art treatment for girls and women with TS.

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Merete Gedde-Dahl
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Espen Thiis-Evensen
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Andreas Myklebust Tjølsen Section of Gastroenterology, University of Oslo School of Medicine, Department of Transplantation Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Postboks 4953, Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway

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Kjerstin Skrede Mordal
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Morten Vatn
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Deidi S Bergestuen
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Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) arising in the small intestine are known to produce vasoactive substances, including serotonin, that may result in the carcinoid syndrome (flushing, diarrhea, bronchoconstriction, and carcinoid heart disease). Measurement of the serotonin breakdown product 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in urine is important in diagnosing and monitoring of patients with intestinal NETs. Our aim was to compare 5-HIAA measurement in 24-h urine sampling with overnight (∼8-h) sampling in patients with known NETs, or at follow-up of patients potentially cured for their NETs. Twenty-four-hour and overnight urine samples were collected from 34 patients and analyzed for urinary 5-HIAA (U5-HIAA) using HPLC. Comparison of the overnight sampling values with the 24-h values showed no difference, P=0.45, and there was a significant direct correlation between the two samples using linear regression (R=0.97, P<0.001). U5-HIAA sample collection during a nightly interval of ∼8 h appears to have the same accuracy as the 24-h collection in this group of patients.

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Julie Smith Department of Clinical Biochemistry (KB3014), Department of Technology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

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Jan Fahrenkrug Department of Clinical Biochemistry (KB3014), Department of Technology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

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Henrik L Jørgensen Department of Clinical Biochemistry (KB3014), Department of Technology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

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Christina Christoffersen Department of Clinical Biochemistry (KB3014), Department of Technology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Biochemistry (KB3014), Department of Technology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

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Jens P Goetze Department of Clinical Biochemistry (KB3014), Department of Technology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Biochemistry (KB3014), Department of Technology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

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Disruption of the circadian rhythm can lead to obesity and cardiovascular disease. In white adipose tissue, activation of the natriuretic peptide receptors (NPRs) stimulates lipolysis. We have previously shown that natriuretic peptides are expressed in a circadian manner in the heart, but the temporal expression profile of their cognate receptors has not been examined in white adipose tissue. We therefore collected peri-renal white adipose tissue and serum from WT mice. Tissue mRNA contents of NPRs – NPR-A and NPR-C, the clock genes Per1 and Bmal1, and transcripts involved in lipid metabolism were quantified at 4-h intervals: in the diurnal study, mice were exposed to a period of 12 h light followed by 12 h darkness (n=52). In the circadian study, mice were kept in darkness for 24 h (n=47). Concomitant serum concentrations of free fatty acids, glycerol, triglycerides (TGs), and insulin were measured. Per1 and Bmal1 mRNA contents showed reciprocal circadian profiles (P<0.0001). NPR-A mRNA contents followed a temporal pattern (P=0.01), peaking in the dark (active) period. In contrast, NPR-C mRNA was expressed in an antiphase manner with nadir in the active period (P=0.007). TG concentrations in serum peaked in the active dark period (P=0.003). In conclusion, NPR-A and NPR-C gene expression is associated with the expression of clock genes in white adipose tissue. The reciprocal expression may thus contribute to regulate lipolysis and energy homeostasis in a diurnal manner.

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Natasha Bergmann Department of Endocrinology, Ull Care A/S, Psychiatric Research Unit, The Cardiovascular Institute, The National Research Center for the Working Environment, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark

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Søren Ballegaard Department of Endocrinology, Ull Care A/S, Psychiatric Research Unit, The Cardiovascular Institute, The National Research Center for the Working Environment, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark

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Pernille Holmager Department of Endocrinology, Ull Care A/S, Psychiatric Research Unit, The Cardiovascular Institute, The National Research Center for the Working Environment, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark

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Per Bech Department of Endocrinology, Ull Care A/S, Psychiatric Research Unit, The Cardiovascular Institute, The National Research Center for the Working Environment, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark

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Åke Hjalmarson Department of Endocrinology, Ull Care A/S, Psychiatric Research Unit, The Cardiovascular Institute, The National Research Center for the Working Environment, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark

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Finn Gyntelberg Department of Endocrinology, Ull Care A/S, Psychiatric Research Unit, The Cardiovascular Institute, The National Research Center for the Working Environment, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark

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Jens Faber Department of Endocrinology, Ull Care A/S, Psychiatric Research Unit, The Cardiovascular Institute, The National Research Center for the Working Environment, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
Department of Endocrinology, Ull Care A/S, Psychiatric Research Unit, The Cardiovascular Institute, The National Research Center for the Working Environment, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark

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The aim of this study was to test i) whether patients having diabetes and ischemic heart disease (IHD), i.e., patients suffering from two chronic diseases, demonstrate a higher degree of chronic stress when compared with patients suffering from IHD alone, and ii) whether suffering from the two chronic diseases results in an elevation in specific elements of the chronic stress concept. A total of 361 participants with IHD were included, of whom 47 suffered from concomitant diabetes. Stress was measured by pressure pain sensitivity (PPS) and by the following questionnaires: the Major Depression Inventory (MDI), the SF-36 Quality of Life questionnaire (SF-36 QOL), the WHO-5 Well-being Index, and the clinical stress signs (CSSs) scale. Participants with diabetes and IHD had a higher MDI score, a lower SF-36 physical component summary score, and a lower score of several sub-measurements of the SF-36 mental component score when compared with patients with IHD without diabetes. No significant differences were observed regarding stress measured by the PPS measure, the WHO-5 Well-being Index, or the number of CSSs. In conclusion, the combination of diabetes and IHD seems to be associated with increased depressive symptoms, lower overall physical QOL, and reduced mental QOL on several sub-elements of the questionnaire. This should be recognized in the management of patients with double diagnoses.

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S U Jayasinghe
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S J Torres
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C A Nowson
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A J Tilbrook Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Livestock and Farming Systems, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Melbourne, Victoria 3125, Australia

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A I Turner
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We tested the hypothesis that overweight/obese men aged 50–70 years will have a greater salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase and heart rate (HR) responses to psychological stress compared with age matched lean men. Lean (BMI=20–25 kg/m2; n=19) and overweight/obese (BMI=27–35 kg/m2; n=17) men (50–70 years) were subjected to a well-characterised psychological stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) at 1500 h. Concentrations of cortisol and alpha amylase were measured in saliva samples collected every 7–15 min from 1400 to 1700 h. HR was recorded using electrocardiogram. Body weight, BMI, percentage body fat, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were significantly higher (P<0.05) in overweight/obese men compared with lean men. Both groups responded to the TSST with a substantial elevation in salivary cortisol (372%), salivary alpha amylase (123%) and HR (22%). These responses did not differ significantly between the groups (time×treatment interaction for salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase and HR; P=0.187, P=0.288, P=0.550, respectively). There were no significant differences between the groups for pretreatment values, peak height, difference between pretreatment values and peak height (reactivity) or area under the curve for salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase or HR (P>0.05 for all). The results showed that, for men with a moderate level of overweight/obesity who were otherwise healthy, the response of salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase and HR to acute psychological stress was not impaired.

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Hongyan Wang Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China

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Bin Wu Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China

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Zichuan Yao Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China

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Xianqing Zhu Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China

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Yunzhong Jiang Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China

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Song Bai Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China

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Purpose

Although resection is the primary treatment strategy for pheochromocytoma, surgery is associated with a high risk of morbidity. At present, there is no nomogram for prediction of severe morbidity after pheochromocytoma surgery, thus the aim of the present study was to develop and validate a nomogram for prediction of severe morbidity after pheochromocytoma surgery.

Methods

The development cohort consisted of 262 patients who underwent unilateral laparoscopic or open pheochromocytoma surgery at our center between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2016. The patients’ clinicopathological characters were recorded. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) binary logistic regression model was used for data dimension reduction and feature selection, then multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop the predictive model. An independent validation cohort consisted of 128 consecutive patients from 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018. The performance of the predictive model was assessed in regards to discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness.

Results

Predictors of this model included sex, BMI, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, tumor size, intraoperative hemodynamic instability, and surgical duration. For the validation cohort, the model showed good discrimination with an AUROC of 0.818 (95% CI, 0.745, 0.891) and good calibration (Unreliability test, P = 0.440). Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the model was also clinically useful.

Conclusions

A nomogram was developed to facilitate the individualized prediction of severe morbidity after pheochromocytoma surgery and may help to improve the perioperative strategy and treatment outcome.

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Kimberly Kuiper Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands

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Hanna Swaab Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands

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Nicole Tartaglia eXtraordinarY Kids Clinic, Developmental Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado

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Sophie van Rijn Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands

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The presence of an additional X or Y chromosome (sex chromosome trisomies, SCT) is associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental difficulties, including socio-emotional problems, across the life span. Studying emotion regulation in young children with SCT could signal deviations in emotional development that serve as risk markers to guide clinical care. This study explored the presence and variety of emotion regulation strategies in 75 SCT children and 81 population-based controls, aged 1–7 years, during a frustration-inducing event in which physiological (heart rate) and observational data (behavioral responses) were collected. Children with SCT were equally physiologically aroused by the event as compared to controls. However, they showed more emotion regulation difficulties in terms of behavior compared to controls that were not explicable in terms of differences in general intellectual functioning. Specifically, they had a more limited range of behavioral alternatives and tended to rely longer on inefficient strategies with increasing age. The field of practice should be made aware of these early risk findings regarding emotion regulation in SCT, which may potentially lay the foundation for later socio-emotional problems, given the significant impact of emotion regulation on child and adult mental health outcomes. The current results may help to design tailored interventions to reduce the impact of the additional sex chromosome on adaptive functioning, psychopathology, and quality of life.

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Randi Ugleholdt Department of Endocrinology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Åse Krogh Rasmussen Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Pernille A H Haderslev Department of Anaesthesiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark

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Bjarne Kromann-Andersen Department of Urology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark

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Claus Larsen Feltoft Department of Endocrinology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark

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Patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) are treated with α-adrenoceptor antagonists to improve peroperative hemodynamics. However, preoperative blood pressure targets differ between institutions. We retrospectively compared per- and postoperative hemodynamics in 30 patients with PPGL that were pretreated with phenoxybenzamine aiming at different blood pressure targets at two separate endocrine departments. All patients were subsequently undergoing laparoscopic surgery at Department of Urology, Herlev University hospital. Fourteen patients were treated targeting to symptomatic and significant orthostatic hypotension and 16 patients to a seated blood pressure below 130/80 mmHg. As a control group, we included 34 patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy for other reasons. The group titrated to orthostatic hypotension required a higher dose of phenoxybenzamine to achieve the blood pressure target. This group had less intraoperative systolic and diastolic blood pressure fluctuation (Mann–Whitney U test; P  < 0.05) and less periods with heart rate above 100 b.p.m. (Mann–Whitney U test; P = 0.04) as compared to the group with a preoperative blood pressure target below 130/80 mmHg. Peroperative use of intravenous fluids were similar between the two groups, but postoperatively more intravenous fluids were administered in the group with a target of ortostatism. Overall, the control group was more hemodynamic stable as compared to either group treated for PPGL. We conclude that phenoxybenzamine pretreatment targeting ortostatic hypotension may improve peroperative hemodynamic stability but causes a higher postoperative requirement for intravenous fluids. Overall, PPGL surgery is related to greater hemodynamic instability compared to adrenalectomy for other reasons.

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Ashley N Reeb Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

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Andrea Ziegler Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

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Reigh-Yi Lin Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

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Follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) is the second most common type of thyroid cancers. In order to develop more effective personalized therapies, it is necessary to thoroughly evaluate patient-derived cell lines in in vivo preclinical models before using them to test new, targeted therapies. This study evaluates the tumorigenic and metastatic potential of a panel of three human FTC cell lines (WRO, FTC-238, and TT1609-CO2) with defined genetic mutations in two in vivo murine models: an orthotopic thyroid cancer model to study tumor progression and a tail vein injection model to study metastasis. All cell lines developed tumors in the orthotopic model, with take rates of 100%. Notably, WRO-derived tumors grew two to four times faster than tumors arising from the FTC-238 and TT2609-CO2 cell lines. These results mirrored those of a tail vein injection model for lung metastasis: one hundred percent of mice injected with WRO cells in the tail vein exhibited aggressive growth of bilateral lung metastases within 35 days. In contrast, tail vein injection of FTC-238 or TT2609-CO2 cells did not result in lung metastasis. Together, our work demonstrates that these human FTC cell lines display highly varied tumorigenic and metastatic potential in vivo with WRO being the most aggressive cell line in both orthotopic and lung metastasis models. This information will be valuable when selecting cell lines for preclinical drug testing.

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Richard W Carroll Endocrine, Diabetes, and Research Centre, Wellington Regional Hospital, New Zealand

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Brian Corley Endocrine, Diabetes, and Research Centre, Wellington Regional Hospital, New Zealand
Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand

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Joe Feltham Department of Radiology, Wellington Regional Hospital, New Zealand

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Patricia Whitfield Endocrine, Diabetes, and Research Centre, Wellington Regional Hospital, New Zealand
Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand

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William Park University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand

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Rowena Howard Diabetes and Endocrinology Service, Hutt Hospital, New Zealand

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Melissa Yssel Department of Biochemistry & Endocrinology, Awanui Labs, New Zealand

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Ian Phillips Department of Biochemistry, Awanui Labs, Dunedin, New Zealand

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Simon Harper Department of Surgery & Anaesethesia, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
Department of General Surgery, Wellington Regional Hospital, New Zealand

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Jun Yang Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
Department of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

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Objective

The assessment of primary aldosteronism incorporates adrenal vein sampling (AVS) to lateralize aldosterone excess. Current adrenal vein sampling protocols rely on concurrent cortisol measurements to assess successful cannulation and lateralization and may be inaccurate in the setting of autonomous cortisol secretion. We aimed to compare the measurement of plasma cortisol and metanephrine concentrations to assess cannulation and lateralization during AVS.

Design

This is a diagnostic accuracy study in a tertiary referral endocrinology department.

Methods

Forty-one consecutive patients with confirmed primary aldosteronism undergoing AVS (49 procedures) were included. None had cortisol autonomy. The use of plasma metanephrine-based ratios were compared with standard cortisol-based ratios to assess cannulation and lateralization during ACTH-stimulated AVS.

Results

There was strong agreement between a cortisol selectivity index (SI) ≥5.0 and an adrenal vein (AV) to peripheral vein (PV) plasma metanephrine ratio (AVmet–PVmet) of ≥12.0 to indicate successful cannulation of the AV (n = 117, sensitivity 98%, specificity 89%, positive predictive value (PPV) 95%, negative predictive value (NPV) 94%). There was strong agreement between the standard cortisol-based SI and an AV plasma metanephrine-to-normetanephrine ratio (AVmet–AVnormet) of ≥2.0 to indicate successful cannulation (n = 117, sensitivity 93%, specificity 86%, PPV 94%, NPV 84%). There was strong agreement between the cortisol- or metanephrine-derived lateralization index (LI) > 4.0 for determining lateralization (n = 26, sensitivity 100%, specificity 94.1%, PPV 91.6%, NPV 100%).

Conclusions

Ratios incorporating plasma metanephrines provide comparable outcomes to standard cortisol-based measurements for interpretation of AVS. Further studies are required to assess the use of metanephrine-derived ratios in the context of confirmed cortisol autonomy.

Significance statement

Primary aldosteronism is a common cause of secondary hypertension, and adrenal vein sampling remains the gold standard test to assess lateralization. Cortisol-derived ratios to assess cannulation and lateralization may be affected by concurrent cortisol dysfunction, which is not uncommon in the context of primary aldosteronism. Our study showed comparable outcomes when using accepted cortisol-derived or metanephrine-derived ratios to determine cannulation and lateralization during adrenal vein sampling. Further research is required to validate these findings and to assess the use of metanephrine-derived ratios in the context of confirmed concurrent cortisol dysfunction.

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