Sterotherapeutics begins Phase II trial for ST-002 targeting Cushing’s Syndrome

US-based clinical-stage company Sterotherapeutics has announced the commencement of a Phase II clinical trial for its drug candidate, ST-002, for treating Cushing’s Syndrome, a rare endocrine disorder.

The trial will assess the drug’s efficacy, tolerability, and safety in individuals with this condition. It is set to be conducted in several European clinical sites.

Sterotherapeutics CEO Manohar Katakam said: “After extensive preparations and based on a large body of scientific data, we are excited to convene this important Investigator Meeting as we progress to the next stage of our clinical development programme.

“This trial represents a significant step forward in our mission to develop transformative therapies for unmet medical needs. Collaboration with our expert investigators is essential to ensuring the highest standards of scientific rigour and patient safety.”

An orphan drug designation was granted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the drug underscoring the requirement for new treatments alternatives for this rare condition.

Through this designation, Sterotherapeutics is eligible for various development incentives. These include assistance in the drug development process, certain FDA fee exemptions, post-approval marketing exclusivity of seven years, and tax credits for clinical expenses.

Characterised by longer exposure to high cortisol levels, Cushing’s Syndrome is stated to result in serious health complications like diabetes, osteoporosis, and hypertension.

Sterotherapeutics concentrates on the orphan diseases therapy development. The company stated that its leading programmes, ST-002 for Cushing’s Syndrome and ST-003 for primary sclerosing cholangitis, have shown promise in prior animal and human studies. ST-003 has also been granted an orphan drug designation by the US regulator.

From https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/sterotherapeutics-trial-st-002/?cf-view&cf-closed

Bone Material Strength index is low in Patients with Cushing’s Syndrome even after long-term remission

Abstract

Objective: Hypercortisolism in endogenous Cushing’s syndrome (CS) results in decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk. Although after remission BMD improves, fracture rate remains elevated, suggesting that BMD may not adequately reflect fracture risk in this group. The aim was to evaluate bone material properties, another component of bone quality, using Impact Microindentation (IMI) in patients with CS in remission.

Methods: Cross-sectional study in 60 patients and 60 age-, sex-, and BMD-matched controls at a tertiary referral center between 2019 and 2021. Bone material strength index (BMSi) was measured by IMI using the OsteoProbe® device at the tibia. In addition, laboratory investigation, BMD, and vertebral fracture assessment were performed.

Results: By design, patients and controls were comparable for age (median age 56.5 years), sex (48 women), BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. They were also comparable regarding the number of fragility fractures (21 vs. 27, p=0.22). Median time of remission in patients was 6 years (range 1 to 41). Despite comparable BMD, BMSi was significantly lower in patients compared to controls (76.2±6.7 vs 80.5±4.9, p<0.001). In patients, BMSi was negatively correlated with BMI (r= -0.354, p=0.01), but not related to the presence of fracture, physiological hydrocortisone replacement use, other pituitary insufficiencies, or time since remission.

Conclusion: Bone material properties remain altered in patients with endogenous CS, even after long-term remission. These abnormalities, known to be associated with fractures in other populations, may play a role in the persistent bone fragility of steroid excess.

Keywords: Bone Material properties; Bone fragility; Bone quality; Fractures; Impact Microindentation (IMI); Secondary osteoporosis.

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From https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39562003/

The Efficacy Of Bisphosphonates For Osteoporosis In Young Cushing’s Disease Patients With Biochemical Remission

Background: Patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) often experience slow recovery of bone mineral density (BMD), and the effectiveness of anti-osteoporosis drugs in young CD patients who have achieved biochemical remission after surgery is not well understood. Therefore, we aimed to explore whether bisphosphonates could help accelerate the recovery of osteoporosis in young CD patients with remission.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 34 young patients with CD who achieved postoperative biochemical remission. All patients suffered from osteoporosis before surgery and were divided into postoperative bisphosphonate treatment group (16 cases) and without bisphosphonate treatment group (18 cases). Clinical data, BMD (Z Value), and bone turnover markers were collected at the time of diagnosis and one year after successful tumor resection.

Results: The Z values in the lumbar spine showed slight improvement in both groups at follow-up compared to baseline, but this improvement was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference observed between the two groups at follow-up. One year after operation, bone formation markers (OC and P1NP) were significantly higher than those at baseline in both groups. However, OC and P1NP in the bisphosphonate treatment group were lower than those in control group at one year follow-up. In without bisphosphonate treatment group, β-CTX from follow-up visit was higher than that at baseline, while no significant difference was observed in the bisphosphonate treatment group before and after surgery.

Conclusion: Young patients with Cushing’s disease combined with osteoporosis might not benefit from bisphosphonate therapy for osteoporosis recovery in the first year after achieving biochemical remission.

Introduction

Osteoporosis is one of common complications of Cushing’s syndrome (CS). 40–78% of CS patients have osteopenia at diagnosis and 22–57% have osteoporosis (1). Previous studies reported non-violent fractures in 16–50% of patients with CS at diagnosis (15).

The pathophysiological mechanism of glucocorticoid (GC)-induced osteoporosis is very complex. The main feature is a persistent decrease in bone formation accompanied by an early transient increase in bone resorption, which directly acts on osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes (69). In addition, GC also can lead to bone loss through indirect effects, mainly including decreased sex hormone levels, intestinal and renal calcium absorption and reabsorption, muscle mass and mechanical sensitivity and increased parathyroid hormone levels, etc. (10).

Prevention strategies for osteoporosis in patients treated with long-term exogenous hormones were relatively mature, and drugs promoting bone formation or inhibiting bone resorption should be used. However, osteoporosis was often ignored in patients with Cushing’s syndrome. Previous studies had shown that BMD of patients with CS improved after achieving biochemical remission (11), but some patients still had osteoporosis for several years after remission, even though their BMD were improved compared to preoperative levels (1). A study showed that BMD increased due to high turnover of bone after CS remission, and no additional anti-osteoporotic treatment was considered (12). However, till now it remained unclear whether anti-osteoporosis treatment could help accelerate the recovery of osteoporosis in young CD patients with biochemical remission after surgery.

Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of bisphosphonates for osteoporosis in young Cushing’s disease (CD) patients with biochemical remission.

Materials and methods

Subjects

This study was a retrospective cohort study and was approved by the Human Investigation Ethics Committee at Huashan Hospital (No.2017M011). Thirty-four young CD patients combined with osteoporosis at diagnosis who were hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University from January 2010 to February 2021 were included. Patients’ selection was shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

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Figure 1 Research flow chart.

Inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) the diagnostic criteria for Cushing’s disease were met, and the pituitary ACTH adenoma was confirmed by surgical pathology, 2) men ≥18 years old but younger than 50 years old at diagnosis; premenopausal women ≥ 18 years old and young women(<50 years old) with menstrual abnormalities which were associated with CD, 3) Z-score of BMD in lumbar spine or femoral neck ≤-2.0 at diagnosis of Cushing’s disease or with a history of fragility fractures, 4) attaining biochemical remission after transsphenoidal surgery, 5) receiving regular follow-up and bone mineral density was measured in our hospital at diagnosis and one year follow-up.

Enrolled patients were divided into two groups based on whether using bisphosphonates treatment after surgery or not. Biochemical remission of Cushing’s disease was defined as morning serum cortisol <2μg/dL (<55nmol/L) within the week after surgery and although serum cortisol at 8:00 a.m. was≥2 µg/dl or back to normal range immediate after surgery, it became hypocortisolemic at subsequent evaluation(s) and without relapse during the follow-up (1315). Meanwhile, relapse was excluded by cortisol value < 1.8 µg/dL after 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and 24-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC) in normal range (13).

Exclusion criteria included: 1) having comorbidities affecting BMD (e.g., hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, primary hypogonadism, rheumatic immune disease, gastric bypass, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.), 2) long-term use of glucocorticoid drugs for the treatment of immune related diseases (except for hypopituitarism hormone replacement therapy) or other drugs that significantly affect bone metabolism, 3) use of anti-osteoporosis drugs before surgery, 4) postoperative treatment with anti-osteoporotic drugs other than bisphosphonate, 5) Cushing’s syndrome other than pituitary origin, 6) loss of follow up, 7) uncured or relapse of CD during the follow up.

Clinical and biochemical methods

We collected data on demographic characteristics, duration of CD-related signs and symptoms, comorbidities, medications, laboratory tests, and bone mineral density.

Endocrine hormones included cortisol (F), 24-hour urinary free cortisol (24hUFC), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen (E2), progesterone (P), testosterone (T), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and free thyroxine (FT4). Hormonal measurements were carried out by chemiluminescence assay (Advia Centaur CP). Bone metabolism markers included osteocalcin (OC), type I procollagen amino-terminal peptide (P1NP), type I collagen C-terminal peptide degradation product (CTX), parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)VD], and they were measured in a Roche Cobas e411 analyzer using immunometric assays (Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN, USA).

Bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of American HOLOGIC company Discovery type W in all patients at diagnosis of CD and one year follow-up after surgery. Z value was used for young CD patients and Z value = (measured value – mean bone mineral density of peers)/standard deviation of BMD of peers. In this study, osteoporosis was defined as a Z-value of -2.0 or lower or with a history of fragility fractures.

All patients were administered with 20mg of hydrocortisone 3 times daily after surgery to avoid steroid withdrawal syndrome, with a 10-day taper afterward. When hydrocortisone was reduced to 10mg once a day for 10 days, the patient was followed up for the first time after surgery. Then the hormone replacement dose was adjusted based on the patient’s blood level obtained before that day’s glucocorticoid intake and urine cortisol level. All patients were administered with calcium carbonate D3 tablet (one tablet a day, consisting of calcium 600mg and D3 125U) and vitamin D (0.25ug a day) at diagnosis of osteoporosis till the last follow-up.

Statistical analyses

Normal distributed continuous variables were expressed as mean values ± standard deviation (s.d.). Median, 25th percentile, and 75th percentile (Median [P25, P75]) for variables without a normal distribution. Independent t-tests for normally distributed continuous variables and non-parametric tests for variables without a normal distribution were used to compare data between groups. SPSS 20.0 (SPSS) was used. A two-tailed P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Patients’ characteristics at baseline

418 CD patients were hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology, Huashan Hospital from January 2010 to February 2021. A total of 34 patients were included in our study, with an average age of 33.06 ± 7.37 years, 13 males (38.24%) and 21 females (61.76%). Sixteen patients were treated with bisphosphonates postoperatively (bisphosphonate group, including zoledronic acid and alendronate sodium), and eighteen patients were not treated with bisphosphonates postoperatively (without bisphosphonate group). Characteristics of the two groups were summarized in Table 1. Although there was a significant different in disease duration, there were no differences in age, gender, BMI, the proportion of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, liver function, kidney function, serum calcium, PTH, vitamin D level, bone metabolism markers, cortisol level, thyroid function, and growth hormone level between the two groups at baseline. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference in Z score of lumbar vertebra and femoral neck between two groups, -2.49 ± 0.56 (CV%=22.49%) vs-2.85 ± 0.61 (CV%=21.40%) and -1.74 ± 0.78 (CV%=44.83%) vs -1.93 ± 0.80 (CV%=41.45%) respectively. Therefore, the impact of different disease duration on the results was relatively small.

Table 1

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Table 1 Clinical Baseline Characteristics of Patients in two groups.

One year after achieving biochemical remission, BMD improved in both groups; however there was no significant difference between the two groups

For these patients with osteoporosis secondary to Cushing’s disease, the most important work was to remove the cause. Patients with a history of fragility fractures didn’t receive bisphosphonate after surgery partly because they refused to use it. As shown in Table 2Figures 2A, B, there were no significant differences in the Z Score of lumbar vertebra and femoral neck between the two groups at baseline. The Z values in lumbar spine at one year follow-up of both groups were slightly improved but not significantly compared to baseline respectively. There was no significant difference in the Z score of lumbar vertebra [-2.40 ± 0.617 (CV%=25.71%) vs -2.81 ± 0.771 (CV%=27.44%), p=0.0766] or femoral neck [-1.9 ± 0.715 (CV%=37.63%) vs -2.01 ± 0.726 (CV%=36.12%), p=0.6378] between two groups at one year follow-up.

Table 2

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Table 2 Changes in bone mineral density and bone turnover markers before and 1 year after remission in the two groups.

Figure 2

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Figure 2 Comparison of BMD and bone turnover markers at baseline and one year after remission between bisphosphonate-treated and non-bisphosphonate-treated groups. (A) Z Score of lumbar vertebra; (B) Z Score of femoral neck; (C) levels of OC; (D) levels of P1NP; (E) levels of β-CTX. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.

At one year follow-up, bone formation markers increased obviously in both groups compared to those at diagnosis, and they increased higher without bisphosphonate treatment

As shown in Table 2Figures 2C–E, there were no significant differences in bone turnover markers including OC, P1NP, and β-CTX between the two groups at baseline. Serum OC levels were significantly higher than those before surgery in both groups at one year follow-up after achieving remission respectively (5.90 (2.40–8.03) ng/ml vs 46.7 (23.25–83) ng/ml in control group, p<0.0001, and 6.80 (4.50–8.60) ng/ml vs 33.8 (14.46–49.27) ng/ml in treatment group, p=0.009). However, the serum OC level in the control group at follow-up was significantly higher than that in the treatment group [46.7 (23.25–83) ng/ml vs 33.8 (14.46–49.27) ng/ml, p=0.0381]. Serum P1NP levels were also significantly higher than those before surgery in both groups at follow-up after achieving remission of Cushing’s disease respectively (34.72 (23.22–41.79) ng/ml vs 353.5(124.9–501.2) ng/ml in control group, p=0.003, and 22.57 (15.93–30.53) ng/ml vs 181.1(65.46–228.75) ng/ml in treatment group, p=0.001). Similarly, the serum P1NP level at follow-up in the control group was significantly higher than that in the treatment group [353.5 (124.9–501.2) vs 181.1 (65.46–228.75) ng/ml, p=0.0484].

In the group without bisphosphonate treatment, β-CTX at one year after remission was higher than that before surgery [0.97 (0.83–1.57) vs 0.42 (0.16–0.66) ng/ml, p=0.006]. However, there was no significant difference in the bisphosphonate treatment group between baseline and follow-up [0.59 (0.27–0.90) vs 0.72(0.47–1.50) ng/ml, p=0.115]. No significant difference was seen for β-CTX level at follow-up between the two groups [0.97 (0.83–1.57) vs 0.72(0.47–1.50) ng/ml, p=0.409].

Discussion

Osteoporosis is one of common complications of Cushing’s disease and the recovery of bone mineral density after remission is a slow process. An important clinically question is whether young patients with CD after remission would benefit from anti-osteoporotic drugs such as bisphosphonates. To our knowledge, this study was the first well-powered retrospective cohort study of the efficacy of bisphosphonates for osteoporosis in young CD patients with biochemical remission. Our data showed that BMD improved slowly in young CD patients with remission at the first- year follow-up regardless of whether bisphosphate was used or not, and no significant difference in BMD improvement was observed between two groups at follow-up.

It was well known that after cure of Cushing’s syndrome, there was a long recovery period for BMD. It had been shown that full recovery from BMD in cured adult CS patients could take up to a decade or more (116). However, Hermus (17) had shown that some patients had a 2% or more reduction in BMD in the short term after surgery, especially in the first 6 months after surgery, and did not show consistent BMD increases until 24 months after surgery. It also showed that there was a highly significant inverse correlation between age and increase of BMD in the lumbar spine after surgery (17). The lack of significant improvements in BMD in our results might be related to the short duration of follow-up.

Current studies of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome had shown that bone metabolism was characterized by decreased bone formation and increased bone resorption, consistent with the classical effects of glucocorticoids (11). Successful treatment of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome resulted in a strong activation of bone turnover, characterized by increased bone formation and resorption. A retrospective study by Pepijn van Houten showed that sustained improvement in BMD continued for up to 20 years after CD treatment, and a large proportion of patients in this cohort were treated with anti-osteoporotic drugs (1). The study also showed that patients not receiving anti-osteoporosis drugs experienced significant spontaneous improvement in mean BMD. However, this retrospective study could not be used to answer the clinical question of whether anti-osteoporotic therapy was beneficial due to selection bias in enrolled patients. Leah T Braun showed that within 2 years of successful surgical remission in patients with Cushing’s syndrome, markers of bone formation suggested a high rate of bone turnover, resulting in a significant net increase in BMD in the majority of patients. The results strongly suggested that an observational approach to bone phenotype was justified as long as CS remission was assured (12). However, this retrospective study mentioned a significant mismatch in baseline BMD between the two groups (anti-osteoporotic medication group and without anti-osteoporotic medication group) and did not describe the type of anti-osteoporosis drugs (promoting bone formation or inhibiting bone resorption or both). Somma’s prospective study showed that a significant increase in lumbar and femoral BMD was observed in 21 CD patients who achieved remission after surgery and were either treated with alendronate for 12 months or not (18). It should be noted that this study included postmenopausal women, and there were no direct comparisons of clinical data, bone mineral density, and bone turnover markers at baseline and follow-up between the two groups.

Our study also showed that even bone formation markers increased at follow-up in bisphosphonate group, they were significantly lower compared to non- bisphosphonate users. Since bone metabolism was in a state of high turnover in the initial stage of biochemical remission from Cushing’s disease, our results indicated that bisphosphonates might affect bone formation in the first year after remission and was not conductive to the improvement of BMD. The mechanism of bisphosphonates in the treatment of osteoporosis lied in their high affinity with skeletal hydroxyapatite, allowing them to specifically bind to actively remodeling bone surface and inhibit the function of osteoclasts, thereby inhibiting bone resorption. Studies had shown that while bisphosphonates strongly inhibited bone resorption, they also significantly reduced bone formation. This reduced formation was often attributed to mechanisms that maintained the resorption/formation balance during remodeling (19).

There are evidence-based guidelines available for assessing fracture risk during long-term exogenous glucocorticoid(GC) therapy in adults, as well as for initiating and selecting anti-osteoporosis therapy. Specifically, for patients at risk of fracture taking GC ≥2.5 mg/day for >3 months, treatment options include bisphosphonates, denosumab, or PTH analogs. Although there is currently no definitive evidence-based treatment regarding the choice and efficacy of anti-osteoporosis after glucocorticoid withdrawal, it is widely accepted that treatment should be continued based on bone density and fracture risk assessment. For patients at a high fracture risk level (T≤-2.5), it is recommended to either continue their current anti-osteoporosis treatment or switch to an alternative medication. The main challenge faced by individuals with endogenous glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is that exogenous GIOP is not exactly the same as endogenous GIOP. Therefore, it is not appropriate to apply the same strategies of exogenous GIOP for CD patients with remission. The findings of this study indicated that bisphosphonate therapy might not be beneficial for osteoporosis recovery in CD patients achieving biochemical remission (20).

Our study, limited by retrospective clinical studies, a small sample size, and a short follow-up duration, might not optimally answer the question of whether patients with CD achieving remission would benefit from bisphosphonate therapy, although it was a relatively well-designed retrospective cohort study and reached the maximum number after strict inclusion criteria and matching baseline characteristics as much as possible. Therefore, prospective randomized controlled clinical trials with longer duration were needed in the future.

In conclusion, our study suggested that young patients with Cushing’s disease combined with osteoporosis might not benefit from bisphosphonate therapy for osteoporosis recovery in the first year after achieving biochemical remission.

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement

The studies involving humans were approved by the Human Investigation Ethics Committee at Huashan Hospital. The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author contributions

QS: Writing – original draft. WS: Writing – original draft, Formal analysis, Data curation. HY: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Resources. SZ: Writing – review & editing, Supervision.

Funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The present study was supported by grants from initial funding of Huashan Hospital (2021QD023).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: Cushing’s disease, young patients, osteoporosis, bisphosphonates, bone turnover markers

Citation: Sun Q, Sun W, Ye H and Zhang S (2024) The efficacy of bisphosphonates for osteoporosis in young Cushing’s disease patients with biochemical remission: a retrospective cohort study. Front. Endocrinol. 15:1412046. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1412046

Received: 04 April 2024; Accepted: 04 June 2024;
Published: 21 June 2024.

Edited by:

Daniela Merlotti, University of Siena, Italy

Reviewed by:

Catalina Poiana, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania
Ming Chen, Chinese PLA General Hospital, China

Copyright © 2024 Sun, Sun, Ye and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Hongying Ye, janeyhy@163.com; Shuo Zhang, zhangshuo@huashan.org.cn

†These authors share first authorship

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

From https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1412046/full

From Knee Pain Consultation to Pituitary Surgery: The Challenge of Cushing Disease Diagnosis

Abstract

Cushing syndrome (CS) is a rare endocrinological disorder resulting from chronic exposure to excessive cortisol. The term Cushing disease is used specifically when this is caused by excessive secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by a pituitary tumor, usually an adenoma. This disease is associated with a poor prognosis, and if left untreated, it has an estimated 5-year survival rate of 50%. We present the case of a 66-year-old female patient who received a referral to endocrinology for an evaluation of obesity due to right knee arthropathy. Taking into consideration her age, she was screened for osteoporosis, with results that showed diminished bone density. Considering this, combined with other clinical features of the patient, suspicion turned toward hypercortisolism. Laboratory findings suggested that the CS was ACTH-dependent and originated in the pituitary gland. After a second look at the magnetic resonance imaging results, a 4-mm lesion was identified on the pituitary gland, prompting a transsphenoidal resection of the pituitary adenoma.

Introduction

Chronic excessive exposure to glucocorticoids leads to the diverse clinical manifestations of Cushing syndrome (CS), which has an annual incidence ranging from 1.8 to 3.2 cases per million individuals [1]. The syndrome’s signs and symptoms are not pathognomonic, and some of its primary manifestations, such as obesity, hypertension, and glucose metabolism alterations, are prevalent in the general population [2], making diagnosis challenging. Endogenous CS falls into 2 categories: adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent (80%-85% of cases), mostly due to a pituitary adenoma, or ACTH-independent (15%-20% of cases), typically caused by adrenal adenomas or hyperplasia [3]. Cushing disease (CD) represents a specific form of CS, characterized by the presence of an ACTH-secreting pituitary tumor [1]. Untreated CD is associated with high morbidity and mortality compared to the general population [1], with a 50% survival rate at 5 years [2]. However, surgical removal of a pituitary adenoma can result in complete remission, with mortality rates similar to those of the general population [2]. This article aims to highlight the challenges of suspecting and diagnosing CD and to discuss the current management options for this rare condition.

Case Presentation

A 66-year-old woman received a referral to endocrinology for an evaluation of obesity due to right knee arthropathy. During physical examination, she exhibited a body mass index of 34.3 kg/m2, blood pressure of 180/100, a history of non-insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes mellitus with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of 6.9% (nondiabetic: < 5.7%; prediabetic: 5.7% to 6.4%; diabetic: ≥ 6.5%) and hypertension. Additionally, the patient complained of proximal weakness in all 4 limbs.

Diagnostic Assessment

Upon admission, densitometry revealed osteoporosis with T scores of −2.7 in the lumbar spine and −2.8 in the femoral neck. Hypercortisolism was suspected due to concomitant arterial hypertension, central obesity, muscle weakness, and osteoporosis. Physical examination did not reveal characteristic signs of hypercortisolism, such as skin bruises, flushing, or reddish-purple striae. Late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC) screening yielded a value of 8.98 nmol/L (0.3255 mcg/dL) (reference value [RV] 0.8-2.7 nmol/L [0.029-0.101 mcg/dL]) and ACTH of 38.1 pg/mL (8.4 pmol/L) (RV 2-11 pmol/L [9-52 pg/mL]). A low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST) was performed (cutoff value 1.8 mcg/dL [49 nmol/L]), with cortisol levels of 7.98 mcg/dL (220 nmol/L) at 24 hours and 20.31 mcg/dL (560 nmol/L) at 48 hours. Subsequently, a high-dose dexamethasone suppression test (HDDST) was conducted using a dose of 2 mg every 6 hours for 2 days, for a total dose of 16 mg, revealing cortisol levels of 0.0220 nmol/L (0.08 ng/mL) at 24 hours and 0.0560 nmol/L (0.0203 ng/mL) at 48 hours, alongside 24-hour urine cortisol of 0.8745 nmol/L (0.317 ng/mL) (RV 30-145 nmol/24 hours [approximately 11-53 μg/24 hours]) [4].

These findings indicated the presence of endogenous ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism of pituitary origin. Consequently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was requested, but the results showed no abnormalities. Considering ectopic ACTH production often occurs in the lung, a high-resolution chest computed tomography scan was performed, revealing no lesions.

Treatment

Upon reassessment, the MRI revealed a 4-mm adenoma, prompting the decision to proceed with transsphenoidal resection of the pituitary adenoma.

Outcome and Follow-Up

The histological analysis revealed positive staining for CAM5.2, chromogranin, synaptophysin, and ACTH, with Ki67 staining at 1%. At the 1-month follow-up assessment, ACTH levels were 3.8 pmol/L (17.2 pg/mL) and morning cortisol was 115.8621 nmol/L (4.2 mcg/dL) (RV 5-25 mcg/dL or 140-690 nmol/L). Somatomedin C was measured at 85 ng/mL (RV 70-267 ng/mL) and prolactin at 3.5 ng/mL (RV 4-25 ng/mL). At the 1-year follow-up, the patient exhibited a satisfactory postoperative recovery. However, she developed diabetes insipidus and secondary hypothyroidism. Arterial hypertension persisted. Recent laboratory results indicated a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of 5.4%. Medications at the time of follow-up included prednisolone 5 milligrams a day, desmopressin 60 to 120 micrograms every 12 hours, losartan potassium 50 milligrams every 12 hours, and levothyroxine 88 micrograms a day.

Discussion

CD is associated with high mortality, primarily attributable to cardiovascular outcomes and comorbidities such as metabolic and skeletal disorders, infections, and psychiatric disorders [1]. The low incidence of CD in the context of the high prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases makes early diagnosis a challenge [2]. This case is relevant for reviewing the diagnostic approach process and highlighting the impact of the availability bias, which tends to prioritize more common diagnoses over rare diseases. Despite the absence of typical symptoms, a timely diagnosis was achieved.

Once exogenous CS is ruled out, laboratory testing must focus on detecting endogenous hypercortisolism to prevent misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment [5]. Screening methods include 24-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC) for total cortisol load, while circadian rhythm and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function may be evaluated using midnight serum cortisol and LNSC [5]. An early hallmark of endogenous CS is the disruption of physiological circadian cortisol patterns, characterized by a constant cortisol level throughout the day or no significant decrease [2]. Measuring LNSC has proven to be useful in identifying these patients. The LNSC performed on the patient yielded a high result.

To assess HPA axis suppressibility, tests such as the overnight and the standard 2-day LDDST [5] use dexamethasone, a potent synthetic corticosteroid with high glucocorticoid receptor affinity and prolonged action, with minimal interference with cortisol measurement [6]. In a normal HPA axis, cortisol exerts negative feedback, inhibiting the secretion of corticotropin-releasing-hormone (CRH) and ACTH. Exogenous corticosteroids suppress CRH and ACTH secretion, resulting in decreased synthesis and secretion of cortisol. In pathological hypercortisolism, the HPA axis becomes partially or entirely resistant to feedback inhibition by exogenous steroids [56]. The LDDST involves the administration of 0.5 mg of dexamethasone orally every 6 hours for 2 days, with a total dose of 4 mg. A blood sample is drawn 6 hours after the last administered dose [6]. Following the LDDST, the patient did not demonstrate suppression of endogenous corticosteroid production.

After diagnosing CS, the next step in the diagnostic pathway involves categorizing it as ACTH-independent vs ACTH-dependent. ACTH-independent cases exhibit low or undetectable ACTH levels, pointing to adrenal origin. The underlying principle is that excess ACTH production in CD can be partially or completely suppressed by high doses of dexamethasone, a response not observed in ectopic tumors [6]. In this case, the patient presented with an ACTH of 38.1 pg/mL (8.4 pmol/L), indicative of ACTH-dependent CD.

Traditionally, measuring cortisol levels and conducting pituitary imaging are standard practices for diagnosis. Recent advances propose alternative diagnostic methods such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) tests [7]. PET scans, utilizing radioactive tracers, offer a view of metabolic activity in the adrenal glands and pituitary region, aiding in the identification of abnormalities associated with CD. Unfortunately, the availability of the aforementioned tests in the country is limited.

Once ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism is confirmed, identifying the source becomes crucial. A HDDST is instrumental in distinguishing between a pituitary and an ectopic source of ACTH overproduction [26]. The HDDST involves administering 8 mg of dexamethasone either overnight or as a 2-day test. In this case, the patient received 2 mg of dexamethasone orally every 6 hours for 2 days, totaling a dose of 16 mg. Simultaneously, a urine sample for UFC is collected during dexamethasone administration. The HDDST suppressed endogenous cortisol production in the patient, suggesting a pituitary origin.

In ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism, CD is the predominant cause, followed by ectopic ACTH syndrome and, less frequently, an ectopic CRH-secreting tumor [35]. With the pretest probability for pituitary origin exceeding 80%, the next diagnostic step is typically an MRI of the pituitary region. However, the visualization of microadenomas on MRI ranges from 50% to 70%, requiring further testing if results are negative or inconclusive [5]. Initial testing of our patient revealed no pituitary lesions. Following a pituitary location, ACTH-secreting tumors may be found in the lungs. Thus, a high-resolution chest computed tomography scan was performed, which yielded negative findings. Healthcare professionals must keep these detection rates in mind. In instances of high clinical suspicion, repeating or reassessing tests and imaging may be warranted [3], as in our case, ultimately leading to the discovery of a 4-mm pituitary adenoma.

It is fundamental to mention that the Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline on Treatment of CS recommends that, when possible, all patients presenting with ACTH-dependent CS and lacking an evident causal neoplasm should be directed to an experienced center capable of conducting inferior petrosal sinus sampling to differentiate between pituitary and nonpituitary or ectopic cause [8]. However, in this instance, such a referral was regrettably hindered by logistical constraints.

Regarding patient outcomes and monitoring in CD, there is no consensus on defining remission criteria following tumor resection. Prolonged hypercortisolism results in suppression of corticotropes, resulting in low levels of ACTH and cortisol after surgical intervention. Typically, remission is identified by morning serum cortisol values below 5 µg/dL (138 nmol/L) or UFC levels between 28 and 56 nmol/d (10-20 µg/d) within 7 days after surgical intervention. In our case, the patient’s morning serum cortisol was 115.8621 nmol/L (4.2 µg/dL), indicating remission. Remission rates in adults are reported at 73% to 76% in selectively resected microadenomas and at 43% in macroadenomas [8], highlighting the need for regular follow-up visits to detect recurrence.

Following the surgery, the patient experienced diabetes insipidus, a relatively common postoperative occurrence, albeit usually transient [8]. It is recommended to monitor serum sodium levels during the first 5 to 14 days postsurgery for early detection and management. Additionally, pituitary deficiencies may manifest following surgery. In this patient, prolactin levels were compromised, potentially impacting sexual response. However, postoperative somatomedin levels were normal, and gonadotropins were not measured due to the patient’s age group, as no additional clinical decisions were anticipated based on those results. Secondary hypothyroidism was diagnosed postoperatively.

Moving forward, it is important to emphasize certain clinical signs and symptoms for diagnosing CD. The combination of low bone mineral density (Likelihood Ratio [LR] +21.33), central obesity (LR +3.10), and arterial hypertension (LR + 2.29) [9] has a higher positive LR than some symptoms considered “characteristic,” such as reddish-purple striae, plethora, proximal muscle weakness, and unexplained bruising [210]. It is essential to give relevance to the signs the patient may present, emphasizing signs that have been proven to have an increased odds ratio (OR) such as osteoporosis (OR 3.8), myopathies (OR 6.0), metabolic syndrome (OR 2.7) and adrenal adenoma (OR 2.4) [9‐11]. The simultaneous development and worsening of these conditions should raise suspicion for underlying issues. Understanding the evolving nature of CD signs highlights the importance of vigilance during medical examinations, prioritizing the diagnostic focus, and enabling prompt initiation of treatment.

Recognizing the overlap of certain clinical features in CS is fundamental to achieving a timely diagnosis.

Learning Points

  • CS diagnosis is challenging due to the absence of pathognomonic signs and symptoms and the overlap of features present in many pathologies, such as metabolic syndrome.
  • Early detection of CS is crucial, given its association with high morbidity and mortality resulting from chronic exposure to glucocorticoids.
  • Recognizing the combination of low bone mineral density, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes as valuable clinical indicators is key in identifying CS.
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to achieve a comprehensive diagnostic approach.

Acknowledgments

We extend our gratitude to Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá for providing essential resources and facilities that contributed to the successful completion of this case report. Special acknowledgment is reserved for the anonymous reviewers, whose insightful feedback significantly enhanced the quality of this manuscript during the peer-review process. Their contributions are sincerely appreciated.

Contributors

All authors made individual contributions to authorship. A.B.O. was involved in the diagnosis and management of this patient. M.A.G., J.M.H., and A.B.O. were involved in manuscript drafting and editing. All authors reviewed and approved the final draft.

Funding

This research received no public or commercial funding.

Disclosures

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the current study.

Informed Patient Consent for Publication

Signed informed consent could not be obtained from the patient or a proxy but has been approved by the treating institution.

Data Availability Statement

Restrictions apply to the availability of some or all data generated or analyzed during this study to preserve patient confidentiality or because they were used under license. The corresponding author will on request detail the restrictions and any conditions under which access to some data may be provided.

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Abbreviations

 

  • ACTH

    adrenocorticotropic hormone

  • CD

    Cushing disease

  • CRH

    corticotropin-releasing hormone

  • CS

    Cushing syndrome

  • HDDST

    high-dose dexamethasone suppression test

  • HPA

    hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal

  • LDDST

    low-dose dexamethasone suppression test

  • LNSC

    late-night salivary cortisol

  • MRI

    magnetic resonance imaging

  • OR

    odds ratio

  • RV

    reference value

  • UFC

    urinary free cortisol

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Evaluation of Psoriasis Patients With Long-Term Topical Corticosteroids for Their Risk of Developing Adrenal Insufficiency, Cushing’s Syndrome and Osteoporosis

In this study, we will investigate the possible side effects of psoriasis patients using long-term topical corticosteroids (TCS) such as adrenal insufficiency, Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) and osteoporosis and determine how these side effects develop.

Forty-nine patients were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups based on the potency of the topical steroid they took and the patients’ ACTH, cortisol and bone densitometer values were evaluated.

There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the development of surrenal insufficiency, CS and osteoporosis. One patient in group 1 and 4 patients in group 2 were evaluated as iatrogenic CS. ACTH stimulation tests of these patients in group 2 showed consistent results with adrenal insufficiency, while no adrenal insufficiency was detected in the patient in Group 1. Patients who used more than 50g of superpotent topical steroids per week compared to patients who used 50g of superpotent topical steroids per week. It was identified that patients who used more than 50g of superpotent topical steroids had significantly lower cortisol levels, with a negatively significant correlation between cortisol level and the amount of topical steroid use ( < .01).Osteoporosis was detected in 3 patients in group 1 and 8 patients in Group 2. Because of the low number of patients between two groups, statistical analysis could not be performed to determine the risk factors.

Our study is the first study that we know of that investigated these three side effects. We have shown that the development of CS, adrenal insufficiency and osteoporosis in patients who use topical steroids for a long time depends on the weekly TCS dosage and the risk increases when it exceeds the threshold of 50 grams per week. therefore, our recommendation would be to avoid long-term use of superpotent steroids and to choose from the medium-potent group if it is to be used.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

Betul Erdem

Department of Dermatology, Van Training and Research Hospital, Van, Turkey.

Muzeyyen Gonul

Department of Dermatology, Ministry of Health, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.

Ilknur Ozturk Unsal

Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Ministry of Health, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.

Seyda Ozdemir Sahingoz