Novel Mechanisms in Primary Aldosteronism

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Felix Beuschlein
• Subject Area: Endocrinology, Diabetology, Metabolism
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 290424591

• Final Report Year: 2019

Final Report Abstract

The overall objective of this project had been the elucidation of unidentified factors which may drive excessive aldosterone production. 1) We have demonstrated that autoantibodies exist in patients with PA which activate the AT1R and are associated with inappropriate aldosterone production in patients with elevated AT1R‐Ab levels. Therefore, AT1R‐Abs may contribute to the pathophysiology of PA in a subset of patients. 2) We show that patients with macroprolactinomas are present at a higher than expected incidence in patients with PA and that prolactin stimulates aldosterone synthase gene expression and aldosterone production in human adrenocortical cells.

Publications

• Co‐existing prolactinoma and primary aldosteronism ‐ is there a pathophysiological link? J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015;100:E1262‐E1269
  Williams TA, Dietz AS, Theodoropoulou M, Riester A, Fischer E, Burrello J, Treitl M, Geyer L, Veglio F, Bidlingmaier M, Schopohl J, Beuschlein F, Mulatero P, Reincke M
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2015-2422)
• Prolactinoma and primary aldosteronism: is there a causal link? 17th European Congress of Endocrinology 2015 (ECE 2015), Dublin, Ireland
  Williams TA, Dietz A, Beuschlein F, Mulatero P, Reincke M
  
• Prolactinoma and primary aldosteronism: is there a causal link? German Society of Endocrinology (DGE 2015), Lübeck, Germany
  Williams TA, Dietz A, Beuschlein F, Mulatero P, Reincke M
  
• Immunohistopathology and Steroid Profiles Associated With Biochemical Outcomes After Adrenalectomy for Unilateral Primary Aldosteronism. Hypertension. 2018 Sep;72(3):650‐657
  Meyer LS, Wang X, Sušnik E, Burrello J, Burrello A, Castellano I, Eisenhofer G, Fallo F, Kline GA, Knösel T, Kocjan T, Lenders JWM, Mulatero P, Naruse M, Nishikawa T, Peitzsch M, Rump LC, Beuschlein F, Hahner S, Gomez‐Sanchez CE, Reincke M, Williams TA
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11465)
• Diverse responses of autoantibodies to the angiotensin II type 1 receptor in primary aldosteronism. Hypertension 2019;74(4):784‐792
  Williams TA, Jaquin D, Burrello J, Philippe A, Yang Y, Rank P, Nirschl N, Sturm L, Hübener C, Dragun D, Bidlingmaier M, Beuschlein F, Reincke M
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.13156)