Search

Primary aldosteronism (PA) causes cardiovascular damage in excess to the blood pressure elevation, but there are no prospective studies proving a worse long-term prognosis in adrenalectomized and medically treated patients. We have, therefore, assessed the outcome of PA patients according to treatment mode in the PAPY study (Primary Aldosteronism Prevalence in Hypertension) patients, 88.8% of whom were optimally treated patients with primary (essential) hypertension (PH), and the rest had PA and were assigned to medical therapy (6.4%) or adrenalectomy (4.8%). Total mortality was the primary end point; secondary end points were cardiovascular death, major adverse cardiovascular events, including atrial fibrillation, and total cardiovascular events. Kaplan-Meier and Cox analysis were used to compare survival between PA and its subtypes and PH patients. After a median of 11.8 years, complete follow-up data were obtained in 89% of the 1125 patients in the original cohort. Only a trend (P=0.07) toward a worse death-free survival in PA than in PH patients was observed. However, at both univariate (90.0% versus 97.8%; P=0.002) and multivariate analyses (hazard ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-3.08; P=0.025), medically treated PA patients showed a lower atrial fibrillation-free survival than PH patients. By showing that during a long-term follow-up adrenalectomized aldosterone-producing adenoma patients have a similar long-term outcome of optimally treated PH patients, whereas, at variance, medically treated PA patients remain at a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, this large prospective study emphasizes the importance of an early identification of PA patients who need adrenalectomy as a key measure to prevent incident atrial fibrillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liddle syndrome is considered a rare Mendelian hypertension. We have previously described 3 reportedly unrelated families, native of an Italian area around the Strait of Messina, carrying the same mutation (βP617L) of the epithelial sodium channel. The aims of our study were (1) to evaluate whether a close genomic relationship exists between the 3 families through the analysis of mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome; and (2) to quantify the genomic relatedness between the patients with Liddle syndrome belonging to the 3 families and assess the hypothesis of a mutation shared through identity by descent. HVRI (the hypervariable region I) of the mitochondrial DNA genome and the Y chromosome short tandem repeats profiles were analyzed in individuals of the 3 families. Genotyping 542 585 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms was performed in all the patients with Liddle syndrome of the 3 families and some of their relatives. A panel of 780 healthy Italian adult samples typed for the same set of markers was used as controls. espite different lineages between the 3 families based on the analysis of mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome, the 3 probands and their 6 affected relatives share the same ≈5 Mbp long haplotype which encompasses the mutant allele. Using an approach based on coalescent theory, we estimate that the 3 families inherited the mutant allele from a common ancestor ≈13 generations ago and that such an ancestor may have left ≈20 carriers alive today. The prevalence of Liddle syndrome in the region of origin of the 3 families may be much higher than that estimated worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary aldosteronism is the most common form of secondary hypertension. Somatic mutations in KCNJ5, ATP1A1, ATP2B3, and CACNA1D have been described in aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs). Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of somatic mutations in these genes in unselected patients with APA (n=474), collected through the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors. Correlations with clinical and biochemical parameters were first analyzed in a subset of 199 patients from a single center and then replicated in 2 additional centers. Somatic heterozygous KCNJ5 mutations were present in 38% (180/474) of APAs, whereas ATP1A1 mutations were found in 5.3% (25/474) and ATP2B3 mutations in 1.7% (8/474) of APAs. Previously reported somatic CACNA1D mutations as well as 10 novel CACNA1D mutations were identified in 44 of 474 (9.3%) APAs. There was no difference in the cellular composition of APAs or in CYP11B2, CYP11B1, KCNJ5, CACNA1D, or ATP1A1 gene expression in APAs across genotypes. Patients with KCNJ5 mutations were more frequently female, diagnosed younger, and with higher minimal plasma potassium concentrations compared with CACNA1D mutation carriers or noncarriers. CACNA1D mutations were associated with smaller adenomas. These associations were largely dependent on the population structure of the different centers. In conclusion, recurrent somatic mutations were identified in 54% of APAs. Young women with APAs are more likely to be KCNJ5 mutation carriers; identification of specific characteristics or surrogate biomarkers of mutation status may lead to targeted treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary aldosteronism (PA), a common cause of high blood pressure (BP), induces left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and an excess rate of cardiovascular events. Whether its treatment provides long-term cure of hypertension and regression of cardiovascular damage remains uncertain. To the aim of assessing the effect of treatment of PA on BP and LV changes, we prospectively recruited 323 patients in a long-term follow-up study entailing serial echocardiography evaluations. Of them, 180 had PA and were assigned to either adrenalectomy (n=110) or medical therapy (n=70) on the basis of the adrenal vein sampling. The remaining 143 were consecutive optimally treated primary hypertensive patients. At baseline, the PA patients had more inappropriate LV mass than PH patients (27.1% versus 16.2%; P=0.020), despite similar BP values. At a median follow-up of 36 months (range, 6-225), BP was lowered (P<0.0001 versus baseline) to similar values in adrenalectomized (135±15/83±9 mmHg), medically treated PA (133±11/83±7 mmHg), and PH (139±15/86±9 mmHg) patients. To this end, the adrenalectomized patients required significantly less drugs than the other groups. In PA patients, the LV mass index and the rate of LV hypertrophy fell through LV inward remodeling to the level of optimally treated PH patients, indicating that the LV work markedly decreased. Findings were similar when long-term (≥5 and ≥10 years) data were examined. Thus, an early diagnosis and a specific treatment of PA warrant normalization of BP and reversal of detrimental LV changes at long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is essential in the regulation of volemia and blood pressure. Rare mutations in the MR gene cause type 1 pseudohypoaldosteronism and hypertension. In this study we characterized the common MR polymorphism c.-2G>C (rs2070951) in vitro and tested its influence on parameters related to blood pressure regulation and the renin-angiotensin system. In vitro studies showed that the G allele was associated with decreased MR protein levels and reduced transcriptional activation compared with the C allele. Association studies were performed with several outcome variables in 3 independent cohorts: a mild hypertensive group subjected to a salt-sensitivity test, a healthy normotensive group included in a crossover study to receive both a high and low Na/K diet, and a large cohort (The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety), in which blood pressure was measured. Subjects with the GG genotype had significantly higher plasma renin levels both in the mild hypertensive group and in normal volunteers compared with homozygous C carriers. The GG genotype was also correlated with higher plasma aldosterone levels in healthy subjects. In both the mild hypertensive group and The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety cohort the genotype GG was associated with higher systolic blood pressure in males. In conclusion, the G allele of the common functional genetic polymorphism c.-2G>C in the MR gene associates with increased activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis and with increased blood pressure, probably related to decreased MR expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plasma aldosterone concentration:renin ratio (ARR) is widely used for the screening of primary aldosteronism, but its reproducibility is unknown. We, therefore, investigated the within-patient reproducibility of the ARR in a prospective multicenter study of consecutive hypertensive patients referred to specialized centers for hypertension in Italy. After the patients were carefully prepared from the pharmacological standpoint, the ARR was determined at baseline in 1136 patients and repeated after, on average, 4 weeks in the patients who had initially an ARR > or =40 and in 1 of every 4 of those with an ARR <40. The reproducibility of the ARR was assessed with Passing and Bablok and Deming regression, coefficient of reproducibility, and Bland-Altman and Mountain plots. Within-patient ARR comparison was available in 268 patients, of whom 49 had an aldosterone-producing adenoma, on the basis of the "4-corner criteria." The ARR showed a highly significant within-patient correlation (r=0.69; P<0.0001) and reproducibility. Bland-Altman plot showed no proportional, magnitude-related, or absolute systematic error between the ARR; moreover, only 7% of the values, for example, slightly more than what could be expected by chance, fell out of the 95% CI for the between-test difference. The accuracy of each ARR for pinpointing aldosterone-producing adenoma patients was approximately 80%. Thus, although it was performed under different conditions in a multicenter study, the ARR showed a good within-patient reproducibility. Hence, contrary to previously claimed poor reproducibility of the ARR, these data support its use for the screening of primary aldosteronism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adrenocorticotropic hormone administration was proposed to overcome the biases associated with pulsatile aldosterone secretion during adrenal venous sampling, but the usefulness of different protocols of stimulation was never systematically assessed. We, therefore, compared the effects of a high dose (HD; 250 microg IV as a bolus), a very low dose (VLD; 250 pg IV), and an intermediate dose (ID; 50 microg/h) of adrenocorticotropic hormone on the selectivity index (SI) and the lateralization index in primary aldosteronism patients, using the diagnosis of aldosterone-producing adenoma, based on pathology and follow-up data, as a reference. The HD (n=47) significantly increased plasma cortisol concentration in infrarenal inferior vena cava (+79%) blood and the SI on both sides (SI(RIGHT)+113% and SI(LEFT)+131%), as compared with baseline values. The ID (n=14) also markedly increased both plasma cortisol concentration inferior vena cava (+93%) and the SI (SI(RIGHT)+690% and SI(LEFT)+410%); the very low dose (n=6) had no effect on either the plasma cortisol concentration or SI. In the patients with unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma, the increase of selectivity with the HD and ID was counterbalanced by a confounding effect on the correct identification of the aldosterone-producing adenoma side, which was attributed to the wrong side in 3.0% and 12.5% with HD and ID, respectively. In conclusion, the HD and the ID, but not the very low dose, adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation protocol facilitated the ascertainment of selectivity of adrenal vein catheterization. However, this favorable effect was overridden by a confounding effect on the identification of lateralized aldosterone excess to the aldosterone-producing adenoma side. Hence, we do not recommend adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a prospective head-to-head comparison of the accuracy of the captopril test (CAPT) and the saline infusion test (SAL) for confirming primary aldosteronism due to an aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) in patients with different sodium intake. A total of 317 (26.9%) of the 1125 patients screened in the Primary Aldosteronism Prevalence in Italy Study underwent both CAPT and SAL. They were composed of the patients with a high aldosterone/renin ratio baseline and 1 every 4 patients without such criterion. The accuracy of post-CAPT or post-SAL plasma aldosterone values for diagnosing APA was estimated with the area under the receiver operator characteristics curves. Primary aldosteronism was found in 120 patients, of which 46 had an APA. No untoward effect occurred with either test. The area under the receiver operator characteristics curve of plasma aldosterone for both tests was higher (P<0.0001) than that under the diagonal, but the between-test difference was borderline significant (P=0.054). The optimal aldosterone cutoff value for identifying APA was 13.9 and 6.75 ng/dL for the CAPT and SAL, respectively. Even at these cutoffs, sensitivity and specificity were moderate because of overlap of values between patients with and without APA. When examined in relation to sodium intake, the accuracy of the SAL surpassed that of the CAPT in the patients with a sodium intake 7.6 g per day, the SAL offers no advantage over the easier-to-perform CAPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aldosterone exerts detrimental cardiovascular (CV) effects, and aldosterone producing adenoma (APA) patients carrying somatic mutations in the KCNJ5 K+ channel (mutAPA) have higher plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) than those wild-type (wtAPA).We therefore investigated whether mutAPA patients develop a more prominent CV and renal damage than wtAPA patients.From 250 consecutive PA patients, we identified 170 who had a diagnosis of APA by the 'four corners' criteria and high-quality echocardiographic data. Of them 106 with KCNJ5 sequencing information and long-term follow-up data could be compared for echocardiographic changes and eGFR (by CKD-EPI equation) according to presence (mutAPA, 18.8%) or absence (wtAPA, 81.2%) of the KCNJ5 mutations.At baseline the mutAPA had lower eGFR (75±29 ml/min vs 84±20, p<0.05), and higher left ventricular mass index (LVMI, 61.9±21.4 mg/h2.7vs 49.5±11.3, p=0.001), PAC (48.9 [37.4-77.1] ng/dl vs 37.0 [24.9-48.5]), <0.0001), aldosterone-renin-ratio (ARR, 173.5 [92.2-229.6] ng/dl/ng/ml/h vs 144.3 [69.9-252.1], <0.0001), than the wtAPA patients. They were similar for blood pressure (BP) and need for antihypertensive medications. After adrenalectomy BP, PAC, ARR, and LVMI normalized in all groups, with no difference between mutAPA vs wtAPA.Compared to the wild-type APA patients those with KCNJ5 mutations showed more prominent cardiovascular and renal damage, likely because of the higher PAC. However, the presence of these mutations did not compromise the chances of being cured from the hyperaldosteronism and the high blood pressure, or the regression of LVMI after adrenalectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The mutations that affect the selectivity filter of the KCNJ5 K+ channel can play a role in triggering and/or maintaining aldosterone oversecretion in primary aldosteronism (PA). We therefore hypothesized that these somatic mutations can be associated with an increased aldosterone secretion from the APA, thus translating in raised plasma aldosterone concentrations (PAC) in the ipsilateral adrenal vein.Aim. To investigate if the lateralization index (LI) at adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is higher in the patients with an APA carrying the mutation (KCNJ5mut), as compared to those without the mutation (KCNJ5wt).Methods. Ninety-two consecutive PA patients who underwent AVS and received diagnosis of APA based on the four corners criteria were recruited. Unequivocal information on the presence or absence of the KCNJ5 mutations was available for each patient. The selectivity index (SI) was calculated as ratio between the right or left adrenal vein PCC (PCCside) and the infrarenal IVC PCC and a cutoff of 2.00 was used. The lateralization index (LI) was calculated in the bilaterally selective AVS as the ratio of PAC/PCC at the APA side to PAC/PCC at the contralateral side. We sequenced the KCNJ5 coding region spanning aminoacids 122 to 199, which include the selectivity filer.Results. The overall prevalence rate of KCNJ5 somatic mutations was 34%; G151R, L168R and T158A mutations were found in 19, 10 and 1 APA respectively. The G151E mutation was not found. The KCNJ5mut and KCNJ5wt groups were similar for gender, age, sK+ levels, while PAC and ARR were higher, and PRA lower (all p<0.05) in the KCNJ5 mut group. In the latter group the LI was higher than in the KCNJ5wt group (29.3± 6.7 vs 16.7±3.9, p< 0.02). This was due to a PAC/PCC ratio which was higher in the adrenal vein ipsilateral to the APA side and lower contralaterally in the KCNJ5mut group.Conclusions. These results provide direct in vivo evidence for a higher aldosterone secretion from APA carrying the KCNJ5 mutations, which translates into higher values of the LI, compared to the tumors without such mutations. Hence, the presence of these KCNJ5 mutations can affect the accuracy of the AVS-based diagnosis of the subtype of PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]