The central CLOCK system and the stress axis in health and disease

Eva N. Kassi, George P. Chrousos

Download PDF

Optimal regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is critical for a successful response to any stressor as well as in non-stressful situations. At the hypothalamic-pituitary level, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is released into the hypophyseal portal system …

Urinary steroid metabolites in a case of florid Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome and clinical correlations

Angelos Kyriacou, Karolina M. Stepien, Basil Issa

Download PDF

A 51-year old woman was admitted with multiple cerebral, pulmonary and intra-abdominal abscesses. The combination of apparent immunosuppression, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypokalaemia, osteoporotic fractures and bilateral shoulder avascular necrosis led to a clinical diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome (CS) …

Stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with corticotropin releasing hormone in patients with psoriasis

Evangelos Karanikas, Faidon Harsoulis, Ioannis Giouzepas, Ioannis Griveas

Download PDF

OBJECTIVE: Psychocutaneous diseases constitute a large proportion of psychosomatic disorders, with psoriasis being one of the most typical cases. Though alteration of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis function has been suggested as underlying several psychiatric disorders and psychosomatic diseases, there is little evidence of reduced response of the HPA axis in psoriasis after psychosocially …

The adrenal gland microenvironment in health, disease and during regeneration

Waldemar Kanczkowski, Mariko Sue, Stefan R. Bornstein

Download PDF

The adrenal gland is a key component of the stress system in the human body. Multiple direct and paracrine interactions between different cell types and their progenitors take place within the adrenal gland microenvironment. These unique interactions are supported by high vascularization and the adrenal cortex extracellular matrix. Alterations in the adrenal gland microenvironment are known to influence the progression of several pathological conditions, such as obesity and sepsis, and to be influenced …