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Corticotropin-releasing hormone: clinical applications
1Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Annual Review of Medicine
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) regulates ACTH secretion and is key in non-Cushing hypercortisolemic states. Synthetic CRH aids in diagnosing Cushing's syndrome and locating ACTH-secreting tumors.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neuroendocrinology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is a 41-amino-acid peptide synthesized in the hypothalamus.
- CRH regulates the pituitary gland's secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
- While not a primary cause, CRH plays a role in the pathogenesis of non-Cushing hypercortisolemic states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of CRH in hypercortisolemic states.
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of synthetic CRH in Cushing's syndrome.
- To assess CRH's effectiveness in localizing ACTH-secreting tumors.
Main Methods:
- Administration of synthetic human and ovine CRH.
- Differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome.
- Preoperative localization of intrasellar ACTH-secreting tumors.
Main Results:
- CRH is crucial in the pathogenesis of non-Cushing hypercortisolemic states.
- Synthetic CRH is valuable for the differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome.
- Synthetic CRH aids in the preoperative localization of ACTH-secreting tumors.
Conclusions:
- CRH is a significant factor in specific hypercortisolemic conditions beyond Cushing's syndrome.
- Synthetic CRH serves as a valuable diagnostic and localizing agent in endocrinology.
- Further research into CRH's role can improve diagnostic accuracy for pituitary and adrenal disorders.
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