Lipoatrophic diabetes: endocrine dysfunction and the response to control hypertriglyceridemia

Endocrine function was studied in a 24 year old female with lipoatrophic diabetes (LD). Baseline endocrine studies (serum triglycerides: 2600 mg/dl) demonstrated hyperprolactinemia (serum prolactin 51 ng/ml), increased ACTH levels, absence of suppression of ACTH to a high dose of dexamethasone which suppressed serum cortisol normally and, hyperresponsiveness of TSH to stimulation with TRH. Thyroid hormone levels (total and free fraction) were essentially normal. Major metabolites of thyroid hormone (T3, rT3, 3, 3'-T2, and 3', 5'-T2) were also normal and exhibited a normal response to the administration of L-thyroxine and propylthiouracil. Exchange of 84% of the patient's plasma resulted in a decrease in serum triglycerides (700 mg/dl) which was followed by a rebound to the original level in seven days. After the sixth plasmapheresis serum triglycerides stabilized at less than 1000 mg/dl. Plasmapheresis was associated with the appearance of amenorrhea and galactorrhea; also hypertension and proliferative retinopathy developed during this therapy. Repeat endocrine function studies (serum triglycerides: 700 mg/dl) showed a further rise in serum prolactin (greater than 160 ng/ml), persistence of abnormal ACTH secretion and normalization of TSH responsiveness. Lipoatrophic diabetes is associated with abnormal central endocrine function but appropriate peripheral target gland secretion. A course of plasmapheresis improves the hypertriglyceridemia but not the endocrine dysfunction. In this patient with LD the most important side effect of plasmapheresis was the development of cardiovascular complications.