THE CHANGES IN PLASMA ACTH, SERUM CORTISOL AND UFC IN PATIENTS WITH ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY
- VernacularTitle:肾上腺皮质功能减退时垂体-肾上腺皮质激素的改变
- Author:
Yinzhang WANG
;
Yihong SUN
;
Wenyi ZONG
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
adrenal cortex diseases;
adrenal cortex tests;
corticotropin;
cortisol;
urinary free cortisol
- From:
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army
1983;0(05):-
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
To evaluate the significance of plasma ACTH, serum cortisol and UFC levels as well as ACTH stimulation test, aminoglutethimide test and insulin induced hypoglycemia test in patients with adrenal insufficiency. Sixteen patients with primary insufficiency (Addison`s disease) and 75 cases with secondary insufficiency (hypopituitarism) diagnosed from 1985 to 1999 were reviewed. It was found that high levels of ACTH were detected in all patients with primary insufficiency, and in most of them the levels of cortisol and UFC were low. No response of cortisol and UFC were observed after ACTH stimulation in the patients with primary insufficiency, but normal or delayed action was observed in the patients with secondary adrenal insufficiency. In most of secondary adrenal insufficiency the ACTH levels were in normal range but the cortisol and UFC levels were low; the elevated action of ACTH by insulin induced hypoglycemia test or aminoglutethimide test did not appear in the patients with secondary adrenal insufficiency. The results suggested that the low levels of cortisol and UFC were a common feature in the most of patients both with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency. The ACTH level was the key indicator to distinguish the primary adrenal insufficiency from secondary adrenal insufficiency, as the ACTH levels were remarkably elevated in primary patients but were normal or decreased in secondary insufficiency patients. The ACTH stimulation test was useful in the diagnosis of the primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency. The insulin induced hypoglycemia test or aminoglutethimide test was valuable in the diagnosis of the secondary adrenal insufficiency.
