Adrenocorticotropin, β-Lipotropin, β-Endorphin, and Corticotropin-Releasing Factor-Like Activity in an Adrenocorticotropin-Producing Nephroblastoma

Shift from CRH to ACTH Production in a Thymic Carcinoid with Cushing’s Syndrome

“…There was no response of blood ACTH to metyrapone. In previous case reports of ectopic CRHinduced Cushing's syndrome, the patients showed a posi tive response to metyrapone [1][2][3][4]7,10,13]. The response of blood ACTH to exogenously administered CRH was fully inhibited after the recurrence of the tumor, whereas there was a blunted response before the resection of the primary tumor.…”

Ectopic Corticotrophin-Releasing-Factor and Growth Hormone Releasing Factor Secretion: Diagnosis Using Human Pituitary Cell Culture

“…the nature of which was probably identical to hypothalamic CRF, since immunological and chromatographic similarities to the syn thetic human peptide were observed. Nearly all previous cases of ectopic Cushing's syn drome have been reported to be due to secre tion of ACTH by a non-pituitary site [2][3][4], However, a few cases have been described in which ACTH secretion was found in con junction with the secretion of substances with CRF activity [23][24][25] which conceiva bly may have stimulated the pituitary corticotrophs. More recently, however, since an tisera to CRF have become available, cases of Cushing's disease due solely to ectopic production of CRF [6,8] or excessive pro duction of CRF by an intrasellar gangliocytoma [7] have been described.…”

Morphological and functional studies of the paracrine interaction between cortex and medulla in the adrenal gland

“…It thus became clear that high doses of CRH have a stimulatory effect upon the structure of the adrenal cortex even in the absence of the pituitary gland. A whole series of patients with Cushing syndrome have been described in whom the syndrome could be the result of excessive CRH activity in endocrine and non-endocrine tumours (Birkenhager et al, 1976;Hashimoto et al, 1980). In particular, pheochromocytomas can produce large amounts of CRH and thus cause Cushing syndrome (Jessop et al, 1987).…”