The Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System in Cushing’s Syndrome and Pheochromocytoma

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We investigated the status of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis in 5 patients with Cushing’s syndrome and 7 patients with pheochromocytoma. In most of the patients with Cushing’s syndrome no significant abnormalities of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system could be detected. In 4 out of 7 patients with pheochromocytoma, plasma renin activity remained high after saline suppression and decreased into the normal range in all 4 patients after removal of pheochromocytoma. These results imply that the postulated miner-alocorticoid excess was not present in the patients with Cushing’s syndrome studied. In pheochromocytoma, high levels of plasma catecholamines contribute to a high renin state which may have pathophysiologic implications.