COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON TISSUE CORTICOSTEROID CONTENT AND MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURE IN FUNCTIONING ADRENOCORTICAL ADENOMA AND HYPERPLASIA

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Abstract
To clarify the functional significance of clear- and compact-type cells, correlative hormonal and morphological studies were performed on [human] adrenocortical tumors associated with primary aldosteronism, Cushing''s syndrome or non-dyshormonal symptoms. The content of aldosterone, corticosterone and cortisol in adrenal tissue was estimated by radioimmunoassay. The ratio of its constituent cell-type was examined in sections with oil red O stain and/or H-E stain. The content of aldosterone and corticosterone was significantly higher in primary aldosteronism (P < 0.001) than in Cushing''s syndrome and in non-functioning tumor, with a mean value of 1.22 .+-. 0.15 and 7.52 .+-. 1.05 ng/mg tissue, respectively. In Cushing''s syndrome, cortisol content showed a high value, 9.27 .+-. 1.60 ng/mg tissue. The steroid content was different in each case, and varied with parts of the quantitative sample even in the same case. Though the correlation of aldosterone content and compact-type cell population in primary aldosteronism showed a negative trend and of cortisol content and compact-type cell in Cushing''s syndrome had a positive, neither correlation was statistically significant.