Beuschlein, Felix

Abstract Disclosure: A. Prete: HRA Pharmaceuticals, Lundbeck, Diurnal. L. Adbi: None. J.T. Bain: None. F. Shaheen: None. O. Suntornlohanakul: None. E. Deflorenne: None. A. Blanchard: None. M. Nestola: None. C. Pamporaki: None. I. Tizianel: None. E. Nowak: None. J. Bertherat: None. D.A. Vassiliadi: None. I. Bancos: None. C.M. Dennedy: None. D. Kastelan: None. M. Fassnacht: None. P. Mulatero: None. U. Ambroziak: None. A. Tabarin: None. M. Quinkler: None. S. Puglisi: None. J. Deinum: None. G.Å. Ueland: None. L. Lenzini: None. F. Beuschlein: None. M. Reincke: None. F. Ceccato: None. G. Eisenhofer: None. S.M. Corsello: None. L. Amar: None. M. Zennaro: None. N. Karavitaki: None. A.E. Taylor: None. W. Arlt: None. Introduction: Twenty-four-hour urinary free cortisol is used to diagnose Cushing’s syndrome (CS); amongst its limitations is failure to differentiate ACTH-dependent CS (AD-CS) from ACTH-independent CS (AI-CS). We tested the performance of urine steroid metabolomics (USM), the computational analysis of 24-hour urine steroid metabolome data by machine learning, for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of CS. Given the physiological diurnal rhythm of cortisol secretion and its loss in CS, we also hypothesised that the difference in glucocorticoid excretion between CS and controls should be higher during nighttime, thereby facilitating more sensitive detection of CS. Methods: 264 subjects completed a 24-hour urine collection (40 AD-CS, 103 AI-CS due to adrenocortical adenoma or hyperplasia, 121 healthy subjects). A subset of 52 individuals (13 CS, 39 healthy) provided a nighttime urine collection and a daytime urine collection. Mass spectrometry-based multi-steroid profiling was used to quantify the urinary excretion of 27 steroid metabolites. Data were analysed by generalised matrix learning vector quantisation (a prototype-based supervised machine learning approach), multiple linear regression adjusted for age, sex, and BMI, and multiple logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, and BMI. Results: Twenty-four-hour USM demonstrated very high accuracy in differentiating CS from healthy individuals (AUC-ROC 0.99, 95%CI 0.99-0.99), reflected by higher urinary excretion of glucocorticoid and glucocorticoid precursor metabolites in CS. USM yielded high accuracy in differentiating AD-CS from AI-CS (AUC-ROC 0.91, 95%CI 0.89-0.94), with androgen metabolites being the most discriminatory. We observed significant sex differences in steroid excretion in both healthy individuals and those with CS. Women exhibited markedly lower excretion of both glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids compared to men: average glucocorticoid excretion was reduced by 43% in healthy women and 30% in CS women, while average mineralocorticoid excretion was 29% lower in healthy women and 51% lower in CS women (results adjusted for age and BMI). Timed steroid excretion in healthy individuals reflected the diurnal pattern of adrenal steroid secretion, with lower nighttime than daytime excretion of glucocorticoid metabolites. Nighttime glucocorticoid metabolite excretion (AUC-ROC 1.00, 95%CI 0.99-1.00) performed better than daytime (AUC-ROC 0.91, 95%CI 0.77-1.00) and 24-hour excretion (AUC-ROC 0.94, 95%CI 0.86-1.00) in separating CS cases from healthy individuals. Conclusions: USM is a non-invasive, one-step candidate test for the accurate diagnosis and differential diagnosis of CS. Timed nighttime urine collection leverages cortisol circadian rhythmicity and improves the diagnostic accuracy of the current reference standard 24-hour collection. Presentation: Sunday, July 13, 2025

Abstract Objective To study pregnancy outcomes and complications in women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Methods A retrospective multicenter study was conducted at tertiary reference centers in 5 countries (Austria, Germany, Italy, Sweden, USA), including 72 adult women with CAH (nonclassic [NC] n = 34, simple virilizing [SV] n = 21, salt wasting [SW] n = 17). Results A total of 133 pregnancies, 112 live births, and 25 abortions were documented. Prolonged latency to pregnancy was observed (median 11 months in SW, 24 months in SV, 8 months in NC), with a notable use of fertility-enhancing medication (25.6%) and assisted reproductive techniques (30.8%). Over half of the women in each group took more than 12 months to conceive. The average number of live births (1.4-1.6 children per woman) was similar across CAH phenotypes and comparable to the general population. Spontaneous abortion rates (18.0%) were also similar across phenotypes. Primary cesarean section rates (60.9%) were higher than in the general population, though 23.8% of women with SV and 29.4% of women with SW gave birth naturally, despite most having undergone genital surgery. Children categorized as small for gestational age were 20.5%. Pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum complications were rare for mothers and neonates. Conclusion The study indicates a prolonged latency to pregnancy and high use of fertility treatments in CAH patients, regardless of phenotype. Abortion rates were not increased, and overall pregnancy and perinatal outcomes were favorable.

BACKGROUND: Distinguishing between unilateral and bilateral primary aldosteronism, a major cause of secondary hypertension, is crucial due to different treatment approaches. While adrenal venous sampling is the gold standard, its invasiveness, limited availability, and often difficult interpretation pose challenges. This study explores the utility of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) and machine learning in distinguishing between unilateral and bilateral forms of primary aldosteronism. METHODS: MiRNA profiling was conducted on plasma samples from 18 patients with primary aldosteronism taken during adrenal venous sampling on an Illumina MiSeq platform. Bioinformatics and machine learning identified 9 miRNAs for validation by reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Validation was performed on a cohort consisting of 108 patients with known subdifferentiation. A 30-patient subset of the validation cohort involved both adrenal venous sampling and peripheral, the rest only peripheral samples. A neural network model was used for feature selection and comparison between adrenal venous sampling and peripheral samples, while a deep-learning model was used for classification. RESULTS: Our model identified 10 miRNA combinations achieving >85% accuracy in distinguishing unilateral primary aldosteronism and bilateral adrenal hyperplasia on a 30-sample subset, while also confirming the suitability of peripheral samples for analysis. The best model, involving 6 miRNAs, achieved an area under curve of 87.1%. Deep learning resulted in 100% accuracy on the subset and 90.9% sensitivity and 81.8% specificity on all 108 samples, with an area under curve of 86.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Machine learning analysis of circulating miRNAs offers a minimally invasive alternative for primary aldosteronism lateralization. Early identification of bilateral adrenal hyperplasia could expedite treatment initiation without the need for further localization, benefiting both patients and health care providers.

Abstract Disclosure: B. Vekony: None. G. Nyiro: None. Z. Herold: None. J. Fekete: None. F. Ceccato: None. S. Gruber: None. L. Kurzinger: None. M. Parasiliti-Caprino: None. B. Szeredas: None. S. Syed Mohammed Nazri: None. V. Fell: None. M. Bassiony: None. E.A. Azizan: None. I. Bancos: None. F. Beuschlein: None. P. Igaz: None. Background: The differentiation of uni- and bilateral forms of primary aldosteronism (PA) is of pivotal clinical relevance. Whereas unilateral PA warrants surgical treatment, bilateral PA is treated by aldosterone antagonists. The most reliable way to differentiate these two entities is adrenal venous sampling (AVS) that is an invasive method with limited availability and requiring great expertise. Aim: To develop a circulating blood-borne microRNA-based approach using machine learning for the differentiation of uni- and bilateral PA. Methods: Circulating microRNA profiling on an Illumina MiSeq platform was performed on total RNA samples isolated from EDTA-anticoagulated blood specimens taken by AVS from 18 pairs of right and left suprarenal veins (10 uni-, 8 bilateral PA). Significantly differentially expressed microRNAs were analyzed by a neural network (90-10% learner-tester cross-validation simulation). From the top 29 significantly differentially expressed microRNAs, 9 were selected for validation by Taqman RT-qPCR on a separate cohort of 30 AVS-confirmed samples (15-15 uni- and bilateral forms) both on plasma samples from adrenal as well as from peripheral veins. The method was finally tested on another independent cohort of peripheral blood samples from 80 patients (40 uni- and 40 bilateral PA). Results: Regarding the 9 microRNAs selected for validation, microRNA abundance was non-significantly lower in peripheral samples compared to AVS samples. By analyzing peripheral plasma samples, ten combinations of 4-8 microRNAs from the pool of 9 microRNAs turned out to have maximal sensitivity and specificity values over 85 %. The best combination included 6 microRNAs with a sensitivity of 86.3 % and a specificity of 87.91 % (AUC = 0.871). The inclusion of further parameters such as imaging, potassium and renin levels did not improve the model’s performance. Conclusion: The analysis of circulating blood-borne microRNAs represents a minimally invasive and potentially reliable way of differentiating uni- and bilateral PA. If bilateral PA is confirmed by the model, no more localization efforts would be necessary thus simplifying the management of PA patients. This would be relevant both from the patient’s and a public health perspective. Presentation: 6/3/2024

Abstract Disclosure: B. Vekony: None. G. Nyiro: None. Z. Herold: None. J. Fekete: None. F. Ceccato: None. S. Gruber: None. L. Kurzinger: None. M. Parasiliti-Caprino: None. B. Szeredas: None. S.K. Nazri: None. V. Fell: None. M. Bassiony: None. E.A. Azizan: None. I. Bancos: None. F. Beuschlein: None. P. Igaz: None. Background: The differentiation of uni- and bilateral forms of primary aldosteronism (PA) is of pivotal clinical relevance. Whereas unilateral PA warrants surgical treatment, bilateral PA is treated by aldosterone antagonists. The most reliable way to differentiate these two entities is adrenal venous sampling (AVS) that is an invasive method with limited availability and requiring great expertise. Aim: To develop a circulating blood-borne microRNA-based approach using machine learning for the differentiation of uni- and bilateral PA. Methods: Circulating microRNA profiling on an Illumina MiSeq platform was performed on total RNA samples isolated from EDTA-anticoagulated blood specimens taken by AVS from 18 pairs of right and left suprarenal veins (10 uni-, 8 bilateral PA). Significantly differentially expressed microRNAs were analyzed by a neural network (90-10% learner-tester cross-validation simulation). From the top 29 significantly differentially expressed microRNAs, 9 were selected for validation by Taqman RT-qPCR on a separate cohort of 30 AVS-confirmed samples (15-15 uni- and bilateral forms) both on plasma samples from adrenal as well as from peripheral veins. The method was finally tested on another independent cohort of peripheral blood samples from 80 patients (40 uni- and 40 bilateral PA). Results: Regarding the 9 microRNAs selected for validation, microRNA abundance was non-significantly lower in peripheral samples compared to AVS samples. By analyzing peripheral plasma samples, ten combinations of 4-8 microRNAs from the pool of 9 microRNAs turned out to have maximal sensitivity and specificity values over 85 %. The best combination included 6 microRNAs with a sensitivity of 86.3 % and a specificity of 87.91 % (AUC = 0.871). The inclusion of further parameters such as imaging, potassium and renin levels did not improve the model’s performance. Conclusion: The analysis of circulating blood-borne microRNAs represents a minimally invasive and potentially reliable way of differentiating uni- and bilateral PA. If bilateral PA is confirmed by the model, no more localization efforts would be necessary thus simplifying the management of PA patients. This would be relevant both from the patient’s and a public health perspective. Presentation: 6/3/2024

Abstract Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents. This results in at least 1% of the population using chronic glucocorticoid therapy, being at risk for glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency. This risk is dependent on the dose, duration and potency of the glucocorticoid, route of administration, and individual susceptibility. Once glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency develops or is suspected, it necessitates careful education and management of affected patients. Tapering glucocorticoids can be challenging when symptoms of glucocorticoid withdrawal develop, which overlap with those of adrenal insufficiency. In general, tapering of glucocorticoids can be more rapidly within a supraphysiological range, followed by a slower taper when on physiological glucocorticoid dosing. The degree and persistence of HPA axis suppression after cessation of glucocorticoid therapy are dependent on overall exposure and recovery of adrenal function varies greatly amongst individuals. This first European Society of Endocrinology/Endocrine Society joint clinical practice guideline provides guidance on this clinically relevant condition to aid clinicians involved in the care of patients on chronic glucocorticoid therapy.

Abstract Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents. This results in at least 1% of the population using chronic glucocorticoid therapy, being at risk for glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency. This risk is dependent on the dose, duration and potency of the glucocorticoid, route of administration, and individual susceptibility. Once glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency develops or is suspected, it necessitates careful education and management of affected patients. Tapering glucocorticoids can be challenging when symptoms of glucocorticoid withdrawal develop, which overlap with those of adrenal insufficiency. In general, tapering of glucocorticoids can be more rapidly within a supraphysiological range, followed by a slower taper when on physiological glucocorticoid dosing. The degree and persistence of HPA axis suppression after cessation of glucocorticoid therapy are dependent on overall exposure and recovery of adrenal function varies greatly amongst individuals. This first European Society of Endocrinology/Endocrine Society joint clinical practice guideline provides guidance on this clinically relevant condition to aid clinicians involved in the care of patients on chronic glucocorticoid therapy.

Received June 8, 2022; accepted October 11, 2022 Background Recent advances in omics techniques have allowed detailed genetic characterization of cortisol-producing adrenal adenoma (CPA). In contrast, the pathophysiology of CPAs has not been elucidated in detail on the level of tumor metabolic alterations. Methods The current study conducted a comprehensive mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) map of CPAs in relation to clinical phenotypes and immunohistochemical profiles of steroidogenic enzymes. The study cohort comprised 46 patients with adrenal tumors including CPAs (n 35) and nonfunctional adenomas (n 11). Results Severity of cortisol hypersecretion was significantly correlated with 29 metabolites (adjusted P 0.05). Adrenal androgens derived from the classic androgen pathway were inversely correlated with both cortisol secretion (rs 0.41, adjusted P 0.035) and CYP11B1 expression (rs 0.77, adjusted P 2.00E-08). The extent of cortisol excess and tumor CYP11B1 expression further correlated with serotonin (rs 0.48 and 0.62, adjusted P 0.008 and 2.41E-05). Tumor size was found to be correlated with abundance of 13 fatty acids (adjusted P 0.05) and negatively associated with 9 polyunsaturated fatty acids including phosphatidic acid 38:8 (rs 0.56, adjusted P 0.009). Conclusions MSI reveals novel metabolic links between endocrine function and tumorigenesis, which will further support the understanding of CPA pathophysiology.

Background Accumulating evidence suggests that primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with several features of the metabolic syndrome, in particular with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Whether these manifestations are primarily linked to aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) or bilateral idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA) remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in metabolic parameters between APA and IHA patients and to assess the impact of treatment on these clinical characteristics. Methods We conducted a retrospective multicenter study including 3566 patients with APA or IHA of Caucasian and Asian origin. We compared the prevalence of metabolic disorders between APA and IHA patients at the time of diagnosis and 1-year post-intervention, with special references to sex differences. Furthermore, correlations between metabolic parameters and plasma aldosterone, renin, or plasma cortisol levels after 1 mg dexamethasone (DST) were performed. Results As expected, APA patients were characterized by higher plasma aldosterone and lower serum potassium levels. Only female IHA patients demonstrated significantly worse metabolic parameters than age-matched female APA patients, which were associated with lower cortisol levels upon DST. One-year post-intervention, female adrenalectomized patients showed deterioration of their lipid profile, when compared to patients treated with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Plasma aldosterone levels negatively correlated with the BMI only in APA patients. Conclusions Metabolic alterations appear more prominent in women with IHA. Although IHA patients have worse metabolic profiles, a correlation with cortisol autonomy is documented only in APAs, suggesting an uncoupling of cortisol action from metabolic traits in IHA patients.

1 Background: The ESE-ENSAT guidelines on ACC management suggest adjuvant mitotane for patients at high risk of recurrence. This indication has limited evidence base, lacking results from randomized controlled trials. No suggestion for or against adjuvant mitotane in low-risk patients was given, since studies did not stratify patients for prognosis. The randomized controlled study ADIUVO compared the efficacy of adjuvant mitotane treatment vs. observation in prolonging recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients at low-intermediate risk of recurrence. Methods: The main inclusion criteria were: stage I-III ACC, R0 surgery, and Ki-67 ≤10%. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to adjuvant mitotane or observation. The primary endpoint of the study was RFS. Patients who refused randomization were eligible for the ADIUVO OBSERVATIONAL study. In this prospective, observational study, patients were managed as in ADIUVO except for randomization. A total of 91 patients were enrolled in ADIUVO, 45 in the mitotane and 46 in the observation arm. Baseline characteristics of patients were perfectly matched between the 2 arms: median age, 51 vs. 50.5 years; female, 73% vs. 67%; stage I, 20% vs. 26%; stage II, 67% vs. 63%, stage III, 13% vs. 11%; ACC secretion 44% vs. 36%; Weiss 5 vs. 5; respectively. In ADIUVO OBSERVATIONAL, 42 patients were treated with mitotane and 53 were untreated. Baseline characteristics of patients were matched between the 2 groups and with mitotane and observation groups in ADIUVO. Thus, the ADIUVO OBSERVATIONAL cohort was analyzed in parallel to deal with the lower than expected recruitment in ADIUVO. Results: In the ADIUVO study, recurrences were 8 in the MIT and 11 in the OBS arm, while deaths were 2 and 5, respectively. RFS and overall survival (OS) did not significantly differ between the 2 arms. In the OBS arm, the HR for recurrence was 1.321 (95%CI, 0.55-3.32, p = 0.54) and HR for death 2.171 (95%CI, 0.52-12.12, p = 0.29). The survival analysis in the ADIUVO OBSERVATIONAL study confirmed that of ADIUVO. Given the outcome of both studies, the NNT is 55. Conclusions: ACC patients at low-intermediate risk of recurrence after surgery are a minority; however, they show a far better prognosis than expected (5-yr RFS is 75%) and do not benefit significantly from adjuvant mitotane. The results of the ADIUVO study do not support routine use of adjuvant mitotane in this subset of patients, who may thus avoid a potentially toxic treatment. This is an important step toward personalization of ACC care. Clinical trial information: NCT00777244.