Endocrine Abstracts

The adrenals are at the centre of the steroid universe, with the adrenal cortex producing aldosterone, cortisol and the adrenal androgen precursors DHEA and androstenedione. Hormone excess (or deficiency) is a characteristic feature of the majority of adrenal diseases and recent years have seen major progress in dissecting adrenal steroid excess through novel approaches. This includes steroid metabolomics, the mass spectrometry-based analysis of steroid production in conjunction with computational data analysis to yield new insights into steroid flux and mechanisms underlying steroid excess and steroid-related disorders. In this lecture I will present novel insights into the diagnosis, prognosis and also the pathophysiology of adrenal steroid excess including adrenal tumours, Cushing syndrome and primary aldosteronism, derived from the application of steroid metabolomics.

Generously supported by Clinical Endocrinology Trust.