{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,25]],"date-time":"2025-04-25T04:12:09Z","timestamp":1745554329963,"version":"3.40.4"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"S. Karger AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2004,1,1]],"date-time":"2004-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1072915200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Services\/SiteLicenses"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2004,1,1]],"date-time":"2004-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1072915200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Services\/SiteLicenses"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Horm Res Paediatr"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2004]]},"abstract":"<i>Background:<\/i> The distinction between Cushing\u2019s disease (Cushing\u2019s syndrome dependent on adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting tumors of pituitary origin) and pseudo-Cushing\u2019s states (Cushingoid features and hypercortisolism sometimes present in alcoholic, depressed or obese subjects) can present a diagnostic challenge in clinical endocrinology. Recently, the availability of a highly sensitive immunofluorometric assay for the measurement of total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) provided the possibility to measure serum PSA levels in women. Interestingly, PSA gene expression and protein production has been found to be upregulated by steroid hormones, such as androgens, glucocorticoids, mineral corticoids and progestins. In fact, serum total PSA concentrations appear to be higher in female patients with Cushing\u2019s disease than in normal women. We wondered whether a similar phenomenon also occurs in pseudo-Cushing\u2019s state. <i>Methods:<\/i> In order to answer this question, we compared the serum total PSA levels measured in 10 female subjects with alcohol-dependent pseudo-Cushing\u2019s state with those observed in 8 female patients with Cushing\u2019s disease and in 15 age-matched healthy women. Serum testosterone, ACTH and cortisol, and 24-hour urinary cortisol levels were measured; cortisol suppression after dexamethasone was also tested in all subjects. <i>Results:<\/i> The basal serum levels of ACTH and cortisol were significantly lower in normal subjects than in patients with Cushing\u2019s disease or pseudo-Cushing\u2019s state; these latter groups showed similar basal hormonal values. Dexamethasone administration was unable to suppress serum cortisol levels in 5 subjects with Cushing\u2019s disease and 6 subjects with pseudo-Cushing\u2019s state. Serum testosterone values in the group with Cushing\u2019s disease were higher than in the other groups. No differences were observed between pseudo-Cushing\u2019s and normal subjects. Serum total PSA levels were significantly higher in women with Cushing\u2019s disease than in subjects with pseudo-Cushing\u2019s state and normal controls; these latter groups showed similar PSA values. When serum total PSA and testosterone levels were considered together, a significant positive correlation was observed in the group with Cushing\u2019s disease, but not in the other groups. <i>Conclusions:<\/i> These data indicate that the steroid milieu responsible for the elevation in serum PSA in women with Cushing\u2019s disease is not present in subjects with alcohol-dependent pseudo-Cushing\u2019s state, suggesting the possible use of PSA as a marker of differentiation between these pathological conditions in women.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1159\/000075671","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2003,12,18]],"date-time":"2003-12-18T08:12:54Z","timestamp":1071735174000},"page":"148-152","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Serum Total Prostate-Specific Antigen Assay in Women with Cushing\u2019s Disease or Alcohol-Dependent Pseudo-Cushing\u2019s State"],"prefix":"10.1159","volume":"61","author":[{"given":"V.","family":"Coiro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"R.","family":"Volpi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"P.","family":"Galli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"G.","family":"Manfredi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"M.G.","family":"Magotti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"G.","family":"Saccani-Jotti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"P.","family":"Chiodera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"127","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2004,3,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/er.19.5.647"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.242.15.1640"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0002-9343(87)90028-3"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.80.5.1515"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.82.3.777"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.83.7.2580"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.85.1.81"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.86.4.1558"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2796.2000.00676.x"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0092-8674(89)90237-7"}],"container-title":["Hormone Research in Paediatrics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Article\/Pdf\/75671","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Article\/Pdf\/75671","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,24]],"date-time":"2025-04-24T04:05:14Z","timestamp":1745467514000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/article\/doi\/10.1159\/000075671"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2004]]},"references-count":10,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2004,3,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1159\/000075671","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["1663-2818","1663-2826"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"1663-2818"},{"type":"electronic","value":"1663-2826"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2004]]}}}