Is Adrenal Insufficiency Under-diagnosed in Hospitalized Cirrhosis Patients?

Summary

The hepatoadrenal syndrome has been well described in the literature and is known to be associated with poorer outcomes in both stable and critically ill cirrhotic patients. In chronic liver disease, adrenal (and more specifically cortisol) insufficiency is thought to be a byproduct of altered lipid metabolism that results in decreased HDL production and thus decreased delivery of cholesterol to the adrenal for subsequent corticosteroid production. Studies to date have implicated lecithin-cholesterol acetyltransferase (LCAT) as the key enzyme which is deficient in some cirrhotic patients, leading to an impaired ability to esterify cholesterol and thus a loss of normal cellular functioning and membrane stability. The investigators seek to quantify this LCAT deficiency in a cohort of cirrhotic patients and demonstrate its association with various abnormal physiologies associated with chronic liver disease, including spur cell anemia, low HDL levels, and adrenal insufficiency. Hospitalized cirrhotic patients at UVA that meet study eligibility criteria will be approached by a member of the study team to obtain consent for participation. If a patient agrees to become a study subject, they will have an approximate total of 35ml of blood drawn the following morning. Lab tests to be performed include: peripheral blood smear, lipid panel, free cortisol, cortisol binding globulin, serum cholesterol esters (surrogate for LCAT enzyme activity), and a standard-dose cortisol stimulation test. The latter involves blood drawn with the initial collection, administration of an intravenous 250mcg dose of synthetic ACTH, and then repeat small-volume blood draws at 30 minutes and 60 minutes later. Subjects will be classified as adrenally sufficient or insufficient on the basis of as standard-dose cortisol stimulation test. Variables of interest for comparison between the groups include MELD score, Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) classification, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, presence of spur cell anemia, serum cholesterol ester percentage (surrogate for LCAT enzymatic activity), cortisol binding globulin levels, and free cortisol levels. Student's t-test and Chi Square tests will be utilized to determine significance; a p \<0.05 value will be used as our threshold for significance. If multiple factors are found to be significantly different in a univariate fashion between classification groups, a multivariate logistic regression analysis will be performed for adjusted analysis. The investigators will also seek to define any correlations between variables. Furthermore, the investigators will assess correlation between MELD score and serum cholesterol ester percentage, spur cell anemia, HDL levels, cortisol binding globulin levels, and free cortisol levels; similar correlate analysis will be done using CTP classification instead of MELD score.

Timeline

Start

2018-01-29

Primary completion

2019-03-12

Completion

2019-03-12

Publications

• Background Fede G, Spadaro L, Tomaselli T, Privitera G, Germani G, Tsochatzis E, Thomas M, Bouloux PM, Burroughs AK, Purrello F. Adrenocortical dysfunction in liver disease: a systematic review. Hepatology. 2012 Apr;55(4):1282-91. doi: 10.1002/hep.25573.
• Background O'Beirne J, Holmes M, Agarwal B, Bouloux P, Shaw S, Patch D, Burroughs A. Adrenal insufficiency in liver disease - what is the evidence? J Hepatol. 2007 Sep;47(3):418-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2007.06.008. Epub 2007 Jun 28.
• Background Triantos CK, Marzigie M, Fede G, Michalaki M, Giannakopoulou D, Thomopoulos K, Garcovich M, Kalafateli M, Chronis A, Kyriazopoulou V, Jelastopoulou E, Nikolopoulou V, O'Beirne J, Burroughs AK. Critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency in patients with cirrhosis and variceal bleeding. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011 Jul;9(7):595-601. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2011.03.033. Epub 2011 Apr 8.
• Background Fede G, Spadaro L, Tomaselli T, Privitera G, Piro S, Rabuazzo AM, Sigalas A, Xirouchakis E, O'Beirne J, Garcovich M, Tsochatzis E, Purrello F, Burroughs AK. Assessment of adrenocortical reserve in stable patients with cirrhosis. J Hepatol. 2011 Feb;54(2):243-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2010.06.034. Epub 2010 Sep 15.
• Background Fede G, Spadaro L, Tomaselli T, Privitera G, Scicali R, Vasianopoulou P, Thalassinos E, Martin N, Thomas M, Purrello F, Burroughs AK. Comparison of total cortisol, free cortisol, and surrogate markers of free cortisol in diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency in patients with stable cirrhosis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014 Mar;12(3):504-12.e8; quiz e23-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2013.08.028. Epub 2013 Aug 24.
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• Background Tamer S, Cefle K, Gokkusu C, Ademoglu E, Ozturk S, Vatansever S, Palanduz S, Guler K. Comparison of rheological parameters in patients with post hepatitic and alcoholic cirrhosis. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2007;36(3):247-52.
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• Background Alexopoulou A, Vasilieva L, Kanellopoulou T, Pouriki S, Soultati A, Dourakis SP. Presence of spur cells as a highly predictive factor of mortality in patients with cirrhosis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014 Apr;29(4):830-4. doi: 10.1111/jgh.12473.
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• Background Kaiser T, Kinny-Koster B, Bartels M, Berg T, Scholz M, Engelmann C, Seehofer D, Becker S, Ceglarek U, Thiery J. Cholesterol esterification in plasma as a biomarker for liver function and prediction of mortality. BMC Gastroenterol. 2017 Apr 20;17(1):57. doi: 10.1186/s12876-017-0614-9.

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