Project B15

Primary aldosteronism: pathogenesis and advanced approaches for subtyping

Principal Investigators

PhD.
Tracy Ann Williams

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Internal Department of Medicine IV, Endocrinology,

tracy.williams[at]med.uni-muenchen.de

Prof. Dr.
Graeme Eisenhofer

Technische Universität Dresden

Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden

Department of Internal Medicine III
& Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

graeme.eisenhofer[at]uniklinikum-dresden.de

Scientific Staff
Lucie Meyer – Postdoc

Project Description

Project B15 is about primary aldosteronism which is characterized by excessive secretion of aldosterone mainly due to an unilateral adenoma (APA) or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH). Since the pathogenesis of BAH remains obscure, this project will define pathogenetic mechanisms causing BAH by delineating the molecular histopathological differences between normal adrenals, BAH and APA. In addition, this project will establish new diagnostic markers (venous steroid profiling) for primary aldosteronism and for stratification of the subtypes APA and BAH.

Aims

(I) Identify molecular determinants of the pathogenesis of bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH).

(II) Establish a peripheral venous steroid signature that classifies primary aldosteronism genotype and identify an association between steroid profiling and molecular morphology.

(III) Prospectively validate peripheral venous steroid biomarker panels for the diagnosis and differentiation of unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and BAH.


PhD/MD-Thesis


Yuhong Yang (2017-2021)Title of thesis: Micro- and macro-aldosterone-producing adenomas in primary aldosteronism: molecular and biochemical studies


Lucie Meyer (2017-2021)Title of thesis: Pathophysiology of primary aldosteronism: adrenal immunohistochemistry and molecular profiling studies


Publications (CRC/TRR 205 included)