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Non-functioning adrenal incidentalomas may increase toxic metabolites

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Summary

Background

Non-functioning adrenal incidentaloma (NFAI) is a frequent diagnosis with increasing radiological tests. The emerging shreds of evidence showed that they might have negative cardiometabolic effects. The study aimed to investigate whether the toxic metabolites, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels, were altered in NFAI patients.

Methods

We included 43 NFAI patients and 41 controls with similar ages and body mass indices in the study. We compared plasma ADMA levels of both groups and noted the radiological features of NFAIs.

Results

The ADMA levels were significantly higher in NFAI patients than in the control group (307.04 ng/ml, range 81.89–577.7 ng/ml vs 192.54 ng/ml, range 70.61–440.26 ng/ml, p = 0.001). Nevertheless, we could not reach a significant correlation between ADMA levels and mass size.

Conclusion

The ADMA is known as a toxin and is increased in NFAI patients. NFAIs may not be innocent and may be considered a potential risk for the body. Further investigations were needed for more explanations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kırıkkale University, Yahsihan, 71450, Kırıkkale, Turkey

    Irfan Karahan M.D. &  Aydın Cifci M.D.

  2. School of Medicine, Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Kırıkkale University, Yahsihan, 71450, Kırıkkale, Turkey

    Senay Durmaz Ceylan M.D. &  Askin Gungunes M.D.

  3. Çanakkale Yenice Government Hospital, Canakkale, Turkey

    Fatih Eker M.D.

  4. School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Kırıkkale University, Yahsihan, 71450, Kırıkkale, Turkey

    Ucler Kisa M.D.

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  1. Irfan Karahan M.D.
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Contributions

IK: writing of article, data analysis and review of literature. SDC: sample collection, review of literature, idea. AG: sample collection, review of literature, idea. AC: review of literature, language editing and revisions. FE: sample collection, review of literature, data curation. UK: data curation, performing experiments and conceptualization. All authors read the final form and approve the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Irfan Karahan M.D..

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I. Karahan, S. Durmaz Ceylan, A. Gungunes, A. Cifci, F. Eker and U. Kisa declare that they have no competing interests.

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Karahan, I., Durmaz Ceylan, S., Gungunes, A. et al. Non-functioning adrenal incidentalomas may increase toxic metabolites. Wien Klin Wochenschr 134, 125–129 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-021-01909-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-021-01909-9

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