TY - JOUR
T1 - Neuropeptides in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated benign acanthosis nigricans
AU - Bernstein, J. E.
AU - Rothstein, J.
AU - Soltani, K.
AU - Levine, L. E.
PY - 1983
Y1 - 1983
N2 - The association of acanthosis nigricans with pituitary tumors and insulin-resistant diabetes suggests that a pituitary peptide may promote papillomatosis and acanthosis characteristic of acanthosis nigricans. Although such a peptide has not been isolated, it may derive by sequential cleavage from the 31,000-dalton precursor peptide to ACTH and β-lipotropin (β-LPH). In order to evaluate the role of pituitary peptides in the pathogenesis of acanthosis nigricans, we compared plasma levels of β-endorphin (β-EP) and ACTH in plasma of 8 fasting patients with obesity-associated benign acanthosis nigricans and 7 fasting normal controls utilizing sensitive radioimmunoassay procedures. Mean plasma β-EP levels for the acanthosis nigricans and control subjects were not significantly different (90 pg/ml vs. 140 pg/ml), nor was any significant difference observed between plasma ACTH levels of the 2 groups (42.3 and 31.2 pg/ml, respectively). Our data indicate that plasma levels of the pituitary-derived peptides ACTH and β-EP are not increased in obesity-associated benign acanthosis nigricans, and suggest that its proposed hormonal mediator might originate independently from the large peptide precursor of ACTH, β-LPH and their fragments.
AB - The association of acanthosis nigricans with pituitary tumors and insulin-resistant diabetes suggests that a pituitary peptide may promote papillomatosis and acanthosis characteristic of acanthosis nigricans. Although such a peptide has not been isolated, it may derive by sequential cleavage from the 31,000-dalton precursor peptide to ACTH and β-lipotropin (β-LPH). In order to evaluate the role of pituitary peptides in the pathogenesis of acanthosis nigricans, we compared plasma levels of β-endorphin (β-EP) and ACTH in plasma of 8 fasting patients with obesity-associated benign acanthosis nigricans and 7 fasting normal controls utilizing sensitive radioimmunoassay procedures. Mean plasma β-EP levels for the acanthosis nigricans and control subjects were not significantly different (90 pg/ml vs. 140 pg/ml), nor was any significant difference observed between plasma ACTH levels of the 2 groups (42.3 and 31.2 pg/ml, respectively). Our data indicate that plasma levels of the pituitary-derived peptides ACTH and β-EP are not increased in obesity-associated benign acanthosis nigricans, and suggest that its proposed hormonal mediator might originate independently from the large peptide precursor of ACTH, β-LPH and their fragments.
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U2 - 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12530848
DO - 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12530848
M3 - Article
C2 - 6294189
AN - SCOPUS:0020683869
SN - 0022-202X
VL - 80
SP - 7
EP - 9
JO - Journal of Investigative Dermatology
JF - Journal of Investigative Dermatology
IS - 1
ER -