Adrenal glands located just above your kidneys are an integral part of your endocrine system. These glands produce hormones like cortisol and aldosterone. If you are asthmatic or suffer from arthritis, doctors recommend you specific corticosteroids.
Causes and Evaluation of Addison’s Disease
New York (USA), June 27, 2013
Causes of Addison’s Disease
Adrenal glands located just above your kidneys are an integral part of your endocrine system. These glands produce hormones like cortisol and aldosterone. These hormones are essential for normal functioning of almost all body organs and tissues.
Adrenal glands consist of two sections:
1. Outer Layer or Cortex: This produces corticosteroids consisting of mineral corticoids, glucocorticoids, and male sex hormones or androgens.
2. Inner Layer or Medulla: This produces adrenaline-like hormones.
Causes
Primary causes of Addison’s disease include:
Adrenal Dysgenesis: If your adrenal gland is not formed properly, its functioning is hampered. This is a rare condition. Genetic mutations like congenital adrenal hypoplasia or CAH due to DAX-1 gene mutations, mutations to ACTH receptor gene as in Triple A or Allgrove syndrome, and mutations to SF1 transcription factor are responsible for improper development of adrenal gland. Sometimes DAX-1 is completely deleted leading to severe deficiencies and syndromes.
Impaired Steroid Genesis: If your adrenal gland is present but is unable to produce cortisol due to specific biochemical reasons, it is termed impaired steroid genesis. Adrenal gland requires cholesterol to form cortisol and thereafter convert it biochemically into steroid hormones. If specific syndromes like abetalipoproteinemia and Smith-Lemli-Opitz interrupt cholesterol delivery, adrenal gland is unable to secrete hormones.
Adrenal Destruction: Certain diseases destruct your adrenal gland and hence hormones cannot be secreted. This is termed adrenal destruction. Immune reaction against enzyme 21-hydroxylase is the most common cause of adrenal gland destruction. Sometimes cancer cells in lungs are responsible for adrenal gland destruction.
Other causes for Addison’s disease include:
– Fungal or chronic infections of adrenal gland
– Tuberculosis
– Bleeding into adrenal glands
– Cancer of adrenal glands or if spreading from other body parts to adrenal glands
– Abnormal protein levels in body or amyloidosis
– Surgical removal of adrenal glands
– AIDS
Evaluation of Addison’s Disease
If you are asthmatic or suffer from arthritis, doctors recommend you specific corticosteroids. If you stop these corticosteroids abruptly, it leads to adrenal gland dysfunction. Excessive physical stress due to injury or infection can trigger a crisis reaction. This is termed Addisonian crisis.
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