Publications by authors named "Sunita M C De Sousa"

Purpose: Heritable genetic contributions to familial and sporadic pituitary tumorigenesis are poorly understood. There is emerging evidence that germline variants in classical cancer susceptibility genes may increase the risk of pituitary tumour development. We aimed to identify and assess the rate of pathogenic germline variants in breast and colorectal cancer susceptibility genes that may promote pituitary tumorigenesis.

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The two most prevalent pituitary tumour types are pituitary adenomas (also referred to as pituitary neuroendocrine tumours or pitNETs) and craniopharyngiomas, collectively accounting for 98% of all pituitary tumours. The genetic basis of these pituitary tumours is partly understood. In pituitary adenomas, established predisposition genes in the germline setting are MEN1, PRKAR1A, AIP, CDKN1B, GPR101 and the SDHx genes, while somatic driver mutations are well described in GNAS in somatotrophinomas and in USP8 in corticotrophinomas.

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Purpose: Pituitary tumours are relatively common, and familial in approximately 5% of cases. However, germline genetic contributions to pituitary tumour development are incompletely characterised. Preliminary evidence suggests pituitary tumours may be promoted by variants in pituitary organogenesis genes.

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Prolactinomas are the most common hypersecretory pituitary adenoma. The traditional first-line therapy is dopamine agonists (DAs), which are highly effective and tolerated in the majority of cases. However, DAs have the potential for psychiatric complications, such as psychosis, impulse control disorders and anxiety/depression.

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Aims: To assess the utility of reanalysing GCK variants of uncertain significance (VUS) as an intervention to improve the detection of monogenic diabetes.

Methods: We examined GCK VUS in a local cohort of individuals with suspected monogenic diabetes and re-curated each variant against the recent ClinGen GCK-specific variant classification guidelines.

Results: Variant reanalysis achieved a new 'likely pathogenic' classification (i.

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Purpose: Homozygous pathogenic variants in the CYP17A1 gene result in defective activity of the steroidogenic enzymes 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase resulting in the clinical syndrome 17-OHD characterized by hypertension, hypokalemia, and disorders of sexual development. Pathogenic variants of CYP17A1 lead to complete or partial loss of enzymatic activity and clinical presentations of varying severity. This study aimed to examine relationships between CYP17A1 genotype and clinical presentation in a global cohort.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the CHEK2 gene, known for its association with breast cancer, to see if it plays a role in pituitary adenomas (PAs) among patients.
  • Researchers analyzed 165 individuals with PAs using genetic sequencing, finding that 3% had rare and potentially harmful CHEK2 variants, indicating a possible link to pituitary tumor development.
  • The findings suggest that CHEK2 variants could be a significant risk factor for PAs, especially since these tumors are common and often don't follow typical family history patterns.
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Introduction: Germline loss-of-function variants in , encoding peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), were recently discovered to be enriched in conditions of pathological pituitary hypersecretion, specifically: somatotrophinoma, corticotrophinoma, and prolactinoma. PAM is the sole enzyme responsible for C-terminal amidation of peptides, and plays a role in the biosynthesis and regulation of multiple hormones, including proopiomelanocortin (POMC).

Methods: We performed exome sequencing of germline and tumour DNA from 29 individuals with functioning pituitary adenomas (12 prolactinomas, 10 thyrotrophinomas, 7 cyclical Cushing's disease).

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study investigates the occurrence of monogenic diabetes in Australia by using the Exeter maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) probability calculator and genetic sequencing techniques to analyze data from a referral cohort over five years.
  • - Out of 40 individuals tested, 27.5% had confirmed pathogenic genetic variants related to monogenic diabetes, with specific genes (GCK, HNF1A, MT-TL1, HNF4A) identified as causative.
  • - The findings suggest that genetic testing is highly effective for individuals suspected of having monogenic diabetes, with an EMPC score of 25% or higher indicating a positive predictive value for identifying this condition; however, further studies are needed for broader ethnic
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Cabergoline-associated valvulopathy (CAV) is defined by the echocardiographic triad of moderate or severe regurgitation, valvular thickening and restricted valvular motion. While it is a well-described complication of dopamine agonist therapy in Parkinson's disease, only three convincing cases of CAV have previously been described in the treatment of prolactinoma, with none involving the tricuspid valve. We describe a case of CAV affecting the tricuspid valve, ultimately resulting in the patient's death.

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'Pituitary tumours' is an umbrella term for various tumours originating from different regions of the hypothalamic-pituitary system. The vast majority of pituitary tumours are pituitary adenomas, also recently referred to as pituitary neuroendocrine tumours. The prevalence of clinically relevant pituitary adenomas is approximately 1 in 1000; other pituitary tumours such as craniopharyngioma and pituicytoma are comparatively very rare.

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The current treatment paradigm for prolactinomas involves dopamine agonist (DA) therapy as the first-line treatment, with surgical resection reserved for cases where there is DA failure due to resistance or intolerance. This review highlights how DA therapy can be optimised to overcome its increasingly recognised pitfalls, whilst also addressing the potential for expanding the use of surgery in the management of prolactinomas. The first part of the review discusses the limitations of DA therapy, namely: DA resistance; common DA side effects; and the rare but serious DA-induced risks of cardiac valvulopathy, impulse control disorders, psychosis, CSF rhinorrhoea and tumour fibrosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • The objective of the study was to create clinical recommendations for diagnosing and managing primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in adults, based on evidence and expert consensus from Australia and New Zealand.
  • The results emphasize the importance of measuring serum calcium and other related markers in patients with symptoms, reduced bone mineral density, or kidney stones, with parathyroidectomy being the only definitive treatment recommended for symptomatic cases.
  • The conclusions aim to enhance clinical practice guidelines for PHPT management, ultimately improving health outcomes and reducing costs for the community.
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Objective: To develop evidence-based recommendations to guide the surgical management and postoperative follow-up of adults with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Methods: Representatives from relevant Australian and New Zealand Societies used a systematic approach for adaptation of guidelines (ADAPTE) to derive an evidence-informed position statement addressing eight key questions.

Results: Diagnostic imaging does not determine suitability for surgery but can guide the planning of surgery in suitable candidates.

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Purpose: The improved access and affordability of next generation sequencing has facilitated the clinical use of gene panel testing to test concurrently patients for multiple heritable hyperparathyroidism syndromes. However, there is little guidance as to which patients should be selected for gene panel testing and which genes should be included in such panels. In this review, we provide a practical approach to considering, interpreting and managing genetic testing for familial primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) syndromes and familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH) in patients with PTH-dependent hypercalcaemia.

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  • Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) is crucial for transporting cortisol in the body, binding about 90% of it in circulation.
  • A new variant called "CBG Montevideo" causes a significant drop in CBG levels, leading to low cortisol in a 7-year-old boy and his mother, presenting symptoms like hypoglycemia and chronic fatigue.
  • Unlike previous cases linked to CBG variants, this variant suggests CBG may play a special role in regulating glucose levels and communication between cortisol and the brain, despite normal free cortisol levels.
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Context: Germline mutations in the succinate dehydrogenase genes (///, -collectively, "") have been implicated in paraganglioma (PGL), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), and pituitary adenoma (PA). Negative SDHB tumor staining is indicative of SDH-deficient tumors, usually reflecting an underlying germline mutation. However, approximately 20% of individuals with SDH-deficient tumors lack an identifiable germline mutation.

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Background: Apart from PRKAR1A mutations in a subset of cyclical Cushing's syndrome due to primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease, the molecular basis of cyclical Cushing's syndrome has not been investigated. We speculated that cyclical Cushing's syndrome may be due to mutations in the clock genes that govern circadian rhythms, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Case Presentation: A 47-year-old man presented with mass effects from a sellar lesion.

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Next generation sequencing has revolutionised genomic studies of cancer, having facilitated the development of precision oncology treatments based on a tumour's molecular profile. We aimed to develop a targeted gene sequencing panel for application to disparate cancer types with particular focus on tumours of the head and neck, plus test for utility in liquid biopsy. The final panel designed through Roche/Nimblegen combined 451 cancer-associated genes (2.

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Context: There are growing reports of dopamine agonist (DA)-induced impulse control disorders (ICDs) in hyperprolactinemic patients. However, the magnitude of this risk and predictive factors remain uncertain.

Objective: To determine ICD prevalence and risk factors in DA-treated hyperprolactinemic patients compared to community controls.

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Somatic GNAS and USP8 mutations have been implicated in sporadic somatotrophinomas and corticotrophinomas, respectively. However, no genes are known to be recurrently mutated in sporadic prolactinomas. The prevalence of copy number variants (CNV), which is emerging as a mechanism of tumorigenesis in sporadic pituitary adenomas in general, is also unclear in prolactinomas.

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Background: Falsely elevated prolactin measurements risk overdiagnosis, and unnecessary imaging and treatment.

Design: We conducted a clinical audit of 18 patients who presented with hyperprolactinaemia, followed by a laboratory audit of 40 split samples across a range of serum prolactin (5-5051 mIU/L). In each case (total n = 58), serum prolactin was measured on both Roche and Siemens platforms.

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