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Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Pathology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Pathology ((EP))

Synonyms

Corticotrophin

Definition

ACTH is a tropic hormone synthesized and secreted by the corticotroph cells of the anterior pituitary.

Features

Following corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulus from the hypothalamus, ACTH is produced and released by anterior pituitary gland corticotroph cells. Corticotroph cells express pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene, located on chromosome 2p23, that encoded for POMC, the precursor of corticotrophic, opioid, and melanotropic peptides. Proteolytic cleavage by glycosylation, acetylation, and amidation in POMC prohormone gives rise to ACTH. Tissue POMC is also expressed in gonads, lung, gastrointestinal, and adrenal medullary neuroendocrine cells, and white blood cells. Nevertheless, most circulating ACTH is derived from neuroendocrine tumor ectopic production. Secreted ACTH, consisting in 39 amino acids, binds to its G protein-coupled receptors on extracellular membranes of zona fasciculata and zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex,...

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References and Further Reading

  • Lindsay, J. R., Shanmugam, V. K., Oldfield, E. H., Remaley, A. T., & Nieman, L. K. (2006). A comparison of immunometric and radioimmunoassay measurement of ACTH for the differential diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, 29, 983.

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  • Melmed, S., Polonsky, K. S., Larsen, P. R., & Kronenberg, H. M. (2017). Williams textbook of endocrinology (13th ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier.

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  • Oelkers, W., Diederich, S., & Bähr, V. (1992). Diagnosis and therapy surveillance in Addison’s disease: Rapid adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) test and measurement of plasma ACTH, renin activity, and aldosterone. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 75(1), 259–264.

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  • Ratter, S. J., Gillies, G., Hope, J., Hale, A. C., Grossman, A., Gaillard, R., Cook, D., Edwards, C. R., & Rees, L. H. (1983). Pro-opiocortin related peptides in human pituitary and ectopic ACTH secreting tumours. Clinical Endocrinology Oxford, 18, 211–218.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Talbot, J. A., Kane, J. W., & White, A. (2003). Analytical and clinical aspects of adrenocorticotrophin determination. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 40, 453.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, University “Federico II” of Naples, Naples, Italy

    Annamaria Colao & Claudia Pivonello

Authors
  1. Annamaria Colao
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  2. Claudia Pivonello
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Annamaria Colao .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands

    J.H.J.M. van Krieken

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Colao, A., Pivonello, C. (2020). Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH). In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5099-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5099-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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