Glucocorticoid Resistance and Hypersensitivity

Target tissue resistance to steroid hormones implies inability or decreased sensitivity of the tissues to respond to these hormones (1,2). This resistance can be transient or permanent, incomplete (partial) or complete, and compensated or noncompensated. Two patients, a father and a son, with long-term “hypercortisolism” not associated with clinical manifestations of Cushing’s syndrome were described by Vingerhoeds et al. in 1976 (reviewed in ref. 3). We studied this family extensively as well as several other families with the syndrome of familial glucocorticoid resistance reported since. Two New World primate species, the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) and the marmosets Callithrix argentatus and jacchus, and Sanguinus oedipus, also have elevated plasma cortisol values, when compared to Old World primates, without any evidence of glucocorticoid hormone excess (2). In addition, these New World primates have elevated plasma levels of aldosterone, progesterone, testosterone, and 1,25-(OH)2-vitamin D, suggesting that these species have generalized or “pan-steroid” hormone resistance. Two other New World animal species also have glucocorticoid resistance: the guinea pig, for which there is considerable amount of information available (4), and the little-studied prairie vole Microtus ochrogaster, an interesting monogamous rodent with many features reminis-cent of the social primate Callithrix jacchus jacchus (5).