Primary Generalized Glucocorticoid Resistance and Hypersensitivity: The End-Organ Involvement in the Stress Response

Primary generalized glucocorticoid resistance (PGGR or Chrousos syndrome) and primary generalized glucocorticoid hypersensitivity (PGGH) are rare genetic disorders characterized by generalized, partial target-tissue insensitivity or hypersensitivity to glucocorticoids, respectively, while also causing compensatory alterations in the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The molecular basis of Chrousos syndrome and PGGH has been ascribed to mutations in the gene encoding the human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR), which impair glucocorticoid signal transduction and alter tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids. Alterations in hGR action may have important implications for many critical biological processes, such as the behavioral and physiologic responses to stress, immune responses, growth, and reproduction. This Presentation summarizes the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and molecular mechanisms of the PGGR and PGGH states.