Agouti-related peptide: a promising prognostic biomarker in adrenocortical carcinoma. Results from a large single-centre cross-sectional analysis
Authors' conclusion
AgRP is more highly expressed in both tissue and plasma of ACC compared to BAT and other cancers. Its strong association with tumour burden and prognosis highlights its potential as biomarker in ACC.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), benign adrenal tumours and other malignancies
- Exposure
- Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) in ACC vs benign adrenal tumours vs other malignancies
- Outcome
- Plasma AgRP (pAgRP)
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
ACC vs benign adrenal tumours (BAT): all P < .0001 · ACC vs Other malignancies: all P < .0001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | ACC | BAT | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| AgRP mRNA levels (in silico)ACC vs BAT · higher in ACC | 3.0 | 2.4 | P < 0.0001 |
| AgRP tissue expression (immunohistochemistry H-score)ACC vs BAT · higher in ACC | 120 (unspecified (bracketed) 49) | 80 (unspecified (bracketed) 48) | P < 0.0001 |
Plasma AgRP (pAgRP) by ACC tumour burden (RECIST1.1)
- High tumour burden
- 2.7 ng/mL
- Low tumour burden
- 0.6 ng/mL
- ACC-free after surgery
- 0.3 ng/mL
- Higher with high tumour burden
- P < 0.0001
pAgRP by number of metastatic sites
- ≥4 sites
- 2.7 ng/mL
- 2-3 sites
- 1.5 ng/mL
- 1 site
- 0.5 ng/mL
- Increase with number of metastatic sites
- P < 0.05
Elevated pAgRP and survival in ACC (multivariable Cox regression)
- Progression-free survival, HR
- 2.654
- Overall survival, HR
- 2.624
- Both
- P < 0.05
- Independently associated with worse survival
Original publication
Agouti-related peptide: a promising prognostic biomarker in adrenocortical carcinoma. Results from a large single-centre cross-sectional analysis. Eur J Endocrinol. Published 31 October 2025. doi:10.
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