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The overall incidence of sex chromosome aneuploidies is approximately 1 per 500 live-born infants, but far more common at conception. I shall review the fertility aspects of the sex chromosome trisomies, XXY, XYY, and XXX, with special reference to the karyotype 45,X/47,XXX. Each has a ‘specific’ (but variable) phenotype but may be modified by mosaicism. Although the alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis are important (and discussed), the emphasis here is on potential fertility and if one might predict that at various epochs within an individual’s life span: fetal, ‘mini’-puberty, childhood, puberty, and adulthood. The reproductive axis is often affected in females with the 47,XXX karyotype with diminished ovarian reserve and accelerated loss of ovarian function. Fewer than 5% of females with Turner syndrome have the 45,X/47,XXX karyotype. They have taller stature and less severe fertility issues compared to females with the 45,X or other forms of Turner syndrome mosaicism. For the 47,XXY karyotype, non-obstructive azoospermia is almost universal with sperm retrieval by micro-testicular sperm extraction possible in slightly fewer than half of the men. Men with the 47,XYY karyotype have normal to large testes and much less testicular dysfunction than those with the 47,XXY karyotype. They do have a slight increase in infertility compared to the reference population but not nearly as severe as those with the 47,XXY karyotype. Assisted reproductive technology, especially micro-testicular sperm extraction, has an important role, especially for those with 47,XXY; however, more recent data show promising techniques for the in vitro maturation of spermatogonial stem cells and 3D organoids in culture. Assisted reproductive technology is more complex for the female, but vitrification of oocytes has shown promising advances.
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Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Low bone mass is common in men with Klinefelter syndrome (KS), with a prevalence of 6–15% of osteoporosis and of 25–48% of osteopenia. Reduced bone mass has been described since adolescence and it might be related to both reduced bone formation and higher bone resorption. Although reduced testosterone levels are clearly involved in the pathogenesis, this relation is not always evident. Importantly, fracture risk is increased independently from bone mineral density (BMD) and testosterone levels. Here we discuss the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in patients with KS, with a particular focus on the role of testosterone and testis function. In fact, other hormonal mechanisms, such as global Leydig cell dysfunction, causing reduced insulin-like factor 3 and 25-OH vitamin D levels, and high follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels, might be involved. Furthermore, genetic aspects related to the supernumerary X chromosome might be involved, as well as androgen receptor expression and function. Notably, body composition, skeletal mass and strength, and age at diagnosis are other important aspects. Although dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is recommended in the clinical workflow for patients with KS to measure BMD, recent evidence suggests that alterations in the microarchitecture of the bones and vertebral fractures might be present even in subjects with normal BMD. Therefore, analysis of trabecular bone score, high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography and vertebral morphometry seem promising tools to better estimate the fracture risk of patients with KS. This review also summarizes the evidence on the best available treatments for osteoporosis in men with KS, with or without hypogonadism.
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Italy
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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Laboratory of Cardiovascular Endocrinology, IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
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Medical Department Pronokal Group, Barcelona, Spain
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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Italy
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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Objective
The aim of this study isto assess the efficacy of a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) method vs a Mediterranean low-calorie diet (LCD) in obese polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women of a reproductive age.
Design
Randomized controlled open-label trial was performed in this study. The treatment period was 16 weeks; VLCKD for 8 weeks then LCD for 8 weeks, according to the Pronokal® method (experimental group; n = 15) vs Mediterranean LCD for 16 weeks (control group; n = 15). Ovulation monitoring was carried out at baseline and after 16 weeks, while a clinical exam, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), anthropometry, and biochemical analyses were performed at baseline, at week 8, and at week 16.
Results
BMI decreased significantly in both groups and to a major extent in the experimental group (−13.7% vs −5.1%, P = 0.0003). Significant differences between the experimental and the control groups were also observed in the reduction of waist circumference (−11.4% vs −2.9%), BIA-measured body fat (−24.0% vs −8.1%), and free testosterone (−30.4% vs −12.6%) after 16 weeks (P = 0.0008, P = 0.0176, and P = 0.0009, respectively). Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance significantly decreased only in the experimental group (P = 0.0238) but without significant differences with respect to the control group (−23% vs −13.2%, P > 0.05). At baseline, 38.5% of participants in the experimental group and 14.3% of participants in the control group had ovulation, which increased to 84.6% (P = 0.031) and 35.7% (P > 0.05) at the end of the study, respectively.
Conclusion
In obese PCOS patients, 16 weeks of VLCKD protocol with the Pronokal® method was more effective than Mediterranean LCD in reducing total and visceral fat, and in ameliorating hyperandrogenism and ovulatory dysfunction.
Significance statements
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial on the use of the VLCKD method in obese PCOS. It demonstrates the superiority of VLCKD with respect to Mediterranean LCD in reducing BMI with an almost selective reduction of fat mass and a unique effect of VLCKD in reducing visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, and in increasing SHBG with a consequent reduction of free testosterone. Interestingly, this study also demonstrates the superiority of the VLCKD protocol in improving ovulation, whose occurrence increased by 46.1% in the group treated by the VLCKD method against a rise of 21.4% in the group treated by Mediterranean LCD. This study extends the therapeutic approach possibilities in obese PCOS women.
International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Section of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Fertility, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Adult patients with Klinefelter syndrome (KS) are characterized by a highly variable phenotype, including tall stature, obesity, and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, as well as an increased risk of developing insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis. Most adults need testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), whereas the use of TRT during puberty has been debated. In this retrospective, observational study, reproductive hormones and whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-derived body composition and bone mineral content were standardized to age-related standard deviation scores in 62 patients with KS aged 5.9–20.6 years. Serum concentrations of total testosterone and inhibin B were low, whereas luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were high in patients before TRT. Despite normal body mass index, body fat percentage and the ratio between android fat percentage and gynoid fat percentage were significantly higher in the entire group irrespective of treatment status. In patients evaluated before and during TRT, a tendency toward a more beneficial body composition with a significant reduction in the ratio between android fat percentage and gynoid fat percentage during TRT was found. Bone mineral content (BMC) did not differ from the reference, but BMC corrected for bone area was significantly lower when compared to the reference. This study confirms that patients with KS have an unfavorable body composition and an impaired bone mineral status already during childhood and adolescence. Systematic studies are needed to evaluate whether TRT during puberty will improve these parameters.
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
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Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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The presence of an additional X or Y chromosome (sex chromosome trisomies, SCT) is associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental difficulties, including socio-emotional problems, across the life span. Studying emotion regulation in young children with SCT could signal deviations in emotional development that serve as risk markers to guide clinical care. This study explored the presence and variety of emotion regulation strategies in 75 SCT children and 81 population-based controls, aged 1–7 years, during a frustration-inducing event in which physiological (heart rate) and observational data (behavioral responses) were collected. Children with SCT were equally physiologically aroused by the event as compared to controls. However, they showed more emotion regulation difficulties in terms of behavior compared to controls that were not explicable in terms of differences in general intellectual functioning. Specifically, they had a more limited range of behavioral alternatives and tended to rely longer on inefficient strategies with increasing age. The field of practice should be made aware of these early risk findings regarding emotion regulation in SCT, which may potentially lay the foundation for later socio-emotional problems, given the significant impact of emotion regulation on child and adult mental health outcomes. The current results may help to design tailored interventions to reduce the impact of the additional sex chromosome on adaptive functioning, psychopathology, and quality of life.
Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Objective
Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common sex chromosome disorder and genetic cause of infertility in males. A highly variable phenotype contributes to the fact that a large proportion of cases are never diagnosed. Typical hallmarks in adults include small testes and azoospermia which may prompt biochemical evaluation that typically shows extremely high follicle-stimulating hormone and low/undetectable inhibin B serum concentrations. However, in prepubertal KS individuals, biochemical parameters are largely overlapping those of prepubertal controls. We aimed to characterize clinical profiles of prepubertal boys with KS in relation to controls and to develop a novel biochemical classification model to identify KS before puberty.
Methods
Retrospective, longitudinal data from 15 prepubertal boys with KS and data from 1475 controls were used to calculate age- and sex-adjusted standard deviation scores (SDS) for height and serum concentrations of reproductive hormones and used to infer a decision tree classification model for KS.
Results
Individual reproductive hormones were low but within reference ranges and did not discriminate KS from controls. Clinical and biochemical profiles including age- and sex-adjusted SDS from multiple reference curves provided input data to train a ‘random forest’ machine learning (ML) model for the detection of KS. Applied to unseen data, the ML model achieved a classification accuracy of 78% (95% CI, 61–94%).
Conclusions
Supervised ML applied to clinically relevant variables enabled computational classification of control and KS profiles. The application of age- and sex-adjusted SDS provided robust predictions irrespective of age. Specialized ML models applied to combined reproductive hormone concentrations may be useful diagnostic tools to improve the identification of prepubertal boys with KS.
Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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Department of Clinical Genetics and Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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Unit for Thrombosis Research, Hospital of South West Jutland and University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
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Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
Unit for Thrombosis Research, Hospital of South West Jutland and University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
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Context
Klinefelter syndrome (KS, 47,XXY) and 47,XYY syndrome are genetic conditions characterized by a supernumerary sex chromosome. The conditions share many traits, but considerable phenotypic differences are seen between the two. Focusing on morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomics, this review highlights similarities and differences.
Methods
Relevant literature was identified through PubMed with the following search terms; 'Klinefelter', '47,XXY', '47,XYY', and 'Jacobs syndrome'. Included journal articles were chosen at the authors’ discretion.
Results
KS and 47,XYY are the most common sex chromosome disorders in males, with an expected prevalence of 152 and 98 per 100,000 newborn males, respectively. Non-diagnosis is extensive, as only about 38% of KS and 18% of 47,XYY are diagnosed. Both conditions are associated with an increased mortality risk and increased risk of a variety of diseases and other health-related problems affecting virtually every organ system. Early diagnosis seems to predict a lesser comorbidity burden. Neurocognitive deficits as well as social and behavioral problems are commonly described. Both syndromes are associated with poor socioeconomicfor example, lower income and educational level and higher rates of crime. Infertility is a hallmark of KS, but fertility seems also reduced in 47,XYY.
Conclusion
Being born as a boy with an extra X or Y chromosome is associated with increased mortality and excess morbidity, partially expressed in a sex chromosome-specific pattern.Both syndromes continue to be greatly underdiagnosed, even thoughearly intervention may improve the overall outcome. Earlier diagnosis to initiate timely counseling and treatment should be emphasized.
TRIXY Center of Expertise, Leiden University Treatment and Expertise Centre (LUBEC), Sandifortdreef, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg, Leiden, The Netherlands
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TRIXY Center of Expertise, Leiden University Treatment and Expertise Centre (LUBEC), Sandifortdreef, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg, Leiden, The Netherlands
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TRIXY Center of Expertise, Leiden University Treatment and Expertise Centre (LUBEC), Sandifortdreef, Leiden, The Netherlands
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children’s Hospital, Dr. Molewaterplein, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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TRIXY Center of Expertise, Leiden University Treatment and Expertise Centre (LUBEC), Sandifortdreef, Leiden, The Netherlands
Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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TRIXY Center of Expertise, Leiden University Treatment and Expertise Centre (LUBEC), Sandifortdreef, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Investigating sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs) may help in understanding neurodevelopmental pathways underlying the risk for neurobehavioral problems and psychopathology. Knowledge about the neurobehavioral phenotype is needed to improve clinical care and early intervention for children with SCT. This is especially relevant considering the increasing number of early diagnosed children with the recent introduction of noninvasive prenatal screening. The TRIXY Early Childhood Study is a longitudinal study designed to identify early neurodevelopmental risks in children with SCT, aged 1–7 years. This review summarizes the results from the TRIXY Early Childhood Study, focusing on early behavioral symptoms in areas of autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and communication disorders, and underlying neurocognitive mechanisms in domains of language, emotion regulation, executive functioning, and social cognition. Behavioral symptoms were assessed through structured behavior observation and parental questionnaires. Neurocognition was measured using performance tests, eyetracking, and psychophysiological measures of arousal. In total, 209 children aged 1–7 years were included: 107 children with SCT (33 XXX, 50 XXY, and 24 XYY) and 102 age-matched population controls. Study outcomes showed early behavioral symptoms in young children with SCT, and neurocognitive vulnerabilities, already from an early age onward. Neurobehavioral and neurocognitive difficulties tended to become more pronounced with increasing age and were rather robust, independent of specific karyotype, pre/postnatal diagnosis, or ascertainment strategy. A more longitudinal perspective on neurodevelopmental ‘at-risk’ pathways is warranted, also including studies assessing the effectiveness of targeted early interventions. Neurocognitive markers that signal differences in neurodevelopment may prove to be helpful in this. Focusing on early development of language, social cognition, emotion regulation, and executive functioning may help in uncovering early essential mechanisms of (later) neurobehavioral outcome, allowing for more targeted support and early intervention.
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Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Objective
The transcriptional landscape of Klinefelter syndromeduring early embryogenesis remains elusive. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of X chromosome overdosage in 47,XXY males induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) obtained from patients with different genomic backgrounds and ethnicities.
Design and method
We derived and characterized 15 iPSC lines from four Saudi 47,XXY KS patients and one Saudi 46,XY male. We performed a comparative transcriptional analysis using the Saudi KS-iPSCs and a cohort of European and North American KS-iPSCs.
Results
We identified a panel of X-linked and autosomal genes commonly dysregulated in Saudi and European/North American KS-iPSCs vs 46,XY controls. Our findings demonstrate that seven PAR1 and nine non-PAR escape genes are consistently dysregulated and mostly display comparable transcriptional levels in both groups. Finally, we focused on genes commonly dysregulated in both iPSC cohorts and identified several gene-ontology categories highly relevant to KS physiopathology, including aberrant cardiac muscle contractility, skeletal muscle defects, abnormal synaptic transmission, and behavioral alterations.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that a transcriptomic signature of X chromosome overdosage in KS is potentially attributable to a subset of X-linked genes sensitive to sex chromosome dosage and escaping X inactivation, regardless of the geographical area of origin, ethnicity, and genetic makeup.
eXtraOrdinarY Kids Clinic, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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eXtraOrdinarY Kids Clinic, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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eXtraOrdinarY Kids Clinic, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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eXtraOrdinarY Kids Clinic, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Conditions related to cardiometabolic disease, including metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, are common among men with Klinefelter syndrome (KS). The molecular mechanisms underlying this aberrant metabolism in KS are largely unknown, although there is an assumption that chronic testosterone deficiency plays a role. This cross-sectional study compared plasma metabolites in 31 pubertal adolescent males with KS to 32 controls of similar age (14 ± 2 years), pubertal stage, and body mass index z-score of 0.1 ± 1.2 and then between testosterone-treated (n = 16) and untreated males with KS. The plasma metabolome in males with KS was distinctly different from that in controls, with 22% of measured metabolites having a differential abundance and seven metabolites nearly completely separating KS from controls (area under the curve > 0.9, P < 0.0001). Multiple saturated free fatty acids were higher in KS, while mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids were lower, and the top significantly enriched pathway was mitochondrial β-oxidation of long-chain saturated fatty acids (enrichment ratio 16, P < 0.0001). In contrast, there were no observed differences in metabolite concentrations between testosterone-treated and untreated individuals with KS. In conclusion, the plasma metabolome profile in adolescent males with KS is distinctly different from that in males without KS independent of age, obesity, pubertal development, or testosterone treatment status and is suggestive of differences in mitochondrial β-oxidation.
