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Open access

SHBG levels in primary infertile men: a critical interpretation in clinical practice

Luca Boeri, Paolo Capogrosso, Walter Cazzaniga, Edoardo Pozzi, Luigi Candela, Federico Belladelli, Davide Oreggia, Eugenio Ventimiglia, Nicolò Schifano, Giuseppe Fallara, Marina Pontillo, Costantino Abbate, Emanuele Montanari, Francesco Montorsi, and Andrea Salonia

Objective:

We aimed to test the association between age, BMI and sex-hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) in a homogenous cohort of white-European men presenting for primary couple’s infertility.

Design:

Retrospective study.

Methods:

Data from 1547 infertile men were analysed. Health-significant comorbidities were scored with the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Fasting serum hormones were measured in every patient. Age was considered according to quartile groups (<33, 33-41, >41 years) and BMI as normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2) and obesity (>30 kg/m2). Descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis tested the associations between age, BMI and SHBG.

Results:

Median SHBG levels increased across quartiles of age and decreased along with BMI increases (all P < 0.001). For each year increase in age, SHBG increased 0.32 nmol/L; conversely, for each unit increase in BMI, SHBG decreased by 1.1 nmol/L (all P < 0.001). SHBG levels decline with increasing BMI was greater than SHBG progressive increase with age. Overall, BMI explained 3.0 times more of the variability in SHBG than did ageing. At multivariate linear model, age and BMI were the most significant factors influencing SHBG concentration (all P < 0.001), after accounting for CCI, albumin levels and smoking status.

Conclusions:

We found a wide distribution of SHBG concentrations across age and BMI values in primary infertile men. The association between BMI and lowered SHBG levels seems to be greater than the association of ageing with increased SHBG.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-20-0183
Volume 9: Issue 7,
Pages:
658–666 (9 total)
Open access

Comprehensive genetic testing approaches as the basis for personalized management of growth disturbances: current status and perspectives

Danielle Christine Maria van der Kaay, Anne Rochtus, Gerhard Binder, Ingo Kurth, Dirk Prawitt, Irène Netchine, Gudmundur Johannsson, Anita C S Hokken-Koelega, Miriam Elbracht, and Thomas Eggermann

The implementation of high-throughput and deep sequencing methods in routine genetic diagnostics has significantly improved the diagnostic yield in patient cohorts with growth disturbances and becomes increasingly important as the prerequisite of personalized medicine. They provide considerable chances to identify even rare and unexpected situations; nevertheless, we must be aware of their limitations. A simple genetic test in the beginning of a testing cascade might also help to identify the genetic cause of specific growth disorders. However, the clinical picture of genetically caused growth disturbance phenotypes can vary widely, and there is a broad clinical overlap between different growth disturbance disorders. As a consequence, the clinical diagnosis and therewith connected the decision on the appropriate genetic test is often a challenge. In fact, the clinician asking for genetic testing has to weigh different aspects in this decision process, including appropriateness (single gene test, stepwise procedure, comprehensive testing), turnaround time as the basis for rapid intervention, and economic considerations. Therefore, a frequent question in that context is ‘what to test when’. In this review, we aim to review genetic testing strategies and their strengths and limitations and to raise awareness for the future implementation of interdisciplinary genome medicine in diagnoses, treatment, and counselling of growth disturbances.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-22-0277
Volume 11: Issue 11
Open access

Is routine measurement of TSH in hospitalized patients necessary?

Amir Bashkin, Eliran Yaakobi, Marina Nodelman, and Ohad Ronen

TSH routine testing in hospitalized patients has low efficacy, but may be beneficial in a selected subgroup of patients. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of routine thyroid function tests among patients admitted to internal medicine departments. It is a retrospective study. A randomly selected cohort of hospitalized patients with abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) blood tests drawn as part of admission protocol. Patient data were collected from the electronic medical files and analyzed for its efficacy. TSH as a screening test was proven unnecessary in 75% (174) of the study population. Leading causes were non-thyroidal illness syndrome, drugs affecting the test results and subclinical disorders. TSH testing was found to be clinically helpful in only 9 patients; however, all of them had other clinical need for TSH testing. We found a clinically abnormal TSH in 20 patients, hypothyroidism in 11 patients and thyrotoxicosis in 9 patients. Low efficacy ascribed to TSH screening test by this study correlates with recent recommendations that indicate TSH screening in admitted patients only with accompanying clinical suspicion. Most probably, the majority of patients found by screening to have thyrotoxicosis have non-thyroidal illness or drug effects so the threshold for FT4 to diagnose overt thyrotoxicosis should be higher than that in ambulatory patients. In elderly patients, clinically relevant TSH disturbances are more frequent and are harder to diagnose, therefore, TSH screening in this group of patients might be beneficial.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-18-0004
Volume 7: Issue 4,
Pages:
567–572 (6 total)
Open access

Phenotypic spectrum of patients with mutations in CHD7: clinical implications of endocrinological findings

Ja Hye Kim, Yunha Choi, Soojin Hwang, Gu-Hwan Kim, Han-Wook Yoo, and Jin-Ho Choi

Objective

Heterozygous CHD7 mutations cause a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes ranging from typical CHARGE syndrome to self-limited delayed puberty. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of endocrine dysfunction in patients with CHD7 mutations.

Methods

The clinical features and endocrine findings from 30 patients with CHD7 variants were retrospectively reviewed. A diagnosis of CHARGE syndrome was based on the Verloes diagnostic criteria.

Results

Seventeen patients fulfilled the criteria for typical CHARGE syndrome, one patient for partial/incomplete CHARGE, and the remaining eleven patients had atypical CHARGE syndrome. One patient was diagnosed with Kallmann syndrome and unilateral deafness. The most frequently observed features were inner ear anomalies (80.0%), intellectual disability (76.7%), and external ear anomalies (73.3%). The mean height and weight SDSs at diagnosis were −2.6 ± 1.3 and −2.2 ± 1.8, respectively. Short stature was apparent in 18 patients (60%), and 1 patient was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. Seventeen males showed genital hypoplasia, including micropenis, cryptorchidism, or both. Seven patients after pubertal age had hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with hyposmia/anosmia and olfactory bulb hypoplasia. Truncating CHD7 mutations were the most common (n  = 22), followed by missense variants (n  = 3), splice-site variants (n  = 2), and large deletion (n  = 2).

Conclusions

A diverse phenotypic spectrum was observed in patients with CHD7 variants, and endocrine defects such as short stature and delayed puberty occurred in most patients. Endocrine evaluation, especially for growth and pubertal impairment, should be performed during diagnosis and follow-up to improve the patient’s quality of life.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-21-0522
Volume 11: Issue 2
Open access

Gonadotropin administration to mimic mini-puberty in hypogonadotropic males: pump or injections?

Tristan Avril, Quentin Hennocq, Anne-Sophie Lambert, Juliane Leger, Dominique Simon, Laetitia Martinerie, and Claire Bouvattier

Objective

Newborns with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) have an impaired postnatal activation of the gonadotropic axis. Substitutive therapy with recombinant gonadotropins can be proposed to mimic physiological male mini-puberty during the first months of life. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and biological efficacy of two treatment modalities of gonadotropins administration during mini-puberty in CHH neonates.

Design

Multicenter retrospective analytical epidemiological study comparing two treatments, pump vs injection, between 2004 and 2019.

Methods

Clinical (penile size, testis size, testicular descent) and biological parameters (serum concentrations of testosterone, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and Inhibin B) were compared between the two groups by multivariate analyses.

Results

Thirty-five patients were included. A significantly higher increase in penile length and testosterone level was observed in the injection group compared to the pump group (+0.16 ± 0.02 mm vs +0.10 ± 0.02 mm per day, P = 0.002; and +0.04 ± 0.007 ng/mL vs +0.01 ± 0.008 ng/mL per day, P = 0.001). In both groups, significant increases in penile length and width, testosterone, AMH, and Inhibin B levels were observed, as well as improved testicular descent (odds ratio of not being in a scrotal position at the end of treatment = 0.97 (0.96; 0.99)).

Conclusions

Early postnatal administration of recombinant gonadotropins in CHH boys is effective in stimulating penile growth, Sertoli cell proliferation, and testicular descent, with both treatment modalities.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-22-0252
Volume 12: Issue 4
Open access

Incidence of hyperkalemia during hypertonic saline test for the diagnosis of diabetes insipidus

Laura Potasso, Julie Refardt, Irina Chifu, Martin Fassnacht, Wiebke Kristin Fenske, and Mirjam Christ-Crain

Objective

Hyperkalemia has been reported upon different hypertonic saline infusion protocols. Since hypertonic saline test has recently been validated for the differential diagnosis of diabetes insipidus (DI), we aimed to investigate the course of plasma potassium during the test.

Design

We analyzed data of 90 healthy volunteers and 141 patients with polyuria–polydipsia syndrome (PPS) from two prospective studies evaluating the hypertonic saline test. Our primary outcome was the incidence rate of hypertonic saline-induced hyperkalemia > 5 mmol/L.

Methods

Participants received a 250 mL bolus of 3% NaCl solution, followed by 0.15 mL/min/kg body weight continuously infused targeting a plasma sodium level of 150 mmol/L. Blood samples and clinical data were collected every 30 min.

Results

Of the 231 participants, 16% (n = 37/231) developed hyperkalemia. The incidence of hyperkalemia was higher in healthy volunteers and in patients with primary polydipsia (25.6% (n = 23/90) and 9.9% (n = 14/141), respectively), and only occurred in 3.4% (n = 2/59) of patients with diabetes insipidus. Hyperkalemia developed mostly at or after 90-min test duration (81.1%, n => 30/37). Predictors of hyperkalemia (OR (95% CI)) were male sex (2.9 (1.2–7.4), P => 0.02), a plasma potassium at baseline > 3.9 mmol/L (5.2 (1.8–17.3), P => 0.004), normonatremia at 30-min test duration (3.2 (1.2–9.5), P => 0.03), and an increase in potassium levels already at 30-min test duration as compared to baseline (4.5 (1.7–12.3), P => 0.003). Hyperkalemia was transient and resolved spontaneously in all cases.

Conclusion

The hypertonic saline test can lead to hyperkalemia, especially in patients with primary polydipsia who experience a longer test duration. Monitoring potassium levels in these patients is recommended.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-20-0531
Volume 10: Issue 4,
Pages:
401–409 (9 total)
Open access

The water deprivation test and a potential role for the arginine vasopressin precursor copeptin to differentiate diabetes insipidus from primary polydipsia

M de Fost, S M Oussaada, E Endert, G E Linthorst, M J Serlie, M R Soeters, J H DeVries, P H Bisschop, and E Fliers

The water deprivation test is the gold standard test to differentiate central or nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (DI) from primary polydipsia (PP) in patients with polyuria and polydipsia. Few studies have addressed the diagnostic performance of this test. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the standard water deprivation test, including plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) measurements, in 40 consecutive patients with polyuria. We compared initial test results with the final clinical diagnosis, i.e., no DI, central DI, or nephrogenic DI. The median length of follow-up was 8 years. In a subset of ten patients, the novel marker copeptin (CP) was measured in plasma. Using the final diagnosis as a gold standard, a threshold for urine osmolality of >800 mOsmol/kg after water deprivation yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 96 and 100%, respectively, for diagnosing PP. Sensitivity increased to 100% if the cut-off value for urine osmolality was set at 680 mOsmol/kg. Plasma AVP levels did not differ between patient groups and did not differentiate among central DI, nephrogenic DI, or PP. In all three patients with central DI, plasma CP was <2.5 pmol/l with plasma osmolality >290 mOsmol/kg, and >2.5 pmol/l in patients without DI. The optimal cut-off value for differentiating PP from DI during a water deprivation test was urine osmolality >680 mOsmol/kg. Differentiating between central and nephrogenic DI should be based on clinical judgment as AVP levels did not discriminate.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-14-0113
Volume 4: Issue 2,
Pages:
86–91 (6 total)
Open access

Behavioural phenotyping, learning and memory in young and aged growth hormone-releasing hormone-knockout mice

Sheila Leone, Lucia Recinella, Annalisa Chiavaroli, Claudio Ferrante, Giustino Orlando, Michele Vacca, Roberto Salvatori, and Luigi Brunetti

Background

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) plays an important role in brain functions. The aim of this study was to examine cognitive functions and emotional behaviour in a mouse model of isolated GH deficiency due to bi-allelic ablation of the GHRH gene (GHRH knockout, GHRHKO).

Methods

Learning, memory and emotional behaviour were evaluated using a series of validated tests (Morris water maze, eight-arm radial maze, open field, elevated plus maze test, forced swim tests) in 2-, 5- and 12-month-old male mice either homozygous (−/−) or heterozygous (+/−) for the GHRHKO allele.

Results

Compared with age-matched +/− mice, −/− mice showed decreased cognitive performance in Morris water maze and eight-arm radial maze tests. By comparing the effects of aging in each genotype, we observed an age-related impairment in test results in +/− mice, while in −/− mice a significant decline in cognitive function was found only in 12 months compared with 2-month-old mice, but no difference was found between 5 months old vs 2 months old. −/− mice showed increased exploration activity compared to age-matched +/− controls, while both strains of mice had an age-related decrease in exploration activity. When evaluated through open field, elevated plus maze and forced swim tests, −/− mice demonstrated a decrease in anxiety and depression-related behaviour compared to age-matched +/− controls.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that homozygous ablation of GHRH gene is associated with decreased performance in learning and memory tests, possibly linked to increased spontaneous locomotor activity. In addition, we observed an age-related decline in cognitive functions in both genotypes.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-18-0165
Volume 7: Issue 8,
Pages:
924–931 (8 total)
Open access

Clinical diagnosis of Graves’ or non-Graves’ hyperthyroidism compared to TSH receptor antibody test

Lauren Bell, Ann Louise Hunter, Angelos Kyriacou, Annice Mukherjee, and Akheel A Syed

Background

TSH receptor antibody (TRAb) is considered the gold standard diagnostic test for the autoimmunity of Graves’ disease (GD), which is commonly diagnosed clinically.

Aim

To evaluate the true positive (sensitivity) and true negative (specificity) rates of clinical diagnosis of GD or non-GD hyperthyroidism compared to the TRAb test.

Setting

University teaching hospital in North West England.

Participants

Patients in the Endocrinology service who had a TRAb measurement between December 2009 and October 2015.

Methods

Electronic patient records were studied retrospectively for a pre-TRAb clinical diagnosis of GD or non-GD hyperthyroidism. We examined descriptive statistics and binary classification tests; Fisher exact test was used to analyse contingency tables.

Results

We identified 316 patients with a mean age of 45 (range, 17–89) years; 247 (78%) were women. Compared to the TRAb result, clinical diagnosis had a sensitivity of 88%, specificity 66%, positive predictive value 72%, negative predictive value 84%, false negative rate 12%, false positive rate 34%, positive likelihood ratio 2.6 and negative likelihood ratio 0.2 (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Clinicians were liable to both over- and under-diagnose GD. The TRAb test can help reduce the number of incorrect or unknown diagnoses in the initial clinical assessment of patients presenting with hyperthyroidism.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-18-0082
Volume 7: Issue 4,
Pages:
504–510 (7 total)
Open access

Safety and tolerability of one-year intramuscular testosterone regime to induce puberty in older men with CHH

Agnieszka Pazderska, Yaasir Mamoojee, Satish Artham, Margaret Miller, Stephen G Ball, Tim Cheetham, and Richard Quinton

We present herein our 20-year experience of pubertal induction in apubertal older (median age 56 years; range 38.4–69.5) men with congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (n = 7) using a simple fixed-dose and fixed-interval intramuscular testosterone that we originally pioneered in relation to achieving virilisation of natal female transgender men. This regime was effective and well tolerated, resulting in complete virilisation by around 1 year after treatment initiation. No physical or psychological adverse effects were encountered in this group of potentially vulnerable individuals. There were no abnormal excursions of laboratory parameters and extended follow-up beyond the first year of treatment revealed remarkable improvements in bone density. We highlight advantages to both patients and physicians of this regime in testosterone-naïve older men with congenital hypogonadism and discourage the over-rigid application to such patients of treatment algorithms derived from paediatric practice in relation to the evaluation and management in younger teenagers with delayed puberty of uncertain cause.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-17-0241
Volume 7: Issue 1,
Pages:
133–138 (6 total)