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- Abstract: adrenarche x
- Abstract: fertility x
- Abstract: Gender x
- Abstract: Hypogonadism x
- Abstract: infertility x
- Abstract: Kallmann x
- Abstract: Klinefelter x
- Abstract: menarche x
- Abstract: menopause x
- Abstract: puberty x
- Abstract: transsexual x
- Abstract: sperm* x
- Abstract: ovary x
- Abstract: follicles x
- Paediatric Endocrinology x
International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, 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), Rigshospitalet, 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), Rigshospitalet, 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), Rigshospitalet, 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), Rigshospitalet, 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), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, 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), Rigshospitalet, 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), Rigshospitalet, 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), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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The ratio between luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) has previously been described as an excellent marker of sex in healthy infants. However, LH/FSH remains not fully described in patients with differences of sex development (DSD). The aim was therefore to describe LH/FSH in infants with DSD. This was a retrospective study of DSD patients, all aged 0–1.2 years. In total, 87 infants with DSD and at least one serum sample per infant were included. Longitudinal samples from single patients were included whenever possible. Serum LH/FSH ratios in these patients were plotted against recently published age-related and sex-dimorphic cutoffs. Overall, LH/FSH sometimes corresponded to assigned sex without any obvious pattern in terms of diagnoses. LH/FSH corresponded to the biological sex in all patients with Turner or Klinefelter syndrome. In patients with 46,XX or 46,XY DSD (except congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)), the ratios did not correspond to the assigned sex in all cases and were interchangeably within the male and female range. In patients with CAH, the ratio corresponded to biological sex (based on sex chromosomes) in some cases but also ranged across the cutoffs. In the 15 patients with 45,X/46,XY mosaicism, the LH/FSH ratios corresponded to the assigned sex in all cases (12 were raised as males, 3 as females) and at all time points in cases with multiple sampling. While this study describes LH/FSH in infants with DSD, the exact clinical role of the ratio in the management of these patients remains to be further elucidated.
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Universidade de São Paulo, Zebrafish Facility, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Context
Congenital hypopituitarism is a genetically heterogeneous condition. Whole exome sequencing (WES) is a promising approach for molecular diagnosis of patients with this condition.
Objectives
The aim of this study is to conduct WES in a patient with congenital hypopituitarism born to consanguineous parents, CDH2 screening in a cohort of patients with congenital hypopituitarism, and functional testing of a novel CDH2 variant.
Design
Genomic DNA from a proband and her consanguineous parents was analyzed by WES. Copy number variants were evaluated. The genetic variants were filtered for population frequency (ExAC, 1000 genomes, gnomAD, and ABraOM), in silico prediction of pathogenicity, and gene expression in the pituitary and/or hypothalamus. Genomic DNA from 145 patients was screened for CDH2 by Sanger sequencing.
Results
One female patient with deficiencies in growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone and ectopic posterior pituitary gland contained a rare homozygous c.865G>A (p.Val289Ile) variant in CDH2. To determine whether the p.Val289Ile variant in CDH2 affects cell adhesion properties, we stably transfected L1 fibroblast lines, labeled the cells with lipophilic dyes, and quantified aggregation. Large aggregates formed in cells expressing wildtype CDH2, but aggregation was impaired in cells transfected with variant CDH2 or non-transfected.
Conclusion
A homozygous CDH2 allelic variant was found in one hypopituitarism patient, and the variant impaired cell aggregation function in vitro. No disease-causing variants were found in 145 other patients screened for CDH2 variants. Thus, CDH2 is a candidate gene for hypopituitarism that needs to be tested in different populations.
Significance statement
A female patient with hypopituitarism was born from consanguineous parents and had a homozygous, likely pathogenic, CDH2 variant that impairs cell aggregation in vitro. No other likely pathogenic variants in CDH2 were identified in 145 hypopituitarism patients.
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Hypogonadism is a clinical syndrome resulting from failure to produce physiological concentrations of sex steroid hormones with accompanying symptoms, such as slowed growth and delayed pubertal maturation. Hypogonadism may arise from gonadal disease (primary hypogonadism), dysfunction of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis (secondary hypogonadism) or functional hypogonadism. Disrupted puberty (delayed or absent) leading to hypogonadism can have a significant impact on both the physical and psychosocial well-being of adolescents with lasting effects. The diagnosis of hypogonadism in teenagers can be challenging as the most common cause of delayed puberty in both sexes is self-limited, also known as constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). Although an underlying congenital cause should always be considered in a teenager with hypogonadism, acquired conditions such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, other chronic diseases and medications have all been associated with low sex steroid hormone levels. In this review, we highlight some forms of functional hypogonadism in adolescents and the clinical challenges to differentiate normal variants from pathological states.
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INSERM Unité 1203 (DEFE), Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Département d'Endocrinologie et de Gynécologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
INSERM Unité 1203 (DEFE), Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Although hyperandrogenism is a frequent cause of consultation in adolescent girls, more severe forms with virilization must lead to suspicion of an adrenal or ovarian tumor. However, they may also reveal a 46,XY disorder of sexual development (DSD). Here, we describe four adolescent girls referred for pubertal virilization and in whom we diagnosed a 46,XY DSD. We performed gene mutation screening by Sanger sequencing (all patients) and by next-generation sequencing (NGS) in patient #4. We identified new heterozygous NR5A1 gene variants in patients #1 and #2 and a homozygous SRD5A2 gene deletion in patient #3. Patient #4 received a diagnosis of complete androgen insensitivity in childhood; however, due the unusual pubertal virilization, we completed the gene analysis by NGS that revealed two heterozygous HSD17B3 variants. This work underlines the importance of considering the hypothesis of 46,XY DSD in adolescent girls with unexplained virilization at puberty.
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Precision medicine employs digital tools and knowledge of a patient’s genetic makeup, environment and lifestyle to improve diagnostic accuracy and to develop individualised treatment and prevention strategies. Precision medicine has improved management in a number of disease areas, most notably in oncology, and it has the potential to positively impact others, including endocrine disorders. The accuracy of diagnosis in young patients with growth disorders can be improved by using biomarkers. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is the most widely accepted biomarker of growth hormone secretion, but its predictive value for recombinant human growth hormone treatment response is modest and various factors can affect the accuracy of IGF-I measurements. These factors need to be taken into account when considering IGF-I as a component of precision medicine in the management of growth hormone deficiency. The use of genetic analyses can assist with diagnosis by confirming the aetiology, facilitate treatment decisions, guide counselling and allow prompt intervention in children with pubertal disorders, such as central precocious puberty and testotoxicosis. Precision medicine has also proven useful during the transition of young people with endocrine disorders from paediatric to adult services when patients are at heightened risk of dropping out from medical care. An understanding of the likelihood of ongoing GH deficiency, using tools such as MRI, detailed patient history and IGF-I levels, can assist in determining the need for continued recombinant human growth hormone treatment during the process of transitional care.
Department of Child and Adolescent Medicine, Section of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum, Jena, Germany
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Department of Women and Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Pediatric Research (CPL), University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse, Leipzig, Germany
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Department of Women and Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Pediatric Research (CPL), University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse, Leipzig, Germany
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Background and objectives
As part of the LIFE Child study, we previously described the associations between N-terminal-pro-hormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and hs-troponin T (hs-TnT) levels and an individual’s sex, age and pubertal status, as well as with body mass index (BMI) and serum lipid levels. For NT-proBNP, we found inverse associations with advancing puberty, increasing BMI and serum lipid levels. These findings led us to further question the putative influences of the developing individual’s metabolic and growth status as represented by levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1-binding protein-3 (IGF-BP3) as well as hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and Cystatin C (CysC).
Material and methods
Serum values, medical history and anthropometric data provided by 2522 children aged 0.25–18 years were collected and analyzed as per study protocol.
Results
A strong negative association between NT-proBNP values and IGF-1, IGF-BP3 and HbA1c levels was identified. For IGF-BP3, this interaction was modulated by sex and age, for HbA1c only by age. For hs-TnT, a positive association was found with IGF-BP3, IGF-1 and CysC. The association between hs-TnT and IGF-1 was sex dependent. The association between CysC and hs-TnT was stronger in girls, but the interaction with age was only seen in boys. Between hs-TnT and HbA1c, the association was significantly negative and modulated by age.
Conclusion
Based on our large pediatric cohort, we could identify age- and sex-dependent interactions between the metabolic status represented by IGF-1, IGF-BP3, CysC and HbA1c levels and the cardiac markers NT-proBNP and hs-TnT.
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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West of Scotland Centre for Genomic Medicine, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Differences of sex development and maturation (SDM) represent a heterogeneous puzzle of rare conditions with a large genetic component whose management and treatment could be improved by an accurate classification of underlying molecular conditions, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) should represent the most appropriate approach. Therefore, we conducted a survey dedicated to the use and potential outcomes of NGS for SDM disorders diagnosis among the 53 health care providers (HCP) of the European Reference Network for rare endocrine conditions. The response rate was 49% with a total of 26 HCPs from 13 countries. All HCPs, except 1, performed NGS investigations for SDM disorders on 6720 patients, 3764 (56%) with differences of sex development (DSD), including 811 unexplained primary ovarian insufficiency, and 2956 (44%) with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH). The approaches varied from targeted analysis of custom gene panels (range: 11–490 genes) in 81.5% of cases or whole exome sequencing with the extraction of a virtual panel in the remaining cases. These analyses were performed for diagnostic purposes in 21 HCPs, supported by the National Health Systems in 16 cases. The likelihood of finding a variant ranged between 7 and 60%, mainly depending upon the number of analysed genes or criteria used for reporting, most HCPs also reporting variants of uncertain significance. These data illustrate the status of genetic diagnosis of DSD and CHH across Europe. In most countries, these analyses are performed for diagnostic purposes, yielding highly variable results, thus suggesting the need for harmonization and general improvements of NGS approaches.
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Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), the most common form of syndromic obesity, is a complex neurodevelopmental genetic disorder including obesity with hyperphagia, endocrine and metabolic disorders and also psychiatric disorders. The most frequent endocrine disturbances include hypogonadism and growth hormone (GH) deficiency. Hypothyroidism and central adrenal insufficiency can also be observed but are less frequent. The transition of individuals with PWS from adolescence to adult life is challenging because of multiple comorbidities and complex disabilities. Individuals and caregivers face psychological, medical and social issues. This period of profound changes is thus prone to disruptions, and the main risks being the worsening of the medical situation and loss to follow-up of the individuals. Medical care may be poorly adapted to the needs of individuals because of a lack of knowledge concerning the syndrome and also lack of the necessary specific skills. A multidisciplinary panel composed of several experts in PWS met in November 2021 during an European Reference Network on Rare Endocrine Conditions (Endo-ERN) webinar. They presented complementary aspects of PWS from the perspective of the transition including psychiatric, pediatric and adult endocrinological and parent’s and patient’s points of view and shed light on the best way to approach this pivotal period.
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Diagnosis and management strategy of disorders of sex development (DSD) are difficult and various due to heterogeneous phenotype and genotype. Under widespread use of genomic sequencing technologies, multiple genes and mechanisms have been identified and proposed as genetic causes of 46,XY DSD. In this study, 178 46,XY DSD patients were enrolled and underwent gene sequencing (either whole-exome sequencing or targeted panel gene sequencing). Detailed clinical phenotype and genotype information were summarized which showed that the most common clinical manifestations were micropenis (56.74%, 101/178), cryptorchidism (34.27%, 61/178), and hypospadias (17.42%, 31/178). Androgen synthesis/action disorders and idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism were the most frequent clinical diagnoses, accounting, respectively, for 40.90 and 21.59%. From all next-generation sequencing results, 103 candidate variants distributed across 32 genes were identified in 88 patients. The overall molecular detection rate was 49.44% (88/178), including 35.96% (64/178) pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants and 13.48% (24/178) variants of uncertain significance. Of all, 19.42% (20/103) variants were first reported in 46,XY DSD patients. Mutation c.680G>A (p.R227Q) on SRD5A2 (steroid 5-alpha-reductase 2) (36.67%, 11/30) was a hotspot mutation in the Chinese population. Novel candidate genes related to DSD (GHR (growth hormone receptor) and PHIP (pleckstrin homology domain-interacting protein)) were identified. Overall, this was a large cohort of 46,XY DSD patients with a common clinical classification and phenotype spectrum of Chinese patients. Targeted gene panel sequencing covered most of the genes contributing to DSD, whereas whole-exome sequencing detected more candidate genes.
Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Glucocorticoids (GCs) reduce inflammation and preserve muscle function in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) but cause pubertal delay. Pubertal induction with testosterone is recommended but longer-term outcome is unknown.
Objective
To assess hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis, muscle volume and function 5 years after pubertal induction.
Methods
A prospective observational follow-up of a clinical study was conducted. 15 GC-treated males with DMD were treated with incremental testosterone for 2 years (end of regimen +2 years) then evaluated at +2.5 years and +5 years (final follow-up ~3 years after last injection). Data collected included testicular volume (TV), gonadotrophin, testosterone, inhibin B, muscle function, and limb muscle MRI.
Results
Participants were 18.7 years (s.d. 1.6) at the final follow-up and had been on GC for 11.2 years (s.d. 2.2). Testosterone levels were similar at +2.5 years (8.6 nmol/L (s.d. 3.4) and 5 years (11.0 nmol/L (s.d. 6.1). TV increased from 2.8 mL (s.d. 0.9) at +2 years to 7.1 mL (s.d. 1.8) then 10.6 mL (s.d. 3.5) at +2.5 years and +5.0 years (P < 0.001). Inhibin B levels increased from 55.6 pg/mL (s.d. 47.0) at baseline to 158.2 pg/mL (s.d.87.6), P =0.004 at 5 years but remained lower than reference values (mean 305 pg/mL). Muscle contractile bulk decreased.
Interpretation
Pubertal induction with testosterone in DMD is associated with HPG axis activation and ongoing increases in inhibin B, TV, and testosterone concentrations. Some patients have normal levels which is promising regarding future fertility. Given the beneficial impact of testosterone on bone health, muscle, and well-being, monitoring testosterone levels in this population and supplementation of sub-optimal levels is important.
