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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
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Isabelle Flechtner Center for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Centre des Pathologies Gynécologiques Rares, Paris, France
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France

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Magali Viaud Center for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Centre des Pathologies Gynécologiques Rares, Paris, France
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France

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Dulanjalee Kariyawasam Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France

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Marie Perrissin-Fabert Center for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Centre des Pathologies Gynécologiques Rares, Paris, France
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France

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Maud Bidet Center for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Centre des Pathologies Gynécologiques Rares, Paris, France
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France

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Anne Bachelot Center for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Centre des Pathologies Gynécologiques Rares, Paris, France
Department of Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, AP-HPIE3M, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, ICAN, Paris, France

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Philippe Touraine Center for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Centre des Pathologies Gynécologiques Rares, Paris, France
Department of Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, AP-HPIE3M, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, ICAN, Paris, France

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Philippe Labrune Department of Pediatrics, APHP, Centre de Référence des Maladies héréditaires du Métabolisme Hépatique, Hopital Antoine Béclère and Paris Sud University, Clamart, France

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Pascale de Lonlay Reference Center of Inherited Metabolic Diseases, Université de Paris, Necker Enfants Malades, University Hospital, Paris, France
Centre for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Hospital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology and Diabetology, AP-HP, Université de Paris, Paris, France

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Michel Polak Center for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Centre des Pathologies Gynécologiques Rares, Paris, France
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology, and Diabetology, AP-HP, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, IMAGINE Institute affiliate, Paris, France
Centre for Rare Gynecological Disorders, Hospital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades, Paediatric Endocrinology, Gynaecology and Diabetology, AP-HP, Université de Paris, Paris, France

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Classic galactosemia is a rare inborn error of galactose metabolism with a birth prevalence of about 1/30,000–60,000. Long-term complications occurring despite dietary treatment consist of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and neurodevelopmental impairments. We performed with the French Reference Centers for Rare Diseases a multisite collaborative questionnaire survey for classic galactosemic patients. Its primary objective was to assess their puberty, pregnancy, gonadotropic axis, and pelvic morphology by ultrasound. The secondary objective was to determine predictive factors for pregnancy without oocyte donation. Completed questionnaires from 103 patients, 56 females (median age, 19 years (3–52 years)) and 47 males (median age, 19 years (3–45 years)), were analyzed. Among the 43 females older than 13 years old, mean age for breast development first stage was 13.8 years; spontaneous menarche occurred in 21/31 females at a mean age of 14.6 years. In these 21 women, 62% had spaniomenorrhea and 7/17 older than 30 years had amenorrhea. All age-groups confounded, FSH was above reference range for 65.7% of the patients, anti-Müllerian hormone and inhibin B were undetectable, and the ovaries were small with few or no follicles detected. Among the 5 females who sought to conceive, 4 had pregnancies. Among the 47 males, 1 had cryptorchidism, all have normal testicular function and none had a desire to conceive children. Thus, spontaneous puberty and POI are both common in this population. Spontaneous menarche seems to be the best predictive factor for successful spontaneous pregnancy.

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Katica Bajuk Studen Nuclear Medicine Department, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

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Marija Pfeifer Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder in women of reproductive age. Besides hyperandrogenism, oligomenorrhea and fertility issues, it is associated with a high prevalence of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risk factors. Several genetic polymorphisms have been identified for possible associations with cardiometabolic derangements in PCOS. Different PCOS phenotypes differ significantly in their cardiometabolic risk, which worsens with severity of androgen excess. Due to methodological difficulties, longer time-scale data about cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in PCOS and about possible beneficial effects of different treatment interventions is missing leaving many issues regarding cardiovascular risk unresolved.

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Nicolás Crisosto Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, West Division, School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

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Bárbara Echiburú Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, West Division, School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

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Manuel Maliqueo Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, West Division, School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

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Marta Luchsinger Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, West Division, School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

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Pedro Rojas Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Concepción, Chillán, Chile

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Sergio Recabarren Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Concepción, Chillán, Chile

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Teresa Sir-Petermann Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, West Division, School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

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Context

Intrauterine life may be implicated in the origin of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) modifying the endocrine and metabolic functions of children born to PCOS mothers independently of the genetic inheritance and gender. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the reproductive and metabolic functions in sons of women with PCOS during puberty.

Methods

Sixty-nine PCOS sons (PCOSs) and 84 control sons of 7–18 years old matched by the Tanner stage score were studied. A complete physical examination was conducted including anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist, hip and body mass index). An oral glucose tolerance test was performed and circulating concentrations of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone-binding globulin, testosterone, androstenedione (A4), 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) and AMH were determined in the fasting sample.

Results

Waist-to-hip ratio, FSH and androstenedione levels were significantly higher in the PCOSs group compared to control boys during the Tanner stage II–III. In Tanner stages II–III and IV–V, PCOSs showed significantly higher total cholesterol and LDL levels. Propensity score analysis showed that higher LDL levels were attributable to the PCOSs condition and not to other metabolic factors. AMH levels were comparable during all stages. The rest of the parameters were comparable between both groups.

Conclusions

Sons of women with PCOS show increased total cholesterol and LDL levels during puberty, which may represent latent insulin resistance. Thus, this is a group that should be followed and studied looking for further features of insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk markers. Reproductive markers, on the other hand, are very similar to controls.

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Wolfgang Koechling Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Daniel Plaksin Bio-Technology General Israel Ltd, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Kiryat Malachi, Israel

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Glenn E Croston Croston Consulting, San Diego, California, USA

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Janni V Jeppesen The Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, The Department of Fertility at The Juliane Marie Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital and The University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Kirsten T Macklon The Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, The Department of Fertility at The Juliane Marie Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital and The University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Claus Yding Andersen The Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, The Department of Fertility at The Juliane Marie Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital and The University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Recombinant FSH proteins are important therapeutic agents for the treatment of infertility, including follitropin alfa expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells and, more recently, follitropin delta expressed in the human cell line PER.C6. These recombinant FSH proteins have distinct glycosylation, and have distinct pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles in women. Comparative experiments demonstrated that follitropin delta and follitropin alfa displayed the same in vitro potency at the human FSH receptor, but varied in their pharmacokinetics in mouse and rat. While follitropin delta clearance from serum depended in part on the hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR), follitropin alfa clearance was unaffected by ASGPR inhibition in rat or genetic ablation in mice. The distinct properties of follitropin delta and follitropin alfa are likely to contribute to the differing pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles observed in women and to influence their efficacy in therapeutic protocols for the treatment of infertility.

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Karim Gariani Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition and Therapeutic Patient Education, Geneva University Hospitals and Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland

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François R Jornayvaz Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition and Therapeutic Patient Education, Geneva University Hospitals and Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland
Diabetes Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the industrialized world. NAFLD encompasses a whole spectrum ranging from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. The latter can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, NASH is the most rapidly increasing indication for liver transplantation in western countries and therefore represents a global health issue. The pathophysiology of NASH is complex and includes multiple parallel hits. NASH is notably characterized by steatosis as well as evidence of hepatocyte injury and inflammation, with or without fibrosis. NASH is frequently associated with type 2 diabetes and conditions associated with insulin resistance. Moreover, NASH may also be found in many other endocrine diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome, hypothyroidism, male hypogonadism, growth hormone deficiency or glucocorticoid excess, for example. In this review, we will discuss the pathophysiology of NASH associated with different endocrinopathies.

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Frederic Schrøder Arendrup Department of Neurology, Danish Headache Center, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

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Severine Mazaud-Guittot Inserm (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale), Irset – Inserm, UMR 1085, Rennes, France

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Bernard Jégou Inserm (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale), Irset – Inserm, UMR 1085, Rennes, France
EHESP-School of Public Health, Rennes, France

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David Møbjerg Kristensen Department of Neurology, Danish Headache Center, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Inserm (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale), Irset – Inserm, UMR 1085, Rennes, France

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Concern has been raised over chemical-induced disruption of ovary development during fetal life resulting in long-lasting consequences only manifesting themselves much later during adulthood. A growing body of evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to the mild analgesic acetaminophen/paracetamol can cause such a scenario. Therefore, in this review, we discuss three recent reports that collectively indicate that prenatal exposure in a period of 13.5 days post coitum in both rats and mouse can result in reduced female reproductive health. The combined data show that the exposure results in the reduction of primordial follicles, irregular menstrual cycle, premature absence of corpus luteum, as well as reduced fertility, resembling premature ovarian insufficiency syndrome in humans that is linked to premature menopause. This could especially affect the Western parts of the world, where the age for childbirth is continuously being increased and acetaminophen is recommended during pregnancy for pain and fever. We therefore highlight an urgent need for more studies to verify these data including both experimental and epidemiological approaches.

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Kaisu Luiro Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Unit, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

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Kristiina Aittomäki Department of Medical Genetics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

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Pekka Jousilahti Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

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Juha S Tapanainen Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Unit, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Medical Research Center, PEDEGO Research Unit, Oulu, Finland

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Objective

To study the use of hormone therapy (HT), morbidity and reproductive outcomes of women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) due to FSH-resistant ovaries (FSHRO).

Design

A prospective follow-up study in a university-based tertiary clinic setting.

Methods

Twenty-six women with an inactivating A189V FSH receptor mutation were investigated by means of a health questionnaire and clinical examination. Twenty-two returned the health questionnaire and 14 were clinically examined. Main outcome measures in the health questionnaire were reported as HT, morbidity, medication and infertility treatment outcomes. In the clinical study, risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) were compared to age-matched controls from a national population survey (FINRISK). Average number of controls was 326 per FSHRO subject (range 178–430). Bone mineral density and whole-body composition were analyzed with DXA. Psychological and sexual well-being was assessed with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI21), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaires.

Results

HT was initiated late (median 18 years of age) compared with normal puberty and the median time of use was shorter (20–22 years) than the normal fertile period. Osteopenia was detected in 9/14 of the FSHRO women despite HT. No major risk factors for CVD or diabetes were found.

Conclusions

HT of 20 years seems to be associated with a similar cardiovascular and metabolic risk factor profile as in the population control group. However, optimal bone health may require an early-onset and longer period of HT, which would better correspond to the natural fertile period.

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Rohit Barnabas Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India

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Swati Jadhav Department of Endocrinology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bengaluru, India

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Anurag Ranjan Lila Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India

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Sirisha Kusuma Boddu Consultant Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, India

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Saba Samad Memon Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India

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Sneha Arya Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India

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Samiksha Chandrashekhar Hegishte Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India

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Manjiri Karlekar Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India

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Virendra A Patil Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India

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Vijaya Sarathi Department of Endocrinology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bengaluru, India

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Nalini S Shah Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India

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Tushar Bandgar Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India

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Background

The data on Leydig cell hypoplasia (LCH) resulting from biallelic Luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) inactivating variants is limited to case series.

Methods

We aim to describe our patients and perform systematic review of the patients with LHCGR inactivating variants in the literature. Detailed phenotype and genotype data of three patients from our centre and 85 (46,XY: 67; 46,XX: 18) patients from 59 families with LHCGR-inactivating variants from literature were described.

Results

Three 46,XY patients (age 6–18 years) from our center, with two reared as females, had two novel variants in LHCGR. Systematic review (including our patients) revealed 72 variants in 88 patients. 46,XY patients (n = 70, 56 raised as females) presented with pubertal delay (n = 41) or atypical genitalia (n = 17). Sinnecker score ≥3 (suggesting antenatal human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) inaction) was seen in 80% (56/70), and hCG-stimulated testosterone was low (<1.1 ng/mL) in 77.4% (24/31), whereas puberty/postpubertal age, high luteinizing hormone (LH) (97.6%, 41/42) and low (<1.0 ng/mL) basal testosterone (94.9%, 37/39) was observed in most. Follicle stimulating hormone was elevated in 21/51 of these patients. Variants with <10% receptor function were exclusively seen in cohorts with Sinnecker 4/5 (10/15 vs 0/5, P = 0.033). 46,XX patients (n = 18) presented with oligo/amenorrhea and/or anovulatory infertility and had polycystic ovaries (7/9) with median LH of 10 IU/L (1.2–38).

Conclusion

In summary, this study comprehensively characterizes LHCGR variants, revealing genotype-phenotype correlations and informing clinical management of LCH. In 46,XY LCH patients, pubertal LH inaction is uniform with variable severity of antenatal hCG inaction. Few mutant LHCGR have differential actions for LH and hCG.

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Paraskevi Kazakou Diabetes Centre, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Stavroula A Paschou Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Theodora Psaltopoulou Unit of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Maria Gavriatopoulou Unit of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Eleni Korompoki Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Katerina Stefanaki Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Fotini Kanouta Department of Endocrinology, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece

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Georgia N Kassi Department of Endocrinology, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece

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Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos Unit of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Asimina Mitrakou Diabetes Centre, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Endocrine system plays a vital role in controlling human homeostasis. Understanding the possible effects of COVID-19 on endocrine glands is crucial to prevent and manage endocrine disorders before and during hospitalization in COVID-19-infected patients as well as to follow them up properly upon recovery. Many endocrine glands such as pancreas, hypothalamus and pituitary, thyroid, adrenal glands, testes, and ovaries have been found to express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors, the main binding site of the virus. Since the pandemic outbreak, various publications focus on the aggravation of preexisting endocrine diseases by COVID-19 infection or the adverse prognosis of the disease in endocrine patients. However, data on endocrine disorders both during the phase of the infection (early complications) and upon recovery (late complications) are scarce. The aim of this review is to identify and discuss early and late endocrine complications of COVID-19. The majority of the available data refer to glucose dysregulation and its reciprocal effect on COVID-19 infection with the main interest focusing on the presentation of new onset of diabetes mellitus. Thyroid dysfunction with low triiodothyronine, low thyroid stimulating hormone, or subacute thyroiditis has been reported. Adrenal dysregulation and impaired spermatogenesis in affected men have been also reported. Complications of other endocrine glands are still not clear. Considering the recent onset of COVID-19 infection, the available follow-up data are limited, and therefore, long-term studies are required to evaluate certain effects of COVID-19 on the endocrine glands.

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Christian Trummer Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

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Stefan Pilz Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

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Verena Schwetz Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

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Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

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Elisabeth Lerchbaum Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

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Background

Accumulating evidence from animal and human studies suggests that vitamin D is involved in many functions of the reproductive system in both genders.

Aim

The aim of this review was to provide an overview on the effects of vitamin D on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women and androgen metabolism in men.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed for relevant English language publications published from January 2012 until September 2017.

Results and discussion

The vitamin D receptor and vitamin D-metabolizing enzymes are found in reproductive tissues of women and men. In women, vitamin D status has been associated with several features of PCOS. In detail, cross-sectional data suggest a regulatory role of vitamin D in PCOS-related aspects such as ovulatory dysfunction, insulin resistance as well as hyperandrogenism. Moreover, results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that vitamin D supplementation may be beneficial for metabolic, endocrine and fertility aspects in PCOS. In men, vitamin D status has been associated with androgen levels and hypogonadism. Further, there is some evidence for a favorable effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone concentrations, although others failed to show a significant effect on testosterone levels.

Conclusion

In summary, vitamin D deficiency is associated with adverse fertility outcomes including PCOS and hypogonadism, but the evidence is insufficient to establish causality. High-quality RCTs are needed to further evaluate the effects of vitamin D supplementation in PCOS women as well as on androgen levels in men.

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