Decreased nocturnal melatonin secretion in patients with Klinefelter's syndrome

An Overview of Oxidative Stress in Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies in Pediatric Populations

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress, defined as an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defenses, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs), such as Turner syndrome (TS) and Klinefelter syndrome (KS). Pediatric patients with SCAs are particularly susceptible due to hormonal deficiencies, metabolic disturbances, and systemic complications.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in November 2024 using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Keywords included "antioxidants", "oxidative stress", "pediatrics", "Turner syndrome", "Klinefelter syndrome", and "sex chromosome aneuploidies". English-language articles were included without publication year restrictions. Relevant data on oxidative stress mechanisms and antioxidant interventions were systematically extracted.

RESULTS

The relationship between oxidative stress and SCAs can be described as bidirectional, where oxidative stress both contributes to and is exacerbated by aneuploidies. TS is marked by estrogen deficiency, cardiovascular anomalies, and metabolic dysfunction, all linked to heightened oxidative stress. KS is associated with hypogonadism, metabolic syndrome, and neurocognitive challenges, further exacerbated by oxidative damage. The aneuploid condition predisposes to increased oxidative stress in other SCAs, including 47,XXX and 47,XYY, as well as in high-grade aneuploidies. Emerging evidence highlights the therapeutic potential of antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione precursors, polyphenols, and melatonin. These interventions, when combined with hormonal therapies such as estrogen replacement in TS or testosterone replacement in KS, demonstrate synergistic effects in restoring redox balance and mitigating systemic complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Oxidative stress significantly impacts the progression of SCAs in pediatric populations, amplifying risks across metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurocognitive domains. Early, tailored antioxidant strategies, integrated with syndrome-specific hormonal therapies, could reduce long-term complications and improve patient outcomes. Future research should focus on standardizing protocols to optimize these interventions for pediatric patients with SCAs.

Evaluation of sleep disorders in children and adolescents affected by Klinefelter syndrome

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common sex chromosomal aneuploidy in males (47,XXY karyotype in 80-90% of cases), primarily characterized by hypergonadotropic hypogonadism and infertility. It encompasses a broad phenotypic spectrum, leading to variability in neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes among affected individuals. Despite the recognized correlation between KS and various neuropsychiatric conditions, studies investigating potential sleep disorders, particularly in pediatric subjects, are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the presence of sleep-related behaviors potentially suggestive of a sleep disorder in a cohort of pediatric patients with KS, in comparison with a group of healthy male age-matched controls. During the period from January to December 2023, a validated sleep questionnaire (Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children: SDSC) was administered to the primary caregivers of 80 children with KS: 40 of preschool age (3-5 years) and 40 of school age (6-16 years). Data were compared with a control group of 180 healthy age-matched male children: 90 of preschool age (3-5 years) and 90 of school age (6-16 years). Among preschoolers, the proportion of subjects with pathological non-restorative sleep T-scores was significantly higher in the KS group compared to controls (p = 0.03). In both KS and control groups, school-aged subjects had higher questionnaire scores compared to preschoolers. The school age KS group had significantly higher mean total T-scores and mean T-scores for disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS), disorders of arousal (DA), and disorders of excessive somnolence (DOES) compared to controls (p < 0.01 for all). The KS group also showed significantly higher percentages of children with clinically relevant T-scores for DIMS, DA, DOES, sleep hyperhidrosis, and total T-scores.

CONCLUSION

Our study indicates that sleep disorders are more prevalent in children with KS than in the general population, especially in the school age group. Screening for sleep issues in the clinical setting using tools like the SDSC is warranted, and should start from age 6 for children with KS. Further research is needed to better understand the origins of these disturbances, the role of comorbidities, and their long-term effects to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for these patients.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Neurocognitive and psychosocial disorders can be observed in individuals with KS. • Sleep disorders may be associated with various neuropsychiatric conditions; however, they have not been sufficiently explored in individuals with KS, particularly in pediatric populations.

WHAT IS NEW

• Sleep-related problems are more common in children with KS compared to the general population, especially in the school age group with regard to DIMS, DA, and DOES factors. • Starting from 6 years of age, the SDSC might be a promising early diagnostic tool for sleep disorders in children with KS.

My voyage in the enchanted world of sleep

In this paper, I describe my 45-year career in sleep research. I started my undergraduate studies at Tel Aviv University, where I was first introduced to the enchanted world of sleep, continued to my graduate studies with Wilse B. Webb at the University of Florida, and then to post-doctoral training with Dan Kripke at the University of California at San Diego. Then, I describe the evolution of my academic career at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, where I started in 1975 as an Assistant Professor and retired in 2019 as the President of the Institute. I describe the areas of research that I pursued and how the research developed, emphasizing unexpected results that guided me and my lab team in new directions. This includes my early studies on ultradian rhythms, inspired by Nathaniel Kleitman's Basic Rest Activity Cyle hypothesis, utilizing the ultrashort sleep-wake paradigm to chart the 24-hour sleep propensity function, and how these studies led us to explore the role of melatonin in sleep regulation. I also explain why we directed our attention to sleep apnea, and how clinical observations led to the provocative hypothesis that sleep apnea-typically seen as a disorder-may also play a protective role. Under the leadership of my research partner and wife, Lena, we confirmed this hypothesis. Also in this article, I describe my enthusiasm for the history of our field and, as derived from my experience as a Dean of Medicine and President of a university, I share my philosophy about the role of members of academia in society. I emphasize that none of my achievements could have been accomplished without the hard work and motivation of my students and research partners, who shared my enthusiasm and passion for the enchanted world of sleep. This paper is part of the Living Legends in Sleep Research series, which is sponsored by Idorsia Pharmaceuticals and Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Theoretical aspects of autism: biomarkers--a review

Autism is dramatically increasing in incidence and is now considered an epidemic. There are no objective means to diagnose the disorder. Diagnosis is made subjectively, based on the perceived behavior of the subject. This review presents an approach toward development of an objective measure of autism. Covering the literature from 1943 to the present in the PubMed and Ovid Medline databases, this review summarizes evidence of hormones, metabolites, amino acids, and other biomarkers present in significantly different quantities in autistic subjects compared to age- and sex-matched controls. These differences can be measured in the gastrointestinal, immunologic, neurologic, and toxicologic systems of the body, with some biomarkers showing ubiquitous application. In addition, there are unifying concepts, i.e., increased vulnerability to oxidative stress, immune glutamatergic dysfunction, and pineal gland malfunction. The variances of the biomarkers from the norm present the opportunity to create biomarker arrays that when properly developed and analyzed could result in an objective diagnosis with a ranking of the severity of autism for each subject. The contribution of each biomarker to the overall diagnosis could be calculated, thus providing a profile pattern unique to the individual. This profile could consequently provide information for therapeutic interventions on an individual basis.

Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion in hyperandrogenic women with polycystic ovary syndrome: the effect of ethinyl estradiol-cyproterone acetate treatment

The role of melatonin in human reproduction is still unknown. Data obtained in patients with hypogonadism and precocious puberty suggest that melatonin and the reproductive hormones are interrelated. The aim of this study was to determine melatonin production in hyperandrogenic women. We studied 12 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 10 women with idiopathic hirsutism (IH). Patients were treated with cyproterone acetate-ethinyl estradiol (Diane 35) for 4 months. Fasting blood samples for the determination of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and 24-h urine collections for the determination of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (alpha MT6s) excretion were obtained from all patients at baseline and after 4 months of treatment. The results were compared with those obtained in 15 control women. At baseline, women with PCOS had significantly higher LH and testosterone levels than those with IH and controls. Their alpha MT6s values (52.6 +/- 20.3 micrograms/24 h) were significantly higher than the values in women with IH (34.3 +/- 7.1) and controls (30.5 +/- 6.5) (p < 0.001). Diane 35 treatment significantly decreased LH, FSH, testosterone and alpha MT6a values in PCOS (28.0 +/- 13.9 micrograms/24 h) (p < 0.0001). These results indicate that women with PCOS have increased melatonin production. The normalization of alpha MT6s and testosterone values during Diane 35 treatment suggests that sex steroids modulate melatonin secretion in these patients either directly or through the suppression of gonadotropin.

Increased 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To determine melatonin production in hyperandrogenic women.

DESIGN

Controlled prospective study.

SETTING

Outpatients in an academic medical center.

PATIENT(S)

Twenty-two women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), 20 women with idiopathic hirsutism, and 15 age-matched individuals who had similar body mass indexes as controls.

INTERVENTION(S)

Fasting blood samples and 24-hour urinary samples were obtained from all participants.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

All participants provided serum samples for the measurement of LH, FSH, testosterone, E(2), DHEAS, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), and insulin levels, as well as urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s).

RESULT(S)

Women with PCOS had higher aMT6s, testosterone, LH/FSH ratio, and insulin values than either women with idiopathic hirsutism or control women. Testosterone inversely correlated with aMT6s in PCOS. Regression analysis revealed that only testosterone was an important determinant of aMT6s in PCOS.

CONCLUSION(S)

Women with PCOS have increased melatonin production.