Adrenal 21-hydroxylase deficiency in childhood: 25 years' experience

Mortality in children with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia and 21-hydroxylase deficiency (CAH) in Germany

BACKGROUND

Adrenal crises in children with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (CAH) are life-threatening and have the potential to death.

METHODS

A survey was performed among Paediatric Endocrinologists in Germany to report on deceased children with CAH. Our survey covered the whole of Germany.

RESULTS

The participating centres reported 14 cases of death (9 female, 5 male) from 1973 until 2004, but no deaths thereafter. 11 children had the SW form and 3 the simple virilizing (SV) form. All patients were on glucocorticoid replacement, and the SW forms additionally on mineralocorticoid replacement. The age at death varied between 6 weeks and 16.5 years. Seven children died before introduction of general neonatal screening, and 7 children thereafter. Before death, the clinical signs of impending crisis were nonspecific. Five patients developed hypoglycaemia and convulsions with cerebral oedema. Half of the deceased patients died at home. The hydrocortisone dosage was only doubled in two of the 14 cases.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the assessments by the attending centres, almost all deaths could be related to an inadequate administration of stress doses of hydrocortisone. Since no deceased CAH children were reported in Germany from 2005 on, we assume the effectiveness of educational programs over the past years.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency: A five-year retrospective study in the Children's Hospital of Damascus, Syria

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is one of the most common inherited metabolic disorders. 21-hydroxylase deficiency is responsible for the majority of cases (90-95%) and considered the most common cause of genital ambiguity. There are no statistics concerning the prevalence of this disorder in Syria, although the high rate of consanguineous marriages indicates a possible high prevalence. Objectives: This study aims to collect baseline information about CAH in Syria to evaluate the potential need of a screening program. Subjects and Methods: All medical records of inpatients who had CAH as a final or presumptive diagnosis at the Children's Hospital of Damascus between 2008–2012, or were diagnosed elsewhere and then admitted at the hospital for the first time within the same period, were retrospectively reviewed and divided into two groups: confirmed and suspected cases. Results: Eighty-nine cases were confirmed, 25 were still suspected. Of the 89 confirmed cases: 20 (22.5%) were males, 66 (74.1%) were females, and 3 were ambiguous. Sixty-one patients (68.5%) were of the salt wasting type and 28 (31.5%) were of the simple virilizing type. The mortality rate was 6.7%. Thirty-two females were assigned as males at birth. Seventeen cases (19.1%) underwent previous hospitalization. 69.7% of patients were not diagnosed during the first month of life. Of the 25 suspected cases: 12 were males, 8 were females and 5 were ambiguous. Confirmatory tests had not been performed because of death in 7 patients (28%) and early discharge upon parental request in another 7 patients (28%). Conclusion: A mandatory screening program for CAH in Syria seems necessary due to the obvious lack of awareness, delayed diagnosis and high expected prevalence. However, further efforts are needed to confirm the effectiveness of such a program in the Syrian society.

Final adult height in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia treated with growth hormone

CONTEXT

Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency typically reach a final adult height well below their mid-parental target height.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine whether GH alone or in combination with an LHRH analog (LHRHa) improved the final adult height in patients with CAH.

DESIGN

The study was a nonrandomized prospective study.

SETTING

The study was conducted at two university hospitals in New York City, NY.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirty-four patients with CAH treated with GH participated in this study. Nineteen males and 15 females who were predicted to be more than 2 SD below their mid-parental target height or more than 2 SD below the population mean received GH until reaching final adult height. In addition to GH, 27 patients (16 males, 11 females) were also treated with an LHRHa.

INTERVENTION

The mean duration of GH treatment was 5.6 ± 1.8 yr in males and 4.5 ± 1.6 yr in females. The mean duration of LHRHa therapy was 3.7 ± 1.7 yr for both sexes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary endpoint variables were final adult height, final height discrepancy, and gain in height.

RESULTS

Males reached a significantly higher final adult height (172.0 ± 4.8 cm) than their initial predicted height (162.8 ± 7.7 cm) (P < 0.00001). Females also reached a significantly higher final adult height (162.2 ± 5.3 cm) than initially predicted (151.7 ± 5.2 cm) (P < 0.0000001). Mean gain in height was 9.2 ± 6.7 cm in males and 10.5 ± 3.7 cm in females.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that GH alone or in combination with LHRHa improves final adult height in patients with CAH.

Growth and reproductive outcomes in congenital adrenal hyperplasia

The treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is complex. In addition to disease control, important therapeutic goals are the maintenance of normal growth and the acquisition of normal reproductive function. Here, data regarding final adult height (FH) in patients with CAH will be reviewed. Additional difficulties associated with CAH, including risks of obesity and hypertension, will be discussed. Information about fertility and reproductive outcomes in men and women with CAH will also be summarized. Although the treatment of each child with CAH needs to be individualized, close medical followup and laboratory monitoring along with good compliance can often result in positive clinical outcomes.

Growth in patients with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

BACKGROUND

One important goal in the management of children with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is to achieve normal growth. Reviewing available data published over the last few years on growth and height outcomes in CAH patients, it becomes evident that an acceptable height can be achieved by many CAH patients. However, linear growth and final adult height may be stunted in some patients due to factors related to the timing of diagnosis, the age at therapy onset, the start of therapy, the adequacy of metabolic control, the quality of therapy, patient compliance and the experience of the treating physician. In children with CAH who have a poor height prognosis, additional treatment options should be considered.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of children with CAH requires individualized approaches to prevent long-term growth failure.

How many deaths can be prevented by newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia?

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is increasingly being included in newborn screening programs. Screening can prevent neonatal mortality in children with salt-wasting CAH, but the number of deaths prevented is not known. Cost-effectiveness analyses of screening require estimates of the probability of mortality in CAH.

METHODS

We reviewed the literature to identify cohort studies of children with CAH ascertained clinically in the absence of screening. We abstracted the numbers of infant deaths attributable to CAH. We also addressed sex ratios among children with clinically detected CAH and the contribution of ascertainment bias to unbalanced ratios.

RESULTS

The evidence suggests a probability of infant death due to adrenal crises in salt-wasting CAH of 4% or less in contemporary advanced economies without screening for CAH. This is lower than previous estimates, although the rate of mortality could be considerably higher in populations with limited clinical awareness or access.

CONCLUSION

Although screening for CAH is conducted in a number of countries, further research is still needed to provide reliable estimates on the numbers of prevented deaths, along with evidence-based assessments of the potential benefits, harms, and costs of screening.

Living with congenital adrenal hyperplasia in Vietnam: a survey of parents

OBJECTIVE

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) has the potential to place an enormous burden on families in resource-poor countries, and the aim of this survey was to provide more specific insights into the difficulties faced by families living with CAH in Vietnam. It is hoped that this information will be used to ensure that future efforts to reduce the burden of CAH are as effective, sustainable and appropriate as possible.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A questionnaire-based needs assessment survey was offered to parents of children with CAH who were attending the Annual CAH Support Group Meeting held at the National Hospital of Pediatrics (NHP) in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 10th June 2005.

RESULTS

Fifty-three families responded to the questionnaire. Information pertaining to the purchase and use of medication to treat CAH, access to medical care, surgical treatment for girls, and a wide range of parental concerns was collected.

CONCLUSIONS

This survey highlights the heavy burden that CAH places on families in Vietnam, and provides significant insights into various initiatives that could well help ease this suffering. In particular, efforts must be made to ensure essential medication is affordably available, communication of important messages to parents is enhanced, local support groups encouraged, and early diagnosis and medical treatment of CAH optimized so as to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Aromatase Inhibitors in Precocious Puberty

Aromatase inhibitors have been used in the treatment of selective forms of precocious puberty since the mid-1980s. The primary aim of therapy is attenuation of the effects of estrogen on growth, skeletal maturation, and secondary sexual development. The first-generation agent, testolactone, has been demonstrated to be tolerable and effective in the treatment of familial male precocious puberty, while mixed results with testolactone have been achieved in girls with McCune-Albright syndrome. A favorable outcome with the use of testolactone in conjunction with conventional therapy in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia has also been suggested. Although a few anecdotal reports of the use of newer generation aromatase inhibitors in precocious puberty exist, the extreme rarity of the relevant disorders remains a limiting factor in clinical investigation. In this review, the pathophysiology, presentation, and treatment of precocious puberty are described. Particular attention is devoted to the specific disorders in which aromatase inhibitors have been utilized, which are forms of peripheral (gonadotropin-independent) precocious puberty. The impact of untreated precocious puberty on growth and adult stature is discussed, and the actions of estrogen in the human skeleton are summarized. Finally, a detailed description of the existing literature pertaining to aromatase inhibitors in the pediatric population is provided. Emerging potential new indications are discussed. In conclusion, aromatase inhibitors, particularly testolactone, have a proven track record in the treatment of a few forms of precocious puberty. Continued exploration with new generation aromatase inhibitors in these disorders is ongoing. The wider application of aromatase inhibitors for the purposes of delaying skeletal maturation and increasing adult height in several conditions leading to short stature is currently a subject of intense investigation.

Indicators of adult height outcome in classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency congenital adrenal hyperplasia

OBJECTIVE

To obtain objective information on the relationship between adult height (AH), glucocorticoid (GC) dose, and degree of hormonal suppression in a population of patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency congenital adrenal hyperplasia (21-OHD CAH) to optimize treatment regimes.

STUDY DESIGN

Multicenter retrospective chart review of patients with salt wasting 21-OHD CAH diagnosed in the first 6 months of life, and who had reached AH (n = 54). The data were compiled into a single database.

RESULTS

Mean adult height standard deviation score - midparental height standard deviation score was -1.1 for both sexes. Growth velocity was normal during childhood but compromised during infancy and puberty. Onset and tempo of puberty were normal-to-delayed. Bone age was closely correlated with chronologic age (r = 0.93). AH was negatively correlated with androstenedione in infancy (r -0.68; P =.03) and childhood (-0.66; P <.01) and with testosterone in childhood (r -0.44; P =.01), but not with dehydroepiandrosterone or 17-hydroxyprogesterone. GC dose was not associated with AH.

CONCLUSIONS

Mean AH was in the lower range of genetic potential in this group of persons with 21-OHD CAH. Androgen levels should be used in conjunction with growth velocity measurements to optimize GC dosing in persons with 21-OHD CAH.

Putative effects of endocrine disrupters on pubertal development in the human

Pubertal development is regulated by gonadotrophins and sex hormones. There has been a clear secular trend in the timing of puberty during the last century, puberty becoming earlier. Although improved nutrition is assumed to be the cause, this could partly be associated with exposure to so-called endocrine disrupters. Precocious puberty has been described in several case reports of accidental exposure to oestrogenic compounds in cosmetic products, food and pharmaceuticals. Local epidemics of premature thelarche have also been suggested to be linked to endocrine disrupters. Children adopted from developing countries to industrialized countries often develop precocious puberty. Not only precocious puberty, but also delayed puberty can, theoretically, be associated with exposure to endocrine disrupters. While it is very plausible that endocrine disrupters may disturb pubertal development, there is very little research on this and, therefore, we do not yet have any clear cause-effect relationships in humans.

Height outcome in congenital adrenal hyperplasia caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate adult heights attained by patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency and to perform a meta-analysis of height outcomes reported in this population.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective chart review of our patients >5 years of age (n = 65) who were followed up from 1978 to 1998 for 21-hydroxylase deficiency was conducted. Final height (FH) SD scores and target height (TH) SD scores were determined. The impact of sex, time of diagnosis, and compliance was assessed. Meta-analysis of results from 18 studies was performed; TH was available for 204 of 561 patients.

RESULTS

Mean FH SD score-TH SD score for our 65 patients was -1.03. For the meta-analysis, mean weighted FH SD score for all 561 patients was -1.37, whereas weighted mean FH SD score-TH SD score for the 204 patients for whom TH was available was -1.21. No difference in outcome was seen for males compared with females, although a statistically significant difference was seen for patients identified early versus late.

CONCLUSIONS

Adult height in patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency is often within 1 SD of TH. Early diagnosis and good compliance appear to improve the outcome. Rather than pursuing alternate therapies for congenital adrenal hyperplasia, efforts may instead be focused on early detection and improved compliance with traditional medical therapy.

Bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy: a new treatment for difficult cases of congenital adrenal hyperplasia

PURPOSE

In difficult cases of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), often the child may have normal cortisol levels and elevated androgen levels, or normal androgen levels and elevated cortisol levels, but not normal levels of both. Because bilateral adrenalectomy removes the source of the abnormal androgen production, the authors felt that in some cases it might be more efficacious than conventional medical therapy.

METHODS

Three children with CAH and suboptimal response to medical management underwent bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Parents were counseled extensively regarding the experimental nature of this treatment and the potential long-term complications.

RESULTS

All children recovered quickly after a mean hospital stay of 1.8 days. Pathologic examination of the removed adrenal glands showed persistent cortical hyperplasia. Follow-up at 6 months indicated marked reduction in abnormal androgen production, which allowed lowering of the steroid dosing to physiologic levels.

CONCLUSION

In children with CAH refractory to medical management, bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy can be performed safely with almost trivial morbidity. Although early results are very encouraging, the anticipated long-term beneficial effects on growth, short stature, and adult infertility will require years to assess.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

More than 90% of cases of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH, the inherited inability to synthesize cortisol) are caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Females with severe, classic 21-hydroxylase deficiency are exposed to excess androgens prenatally and are born with virilized external genitalia. Most patients cannot synthesize sufficient aldosterone to maintain sodium balance and may develop potentially fatal "salt wasting" crises if not treated. The disease is caused by mutations in the CYP21 gene encoding the steroid 21-hydroxylase enzyme. More than 90% of these mutations result from intergenic recombinations between CYP21 and the closely linked CYP21P pseudogene. Approximately 20% are gene deletions due to unequal crossing over during meiosis, whereas the remainder are gene conversions--transfers to CYP21 of deleterious mutations normally present in CYP21P. The degree to which each mutation compromises enzymatic activity is strongly correlated with the clinical severity of the disease in patients carrying it. Prenatal diagnosis by direct mutation detection permits prenatal treatment of affected females to minimize genital virilization. Neonatal screening by hormonal methods identifies affected children before salt wasting crises develop, reducing mortality from this condition. Glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement are the mainstays of treatment, but more rational dosing and additional therapies are being developed.

Development of a highly sensitive nonisotopic immunoassay for the determination of salivary 17-hydroxyprogesterone: reference ranges throughout childhood and adolescence

A sensitive nonisotopic immunoassay for the determination of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) levels in saliva was developed. The new time-resolved fluorometric immunoassay employs a specific polyclonal anti-17-OHP antiserum immobilized onto microtiter plates, a 17-OHP-biotin conjugate as a tracer, and streptavidin-europium a as secondary probe. The lower detection limit of the assay is 23.6 pmol/L (mean -3 s of a 22-fold zero determination) corresponding to 0.39 pg/well. The coefficients of intraassay variation are 8.8, 5.3, and 8.3% at the respective concentrations of 90.9, 454.5, and 1363.5 pmol/L. The coefficients of interassay variation are 8.8, 5.3, and 8.3% at the respective concentrations. Saliva was collected in commercially available devices. Reference ranges were established using 394 saliva samples from 132 healthy children, adolescents, and adults. Morning, midday, and evening levels of 17-OHP levels in saliva varied significantly in all age groups with morning levels being higher than midday and evening levels. Saliva samples (n = 57) were also obtained from 18 children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Salivary 17-OHP levels in the limited number of CAH patients studied ranged from 121 to 106,050 pmol/L. In conclusion 1) a new, sensitive nonisotopic immunoassay for measurement of 17-OHP in saliva has been developed; 2) reference ranges for healthy children, adolescents, and adults have been established; 3) there is a circadian pattern of 17-OHP levels in saliva at all ages; and 4) measurement of 17-OHP in saliva should be further evaluated over a longer period of time as a potentially reliable and powerful technique to monitor metabolic control in patients with CAH. As 17-OHP levels in saliva are stable for > 10 wk at 4 degrees C, the technique is ideally suited for outpatient sampling.

Mortality in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: a cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To determine mortality in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) compared with that in the general population.

DESIGN

We identified 333 children with CAH, treated at several pediatric endocrinology departments in the United Kingdom since 1964, and monitored their mortality to mid 1996. Standardized mortality ratios were calculated, comparing mortality in the cohort with that in the general population, adjusted for sex, age, and calendar period.

RESULTS

All-cause mortality in the cohort was 3 times that expected. Mortality was significantly increased at ages 1 to 4 years (standardized mortality ratio = 18.3) but not at older ages and was significantly increased in patients of Indian-subcontinent ethnicity (standardized mortality ratio = 20.4), particularly in girls. From case notes and death certificates, it appears that most deaths were caused by adrenal crisis, often after infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Although survival of patients with CAH has greatly improved since steroid therapy has been used, this disease can still have fatal consequences. The high mortality rate in Indian ethnic girls may well reflect lack of parental acceptance and understanding of the disease, as well as of the action required when their child becomes acutely ill. Better communication with and education of parents of children with CAH, especially those from immigrant ethnic minorities, is important.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia complicated by central precocious puberty: linear growth during infancy and treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog

Some children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) develop true precocious puberty with early maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. We have seen six such children who had the diagnosis of CAH with late initiation of corticosteroid treatment and/or poor compliance who developed central precocious puberty (CPP). These patients were treated with standard-dose hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone. Administration of depot leuprorelin (3.75 mg subcutaneously every 28 days) for 2 years or longer was effective in arresting the manifestations of puberty, decelerating the pretreatment growth velocity ([GV] 10.8 +/- 1.5 v3.65 +/- 0.95 cm/yr), increasing the predicted adult height ([PAHT] 147.5 +/- 7.8 v 153.4 +/- 8.3 cm), and decreasing the bone age to statural age ratio (1.26 +/- 0.13 v 1.16 +/- 0.09). Analysis of auxanological data during the first 2 years of life showed that linear growth was significantly accelerated and bone age was advanced in patients who developed CPP compared with 11 age-matched patients. It appears that proper glucocorticoid replacement to achieve adequate control of hyperandrogenemia during early life might prevent development of CPP in these patients. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) therapy can improve the final adult height, bringing it closer to that expected from the genetic potential.

CYP11 beta 1 (11-beta-hydroxylase) deficiency in congenital adrenal hyperplasia

OBJECTIVE

To review experience of CYP11 beta 1 deficiency (previously known as 11 beta-hydroxylase) at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria.

METHODOLOGY

A retrospective case review was conducted from 1974 to 1995 with five cases identified.

RESULTS

Age of presentation ranged from 1 day to 7 years. Presentation was with ambiguous genitalia at birth (two females), simple virilization (two males) and suspected early puberty in mid childhood (one female). Associated clinical features were hypertension (three cases) and tail stature with markedly advanced bone age (four cases). Biochemical abnormalities consistent with CYP11 beta 1-deficiency were elevated urinary tetrahydro-11-deoxycortisol (n = 5) and elevated serum 11-deoxycortisol (n = 3). Additional abnormalities were elevated 17-hydroxyprogesterone (n = 3), elevated androstenedione (n = 4) and elevated dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (n = 4). The clinical features and investigations suggested CYP11 beta 1-classical deficiency in four patients and CYP11 beta 1-non-classical deficiency in one patient.

CONCLUSIONS

The five cases of CYP11 beta 1-deficiency demonstrate a spectrum of clinical abnormalities, with diagnostic difficulties in two cases and delayed presentation in three cases. Prompt diagnosis of CYP11 beta 1-deficiency is facilitated greatly by the availability of a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry instrument and is essential to avoid the long-term effects of hypertension and hyperandrogenism.