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Lee SC, Baranowski ES, Sakremath R, Saraff V, Mohamed Z. Hypoglycaemia in adrenal insufficiency. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1198519. [PMID: 38053731 PMCID: PMC10694272 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1198519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Adrenal insufficiency encompasses a group of congenital and acquired disorders that lead to inadequate steroid production by the adrenal glands, mainly glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids and androgens. These may be associated with other hormone deficiencies. Adrenal insufficiency may be primary, affecting the adrenal gland's ability to produce cortisol directly; secondary, affecting the pituitary gland's ability to produce adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH); or tertiary, affecting corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) production at the level of the hypothalamus. Congenital causes of adrenal insufficiency include the subtypes of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Adrenal Hypoplasia, genetic causes of Isolated ACTH deficiency or Combined Pituitary Hormone Deficiencies, usually caused by mutations in essential transcription factors. The most commonly inherited primary cause of adrenal insufficiency is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency; with the classical form affecting 1 in 10,000 to 15,000 cases per year. Acquired causes of adrenal insufficiency can be subtyped into autoimmune (Addison's Disease), traumatic (including haemorrhage or infarction), infective (e.g. Tuberculosis), infiltrative (e.g. neuroblastoma) and iatrogenic. Iatrogenic acquired causes include the use of prolonged exogenous steroids and post-surgical causes, such as the excision of a hypothalamic-pituitary tumour or adrenalectomy. Clinical features of adrenal insufficiency vary with age and with aetiology. They are often non-specific and may sometimes become apparent only in times of illness. Features range from those related to hypoglycaemia such as drowsiness, collapse, jitteriness, hypothermia and seizures. Features may also include signs of hypotension such as significant electrolyte imbalances and shock. Recognition of hypoglycaemia as a symptom of adrenal insufficiency is important to prevent treatable causes of sudden deaths. Cortisol has a key role in glucose homeostasis, particularly in the counter-regulatory mechanisms to prevent hypoglycaemia in times of biological stress. Affected neonates particularly appear susceptible to the compromise of these counter-regulatory mechanisms but it is recognised that affected older children and adults remain at risk of hypoglycaemia. In this review, we summarise the pathogenesis of hypoglycaemia in the context of adrenal insufficiency. We further explore the clinical features of hypoglycaemia based on different age groups and the burden of the disease, focusing on hypoglycaemic-related events in the various aetiologies of adrenal insufficiency. Finally, we sum up strategies from published literature for improved recognition and early prevention of hypoglycaemia in adrenal insufficiency, such as the use of continuous glucose monitoring or modifying glucocorticoid replacement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shien Chen Lee
- Department of Paediatrics, Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth S. Baranowski
- Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Rajesh Sakremath
- Department of Paediatrics, Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, United Kingdom
| | - Vrinda Saraff
- Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Zainaba Mohamed
- Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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2
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Ladjouze A, Donaldson M, Plotton I, Djenane N, Mohammedi K, Tardy-Guidollet V, Mallet D, Boulesnane K, Bouzerar Z, Morel Y, Roucher-Boulez F. Genotype, Mortality, Morbidity, and Outcomes of 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Deficiency in Algeria. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:867073. [PMID: 35757411 PMCID: PMC9229600 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.867073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (3βHSD2) deficiency is a rare form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), with fewer than 200 cases reported in the world literature and few data on outcomes. Patients and Methods We report a mixed longitudinal and cross-sectional study from a single Algerian center between 2007 and 2021. Virilization and under-masculinization were assessed using Prader staging and the external masculinization score (EMS), pubertal development staged according to the system of Tanner. Adrenal steroids were measured using mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS/MS). A genetic analysis of HSD3B2 was performed using Sanger sequencing. Results A 3βHSD2 defect was confirmed in 6 males and 8 females from 10 families (8 consanguineous), with p.Pro222Gln mutation in all but two siblings with a novel deletion: c.453_464del or p.(Thr152_Pro155del). Probable 3βHSD2 deficiency was diagnosed retrospectively in a further 6 siblings who died, and in two patients from two other centers. In the genetically confirmed patients, the median (range) age at presentation was 20 (0-390) days, with salt-wasting (n = 14) and genital anomaly (n = 10). The Prader stage for female patients was 2 (1-2) with no posterior fusion of the labia. The EMS for males was 6 (3-9). Median (range) values at diagnosis for 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and 17-hydroxypregnenolone (17OHPreg) were elevated: 73.7 (0.37-164.3) nmol/L; 501.2(9.4-5441.3) nmol/L, and 139.7 (10.9-1500) nmol/l (NB >90 nmol/L diagnostic of 3βHSD2 defect). Premature pubarche was observed in four patients (3F:1M). Six patients (5F:1M) entered puberty spontaneously, aged 11 (5-13) years in 5 girls and 11.5 years in one boy. Testicular adrenal rest tumors were found in three boys. Four girls reached menarche at 14.3 (11-14.5) years, with three developing adrenal masses (surgically excised in two) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with radiological evidence of ovarian adrenal rest tumor in one. The median IQ was 90 (43-105), >100 in only two patients and <70 in three. Conclusions The prevalence of 3βHSD2 deficiency in Algeria appears high, with p.Pro222Gln being the most frequent mutation. Mortality is also high, with significant morbidity from adrenal tumors and PCOS in adolescence and an increased risk of learning disability. The finding of adrenal tumors in older patients with 3βHSD2 indicates under-replacement, requiring effective hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone treatment rather than surgical removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmahane Ladjouze
- Department of Paediatrics, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Bab El Oued, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Malcolm Donaldson
- Section of Child Health, School of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ingrid Plotton
- Molecular Endocrinology and Rare Diseases, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon University Hospital, Bron-Lyon, France
| | - Nacima Djenane
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Bab El Oued, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Kahina Mohammedi
- Department of Paediatrics, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Bab El Oued, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Véronique Tardy-Guidollet
- Molecular Endocrinology and Rare Diseases, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon University Hospital, Bron-Lyon, France
| | - Delphine Mallet
- Molecular Endocrinology and Rare Diseases, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon University Hospital, Bron-Lyon, France
| | - Kamélia Boulesnane
- Department of Paediatrics, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Bab El Oued, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Zair Bouzerar
- Department of Paediatrics, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Bab El Oued, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Yves Morel
- Molecular Endocrinology and Rare Diseases, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon University Hospital, Bron-Lyon, France
| | - Florence Roucher-Boulez
- Molecular Endocrinology and Rare Diseases, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon University Hospital, Bron-Lyon, France
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3
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Abstract
Treatment for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) was introduced in the 1950s following the discovery of the structure and function of adrenocortical hormones. Although major advances in molecular biology have delineated steroidogenic mechanisms and the genetics of CAH, management and treatment of this condition continue to present challenges. Management is complicated by a combination of comorbidities that arise from disease-related hormonal derangements and treatment-related adverse effects. The clinical outcomes of CAH can include life-threatening adrenal crises, altered growth and early puberty, and adverse effects on metabolic, cardiovascular, bone and reproductive health. Standard-of-care glucocorticoid formulations fall short of replicating the circadian rhythm of cortisol and controlling efficient adrenocorticotrophic hormone-driven adrenal androgen production. Adrenal-derived 11-oxygenated androgens have emerged as potential new biomarkers for CAH, as traditional biomarkers are subject to variability and are not adrenal-specific, contributing to management challenges. Multiple alternative treatment approaches are being developed with the aim of tailoring therapy for improved patient outcomes. This Review focuses on challenges and advances in the management and treatment of CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, the most common type of CAH. Furthermore, we examine new therapeutic developments, including treatments designed to replace cortisol in a physiological manner and adjunct agents intended to control excess androgens and thereby enable reductions in glucocorticoid doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwini Mallappa
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Deborah P Merke
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Claahsen - van der Grinten HL, Speiser PW, Ahmed SF, Arlt W, Auchus RJ, Falhammar H, Flück CE, Guasti L, Huebner A, Kortmann BBM, Krone N, Merke DP, Miller WL, Nordenström A, Reisch N, Sandberg DE, Stikkelbroeck NMML, Touraine P, Utari A, Wudy SA, White PC. Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia-Current Insights in Pathophysiology, Diagnostics, and Management. Endocr Rev 2022; 43:91-159. [PMID: 33961029 PMCID: PMC8755999 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnab016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 88.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders affecting cortisol biosynthesis. Reduced activity of an enzyme required for cortisol production leads to chronic overstimulation of the adrenal cortex and accumulation of precursors proximal to the blocked enzymatic step. The most common form of CAH is caused by steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency due to mutations in CYP21A2. Since the last publication summarizing CAH in Endocrine Reviews in 2000, there have been numerous new developments. These include more detailed understanding of steroidogenic pathways, refinements in neonatal screening, improved diagnostic measurements utilizing chromatography and mass spectrometry coupled with steroid profiling, and improved genotyping methods. Clinical trials of alternative medications and modes of delivery have been recently completed or are under way. Genetic and cell-based treatments are being explored. A large body of data concerning long-term outcomes in patients affected by CAH, including psychosexual well-being, has been enhanced by the establishment of disease registries. This review provides the reader with current insights in CAH with special attention to these new developments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Phyllis W Speiser
- Cohen Children’s Medical Center of NY, Feinstein Institute, Northwell Health, Zucker School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, NY 11040, USA
| | - S Faisal Ahmed
- Developmental Endocrinology Research Group, School of Medicine Dentistry & Nursing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Wiebke Arlt
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Richard J Auchus
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, Departments of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Henrik Falhammar
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Intitutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Endocrinology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christa E Flück
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Guasti
- Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Bart’s and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Angela Huebner
- Division of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Department of Paediatrics, Universitätsklinikum Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Barbara B M Kortmann
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Amalia Childrens Hospital, Department of Pediatric Urology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nils Krone
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Deborah P Merke
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Walter L Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Reproductive Sciences, and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Anna Nordenström
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nicole Reisch
- Medizinische Klinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - David E Sandberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Philippe Touraine
- Department of Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Center for Rare Endocrine Diseases of Growth and Development, Center for Rare Gynecological Diseases, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Sorbonne University Medicine, Paris, France
| | - Agustini Utari
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia
| | - Stefan A Wudy
- Steroid Research & Mass Spectrometry Unit, Laboratory of Translational Hormone Analytics, Division of Paediatric Endocrinology & Diabetology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Perrin C White
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX 75390, USA
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Weber J, Tanawattanacharoen VK, Seagroves A, Liang MC, Koppin CM, Ross HM, Bachega TASS, Geffner ME, Serrano-Gonzalez M, Bhullar G, Kim MS. Low Adrenomedullary Function Predicts Acute Illness in Infants With Classical Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022; 107:e264-e271. [PMID: 34397083 PMCID: PMC8826013 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Youth with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) exhibit abnormal adrenomedullary function with decreased epinephrine levels noted in newborns and young infants. Little is known about how this relates to morbidity during the first year of life. OBJECTIVE This work aimed to study plasma epinephrine levels in infants with classical CAH and examine the clinical significance of epinephrine deficiency in the first year of life. METHODS This prospective cohort study comprised participants recruited from a pediatric tertiary care center: 36 infants with classical CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency and 27 age-matched unaffected controls with congenital hypothyroidism. Main outcome measures included plasma epinephrine levels (N = 27), CYP21A2 genotype (N = 15), and incidence of acute illnesses from birth to age 1 year (N = 28). RESULTS Epinephrine levels in CAH infants independently predicted illness incidence in the first year of life (β = -0.018, R = -0.45, P = .02) and were negatively correlated with 17-hydroxyprogesterone at diagnosis (R = -0.51, P = .007). Infants with salt-wasting CAH exhibited lower epinephrine levels as newborns than simple-virilizing infants (P = .02). CAH patients had lower epinephrine as newborns than did controls (P = .007) and showed decreases in epinephrine from birth to age 1 year (P = .04). Null genotype was associated with lower newborn epinephrine and more illness in the first year of life, compared to less severe mutation categories. CONCLUSION Lower epinephrine levels are associated with increased risk of illness among CAH infants. While not currently part of clinical standard of care, measuring epinephrine levels and assessing genotype may help predict acute illness in the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Weber
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Veeraya K Tanawattanacharoen
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Amy Seagroves
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Mark C Liang
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Christina M Koppin
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Heather M Ross
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Tania A S S Bachega
- Laboratory of Hormones and Molecular Genetics-LIM 42, Division of Endocrinology, Clinics Hospital, School of Medicine, São Paulo University, São Paulo 05508-220, Brazil
| | - Mitchell E Geffner
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
- The Saban Research Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Monica Serrano-Gonzalez
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA
| | - Gagandeep Bhullar
- Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA
| | - Mimi S Kim
- Correspondence: Mimi S. Kim, MD, Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Mailstop 61, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
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Impact of Newborn Screening on Clinical Presentation of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 57:medicina57101035. [PMID: 34684072 PMCID: PMC8540623 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57101035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The main reason for Newborn screening (NBS) for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is to prevent adrenal insufficiency that can lead to life-threatening conditions. On the other hand, screening programs are not always sensitive and effective enough to detect the disease. We aimed to evaluate impact of the national NBS on the clinical presentation of patients with CAH in Lithuania. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed on data of 88 patients with CAH from 1989 to 2020. Patients with confirmed CAH were divided into two groups: (1) 75 patients diagnosed before NBS: 52 cases with salt-wasting (SW), 21 with simple virilising (SV) and two with non-classical (NC) form; (2) 13 patients diagnosed with NBS: 12 cases with SW and 1 case with SV form. For the evaluation of NBS effectiveness, data of only male infants with salt-wasting CAH were analysed (n = 36, 25 unscreened and nine screened). Data on gestational age, birth weight, weight, symptoms, and laboratory tests (serum potassium and sodium levels) on the day of diagnosis, were analysed. Results: A total of 158,486 neonates were screened for CAH from 2015 to 2020 in Lithuania and CAH was confirmed in 13 patients (12 SW, one–SV form), no false negative cases were found. The sensitivity and specificity of NBS program for classical CAH forms were 100%; however, positive predictive value was only 4%. There were no significant differences between unscreened and screened male infant groups in terms of age at diagnosis, serum potassium, and serum sodium levels. Significant differences were found in weight at diagnosis between the groups (−1.67 ± 1.12 SDS versus 0.046 ± 1.01 SDS of unscreened and screened patients respectively, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The sensitivity and specificity of NBS for CAH program were 100%, but positive predictive value—only 4%. Weight loss was significantly lower and the weight SDS at diagnosis was significantly higher in the group of screened patients.
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Tsuji-Hosokawa A, Kashimada K. Thirty-Year Lessons from the Newborn Screening for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) in Japan. Int J Neonatal Screen 2021; 7:ijns7030036. [PMID: 34209888 PMCID: PMC8293132 DOI: 10.3390/ijns7030036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an inherited disorder caused by the absence or severely impaired activity of steroidogenic enzymes involved in cortisol biosynthesis. More than 90% of cases result from 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD). To prevent life-threatening adrenal crisis and to help perform appropriate sex assignments for affected female patients, newborn screening (NBS) programs for the classical form of CAH have been introduced in numerous countries. In Japan, the NBS for CAH was introduced in 1989, following the screenings for phenylketonuria and congenital hypothyroidism. In this review, we aim to summarize the experience of the past 30 years of the NBS for CAH in Japan, composed of four parts, 1: screening system in Japan, 2: the clinical outcomes for the patients with CAH, 3: various factors that would impact the NBS system, including timeline, false positive, and LC-MS/MS, 4: Database composition and improvement of the screening program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsumi Tsuji-Hosokawa
- Department of Systems BioMedicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan;
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Kenichi Kashimada
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
- Correspondence:
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de Miranda MC, Haddad LBDP, Trindade E, Cassenote A, Hayashi GY, Damiani D, Costa FC, Madureira G, de Mendonca BB, Bachega TASS. The Cost-Effectiveness of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Newborn Screening in Brazil: A Comparison Between Screened and Unscreened Cohorts. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:659492. [PMID: 34109139 PMCID: PMC8183606 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.659492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH-NBS) is not yet a worldwide consensus, in part due to inconclusive evidence regarding cost-effectiveness because the analysis requires an understanding of the short- and long-term costs of care associated with delayed diagnosis. Objective: The present study aimed to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) to compare the costs associated with CAH-NBS and clinical diagnosis. Methods: A decision model comparing the two strategies was tested by sensitivity analysis. The cost analysis perspective was the public health system. Unscreened patients' data were extracted from medical records of Hospital das Clinicas, Saõ Paulo, and screened data were extracted from the NBS Referral Center of São Paulo. The population comprised 195 classical patients with CAH, clinically diagnosed and confirmed by hormonal/CYP21A2 analysis, and 378,790 newborns screened during 2017. Adverse outcomes related to late diagnosis were measured in both cohorts, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated. We hypothesized that CAH-NBS would be cost-effective. Results: Twenty-five screened infants were confirmed with CAH (incidence: 1:15,135). The mortality rate was estimated to be 11% in unscreened infants, and no deaths were reported in the screened cohort. Comparing the unscreened and screened cohorts, mean serum sodium levels were 121.2 mEq/L (118.3-124.1) and 131.8 mEq/L (129.3-134.5), mean ages at diagnosis were 38.8 and 17 days, and hospitalization occurred in 76% and 58% of the salt-wasting patients with the in the two cohorts, respectively. The NBS incremental cost was US$ 771,185.82 per death averted, which yielded an ICER of US$ 25,535.95 per discounted life-year saved. Conclusions: CAH-NBS is important in preventing CAH mortality/morbidity, can reduce costs associated with adverse outcomes, and appears cost-effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirela Costa de Miranda
- Unidade de Adrenal da Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciana Bertocco de Paiva Haddad
- Divisão de Transplantes Hepático, Departamento de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Evelinda Trindade
- São Paulo State Health Technology Assessment Network, São Paulo State Department of Health, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alex Cassenote
- Divisão de Transplantes Hepático, Departamento de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giselle Y Hayashi
- Laboratório do Serviço de Referência em Triagem Neonatal, Instituto Jô Clemente, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Durval Damiani
- Unidade de Endocrinologia Pediátrica Do Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Cavalieri Costa
- Unidade de Adrenal da Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Guiomar Madureira
- Unidade de Adrenal da Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Berenice Bilharinho de Mendonca
- Unidade de Adrenal da Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tania A S S Bachega
- Unidade de Adrenal da Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Grosse SD, Van Vliet G. Challenges in Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Newborn Screening: The Example of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. Int J Neonatal Screen 2020; 6:E82. [PMID: 33239603 PMCID: PMC7712219 DOI: 10.3390/ijns6040082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Generalizing about the cost-effectiveness of newborn screening (NBS) is difficult due to the heterogeneity of disorders included in NBS panels, along with data limitations. Furthermore, it is unclear to what extent evidence about cost-effectiveness should influence decisions to screen for specific disorders. Screening newborns for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency can serve as a useful test case, since there is no global consensus on whether CAH should be part of NBS panels. Published and unpublished cost-effectiveness analyses of CAH screening have yielded mixed findings, largely due to differences in methods and data sources for estimating health outcomes and associated costs of early versus late diagnosis as well as between-country differences. Understanding these methodological challenges can help inform future analyses and could also help interested policymakers interpret the results of economic evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D. Grosse
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Guy Van Vliet
- Endocrinology Service and Research Center of the Sainte-Justine Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada;
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10
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El-Maouche D, Hargreaves CJ, Sinaii N, Mallappa A, Veeraraghavan P, Merke DP. Longitudinal Assessment of Illnesses, Stress Dosing, and Illness Sequelae in Patients With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018; 103:2336-2345. [PMID: 29584889 PMCID: PMC6276663 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2018-00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are at risk for life-threatening adrenal crises. Management of illness episodes aims to prevent adrenal crises. OBJECTIVE We evaluated rates of illnesses and associated factors in patients with CAH followed prospectively and receiving repeated glucocorticoid stress dosing education. METHODS Longitudinal analysis of 156 patients with CAH followed at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center over 23 years was performed. The rates of illnesses and stress-dose days, emergency room (ER) visits, hospitalizations, and adrenal crises were analyzed in relation to phenotype, age, sex, treatment, and hormonal evaluations. RESULTS A total of 2298 visits were evaluated. Patients were followed for 9.3 ± 6.0 years. During childhood, there were more illness episodes and stress dosing than adulthood (P < 0.001); however, more ER visits and hospitalizations occurred during adulthood (P ≤ 0.03). The most robust predictors of stress dosing were young age, low hydrocortisone and high fludrocortisone dose during childhood, and female sex during adulthood. Gastrointestinal and upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) were the two most common precipitating events for adrenal crises and hospitalizations across all ages. Adrenal crisis with probable hypoglycemia occurred in 11 pediatric patients (ages 1.1 to 11.3 years). Undetectable epinephrine was associated with ER visits during childhood (P = 0.03) and illness episodes during adulthood (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Repeated stress-related glucocorticoid dosing teaching is essential, but revised age-appropriate guidelines for the management of infectious illnesses are needed for patients with adrenal insufficiency that aim to reduce adrenal crises and prevent hypoglycemia, particularly in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diala El-Maouche
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Ninet Sinaii
- Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Service, National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ashwini Mallappa
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Deborah P Merke
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- Correspondence and Reprint Requests: Deborah P. Merke, MD, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 10 Center
Drive, Room 1-2740, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. E-mail:
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11
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Pijnenburg-Kleizen KJ, Engels M, Mooij CF, Griffin A, Krone N, Span PN, van Herwaarden AE, Sweep FCGJ, Claahsen-van der Grinten HL. Adrenal Steroid Metabolites Accumulating in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Lead to Transactivation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor. Endocrinology 2015. [PMID: 26207344 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are often clinically less severely affected by cortisol deficiency than anticipated from their enzymatic defect. We hypothesize that adrenal steroid hormone precursors that accumulate in untreated or poorly controlled CAH have glucocorticoid activity and partially compensate for cortisol deficiency. We studied the in vitro effects of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP), progesterone (P), 21-deoxycortisol (21DF), and androstenedione (Δ4) on the human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR). Competitive binding assays were performed in HeLa cells. Nuclear translocation of the hGR was studied by transfection of COS-7 cells with a GFP-tagged hGR and fluorescence microscopy. Transactivation assays were performed in COS-7 cells and in HEK 293 cells after cotransfection with hGR and luciferase reporter vectors using a dual luciferase assay. 17OHP, P, and 21DF are able to bind to the hGR with binding affinities of 24-43% compared with cortisol. Δ4 has a low binding affinity. Incubation with 21DF led to complete nuclear translocation of the hGR, whereas treatment with 17OHP or P resulted in partial nuclear translocation. 21DF transactivated the hGR with an EC50 approximately 6 times the EC50 of cortisol. 17OHP and P transactivated the hGR with EC50s of more than 100 times the EC50 of cortisol. No hGR transactivation was detected after incubation with Δ4. 21DF, 17OHP, and P are able to bind, translocate, and transactivate the hGR in vitro and thus may have glucocorticoid activity. 21DF might have a clinically relevant agonistic effect on the hGR and could potentially partially compensate the cortisol deficiency in CAH patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Pijnenburg-Kleizen
- Department of Pediatrics (K.J.P.-K., M.E., C.F.M., H.L.C.v.d.G.), and Department of Laboratory Medicine (M.E., A.E.v.H., F.C.G.J.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (A.G., N.K.), University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and Department of Radiation Oncology (P.N.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Engels
- Department of Pediatrics (K.J.P.-K., M.E., C.F.M., H.L.C.v.d.G.), and Department of Laboratory Medicine (M.E., A.E.v.H., F.C.G.J.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (A.G., N.K.), University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and Department of Radiation Oncology (P.N.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - C F Mooij
- Department of Pediatrics (K.J.P.-K., M.E., C.F.M., H.L.C.v.d.G.), and Department of Laboratory Medicine (M.E., A.E.v.H., F.C.G.J.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (A.G., N.K.), University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and Department of Radiation Oncology (P.N.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A Griffin
- Department of Pediatrics (K.J.P.-K., M.E., C.F.M., H.L.C.v.d.G.), and Department of Laboratory Medicine (M.E., A.E.v.H., F.C.G.J.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (A.G., N.K.), University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and Department of Radiation Oncology (P.N.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N Krone
- Department of Pediatrics (K.J.P.-K., M.E., C.F.M., H.L.C.v.d.G.), and Department of Laboratory Medicine (M.E., A.E.v.H., F.C.G.J.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (A.G., N.K.), University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and Department of Radiation Oncology (P.N.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - P N Span
- Department of Pediatrics (K.J.P.-K., M.E., C.F.M., H.L.C.v.d.G.), and Department of Laboratory Medicine (M.E., A.E.v.H., F.C.G.J.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (A.G., N.K.), University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and Department of Radiation Oncology (P.N.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A E van Herwaarden
- Department of Pediatrics (K.J.P.-K., M.E., C.F.M., H.L.C.v.d.G.), and Department of Laboratory Medicine (M.E., A.E.v.H., F.C.G.J.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (A.G., N.K.), University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and Department of Radiation Oncology (P.N.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - F C G J Sweep
- Department of Pediatrics (K.J.P.-K., M.E., C.F.M., H.L.C.v.d.G.), and Department of Laboratory Medicine (M.E., A.E.v.H., F.C.G.J.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (A.G., N.K.), University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and Department of Radiation Oncology (P.N.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - H L Claahsen-van der Grinten
- Department of Pediatrics (K.J.P.-K., M.E., C.F.M., H.L.C.v.d.G.), and Department of Laboratory Medicine (M.E., A.E.v.H., F.C.G.J.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (A.G., N.K.), University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and Department of Radiation Oncology (P.N.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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12
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Hampson E, Rovet JF. Spatial function in adolescents and young adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: clinical phenotype and implications for the androgen hypothesis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 54:60-70. [PMID: 25686803 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Females with the classic form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency are said to perform better than unaffected female controls on tests of mental rotation or other visuospatial abilities, but findings are conflicting. We studied 31 adolescents and young adults with CAH and 19 unaffected sibling controls, who were given standardized spatial tests and tests of other sexually differentiated cognitive functions (verbal fluency, perceptual speed). The possible role of CAH subtype (salt-wasting or simple-virilizing) was evaluated. Only females with the more severe, salt-wasting form of CAH, but not females with the simple-virilizing form, performed significantly better than sex-matched sibling controls on measures of mental rotation. Subtype differences were not significant for verbal fluency or perceptual speed. Severity of prenatal genital virilization, but not postnatal age when medication was started, predicted accuracy on the Mental Rotations Test. Results are consistent with the possibility of an organizational effect of androgens in the central nervous system that impacts the development of spatial abilities. Implications for the timing of the hypothetical critical period are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Hampson
- Department of Psychology and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
| | - Joanne F Rovet
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
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13
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Heather NL, Seneviratne SN, Webster D, Derraik JGB, Jefferies C, Carll J, Jiang Y, Cutfield WS, Hofman PL. Newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia in New Zealand, 1994-2013. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2015; 100:1002-8. [PMID: 25494862 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2014-3168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of national newborn screening for severe congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in New Zealand over the past 20 years. METHODS Newborn screening for CAH is performed through the estimation of 17-hydroxyprogesterone by a Delfia immunoassay. CAH cases diagnosed in the newborn period from 1994 to 2013 were identified from Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme records. RESULTS Between 1994 and 2013, 44 neonates (28 females, 16 males) were diagnosed with CAH, giving an incidence of 1:26 727. Almost half (n = 21) of the newborns with CAH were detected solely via screening (not clinically suspected), including 21% of all affected females. Among the group solely ascertained by screening, 17-hydroxyprogesterone sampling occurred at a mean age of 3.3 days (range 2-8 d), the duration from sampling to notification was 5.2 days (0-12 d), and treatment was initiated at 12.0 days (6-122 d). Vomiting was present in 14% of those ascertained by screening, but none had hypotension or collapse at diagnosis. Increasing age at treatment was correlated with a progressive decrease in serum sodium (r = -0.56; P < .0001) and an increase in serum potassium concentrations (r = 0.38; P = .017). Compared with newborns diagnosed by screening alone, those clinically diagnosed were predominantly female (96% vs 29%; P < .0001), notification occurred earlier (4.8 vs 8.5 d; P = .002), and had higher serum sodium (136.8 vs 130.8 mmol/L; P < .0001) and lower serum potassium (5.3 vs 6.0 mmol/L; P = .011) concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Screening alone accounted for nearly 50% cases of CAH detected in the newborn period, including a fifth of affected females, indicating that clinical diagnosis is unreliable in both genders. Symptoms were mild at diagnosis and there were no adrenal crises. This study confirms the benefits of newborn CAH screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha L Heather
- Starship Children's Hospital (N.L.H., C.J.), 1023 Auckland, New Zealand; Liggins Institute (S.N.S., J.G.B.D., W.S.C., P.L.H.) and Department of Statistics (Y.J.), University of Auckland, 1142 Auckland, New Zealand; and New Zealand National Screening Unit (D.W., J.C.), Ministry of Health, 1051 Auckland, New Zealand
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14
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Kim MS, Ryabets-Lienhard A, Bali B, Lane CJ, Park AH, Hall S, Geffner ME. Decreased adrenomedullary function in infants with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2014; 99:E1597-601. [PMID: 24878051 PMCID: PMC4121032 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2014-1274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency can cause life-threatening adrenal crises as well as severe hypoglycemia, especially in very young children. Studies of CAH patients 4 years old or older have found abnormal morphology and function of the adrenal medulla and lower levels of epinephrine and glucose in response to stress than in controls. However, it is unknown whether such adrenomedullary abnormalities develop in utero and/or exist during the clinically high-risk period of infancy and early childhood. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to characterize adrenomedullary function in infants with CAH by comparing their catecholamine levels with controls. Design/Settings: This was a prospective cross-sectional study in a pediatric tertiary care center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels were measured by HPLC. RESULTS Infants with CAH (n = 9, aged 9.6 ± 11.4 d) had significantly lower epinephrine levels than controls [n = 12, aged 7.2 ± 3.2 d: median 84 [(25th; 75th) 51; 87] vs 114.5 (86; 175.8) pg/mL, respectively (P = .02)]. Norepinephrine to epinephrine ratios were also significantly higher in CAH patients than controls (P = .01). The control infants had primary hypothyroidism, but pre- and posttreatment analyses revealed no confounding effects on catecholamine levels. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates for the first time that infants with classical CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency have significantly lower plasma epinephrine levels than controls, indicating that impaired adrenomedullary function may occur during fetal development and be present from birth. A longitudinal study of adrenomedullary function in CAH patients from infancy through early childhood is warranted.
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15
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Hird BE, Tetlow L, Tobi S, Patel L, Clayton PE. No evidence of an increase in early infant mortality from congenital adrenal hyperplasia in the absence of screening. Arch Dis Child 2014; 99:158-64. [PMID: 24225272 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2013-304473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is not currently included in the UK newborn screening programme. We investigated the hypothesis that, owing to non-specificity of symptoms, a proportion of males affected by salt-wasting (SW) CAH have died in infancy without being diagnosed. DESIGN Stored newborn screening blood spot samples were analysed for 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) in the following groups: Infants born in the North West of England, 1994 to 2006, who had died by 6 months age; (n=1198), a neonatal reference group (full-term n=100; preterm n=100) and a CAH positive control group. A newborn blood spot sample collected before diagnosis was available in 29/61 CAH patients recruited. SW CAH was present in 18/29 patients (16 males and 2 females). Samples from the deceased group with elevated 17-OHP were analysed for 8 common mutations in the 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21A2). SETTING North West of England. RESULTS Grouped by gestational age, mean (maximum) blood spot 17-OHP in nmol/L was as follows. Deceased full-term n=279, 6 (107); deceased premature n=365, 28 (251); deceased unknown gestational age n=553, 13 (>394). In the SW positive control group, the lowest level of 17-OHP was 179 nmol/L and 14 had levels greater than the highest standard (>268 to >420 nmol/L). All samples from the deceased group with 17-OHP results >179 nmol/L (n=6) and a further 13 samples underwent mutation analysis. No mutations were identified. CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not support the hypothesis that, in our unscreened population, males affected by SW CAH are dying prior to diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beverly E Hird
- Department of Biochemistry, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
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16
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Kyriakopoulou L, Yazdanpanah M, Colantonio D, Chan M, Daly C, Adeli K. A sensitive and rapid mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous measurement of eight steroid hormones and CALIPER pediatric reference intervals. Clin Biochem 2013; 46:642-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2013.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Revised: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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17
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Shetty VB, Bower C, Jones TW, Lewis BD, Davis EA. Ethnic and gender differences in rates of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in Western Australia over a 21 year period. J Paediatr Child Health 2012; 48:1029-32. [PMID: 23039988 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2012.02584.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AIM To evaluate the incidence, sex distribution, ethnicity, age at diagnosis, clinical presentation and morbidity of all childhood-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) cases in Western Australia (WA) between 1990 and 2010, a state where newborn screening for CAH is not in place. METHODS The total number of all known CAH cases was identified. Case files were reviewed retrospectively to determine clinical details. Classical CAH (C-CAH) was defined as patients presenting before 6 months of age and non-classical (NC-CAH) as presenting after 6 months. RESULTS Of the 41 CAH cases (26 female) born in WA, 5(12.2%) were of Aboriginal ethnicity. CAH was due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency in 40 cases. Of those with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, 37 were C-CAH (25 female) and 3 NC-CAH (all male). The incidence of C-CAH in WA was estimated to be 0.67 per 10, 000 live births (1:14, 869). The incidence rate ratio of Aboriginal compared with non-Aboriginal C-CAH was 2.45 (95% confidence interval 0.96-6.29). The mean age of diagnosis of C-CAH cases was lower in females (8.9 ± 2.5 days) compared to males (23.4 ± 9.8 days). Among these males, 72.7% presented initially with adrenal crisis. CONCLUSION The estimated incidence of classical CAH is similar to composite worldwide data. The increased female-to-male ratio is not in keeping with the expected sex distribution seen in a recessively inherited disease. The delayed diagnosis in males, with a significant proportion presenting with adrenal crisis, could be avoided with newborn screening. The higher rate of CAH in patients with Aboriginal ethnicity is a novel observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinutha B Shetty
- Department of Endocrinology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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18
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Meyer-Bahlburg HFL, Dolezal C, Haggerty R, Silverman M, New MI. Cognitive outcome of offspring from dexamethasone-treated pregnancies at risk for congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Eur J Endocrinol 2012; 167:103-10. [PMID: 22549088 PMCID: PMC3383400 DOI: 10.1530/eje-11-0789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To test whether dexamethasone (DEX) treatment in pregnancies at risk for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) impairs cognitive functioning in the offspring. DESIGN Observational follow-up of prenatally DEX-exposed offspring and controls. METHODS Study 1 included 140 children aged 512 years: 67 DEX-exposed (long-term: eight CAH girls) and 73 unexposed (with 15 CAH girls). Study 2 included 20 participants aged 11-24 years: seven DEX-exposed (long-term: one CAH woman) and 13 unexposed (with four CAH women). Neuropsychological testing was done in hospital settings or at patients' homes. Data analysis aimed at maximizing detection of the effects of DEX exposure. RESULTS The vast majority of group comparisons were not marginally or conventionally significant. The few significant findings on short-term prenatal DEX exposure suggested more positive than adverse outcomes. By contrast, few significant findings in females with CAH and long-term DEX exposure indicated slower mental processing than in controls on several neuropsychological variables, although partial correlations of DEX exposure duration with cognitive outcome did not corroborate this association. CONCLUSIONS Although our studies do not replicate a previously reported adverse effect of short-term prenatal DEX exposure on working memory, our findings on cognitive function in CAH girls with long-term DEX exposure contribute to concerns about potentially adverse cognitive after effects of such exposure. Yet, our studies are not definitive, and replications in larger samples are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heino F L Meyer-Bahlburg
- NYS Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, NYSPI Unit 15, New York, New York 10032, USA.
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Jonker SS, Scholz TD, Segar JL. The effect of adrenalectomy on the cardiac response to subacute fetal anemia. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2011; 89:79-88. [PMID: 21326338 DOI: 10.1139/y10-108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms that stimulate fetal heart growth during anemia are unknown. To examine the hypothesis that adrenal hormones contribute to this process, we determined the effects of adrenalectomy (Adx) on heart growth and the activation of cardiac mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the presence and absence of fetal anemia. To identify mechanisms contributing to the initiation of cardiac growth, the duration of anemia was limited to a period shorter than that previously described to result in increased cardiac mass. Four groups of fetal sheep were studied (Adx-Anemic, Adx-Control, Intact-Anemic, Intact-Control). Anemia was created by daily controlled hemorrhage for 5 days; hearts were collected for analysis at 133 d gestation (term 145 d). Cardiomyocyte morphometry, immunohistochemistry for Ki-67 (proliferation marker), and Western blotting for protein levels of MAPKs and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were performed. Blood pressure, heart rate, heart weight-to-body weight ratio, and cardiomyocyte length and width remained similar among groups throughout the study. PCNA levels in the Adx-Anemic group were twice as high as in any other group (both ventricles, p < 0.05). Levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were ~60% higher in the Intact-Anemic and Adx-Anemic groups, compared with the Intact-Control and Adx-Control groups (p < 0.02). These results suggest that adrenal hormones may attenuate fetal cardiomyocyte proliferation in response to anemia (as evidenced by the increased PCNA in Adx-Anemic fetuses) and that phosphorylation of myocardial ERK results from fetal anemia, irrespective of the status of the fetal adrenal gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonnet S Jonker
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: classification of studies employing psychological endpoints. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY 2010; 2010:191520. [PMID: 20976294 PMCID: PMC2952788 DOI: 10.1155/2010/191520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2010] [Revised: 07/07/2010] [Accepted: 07/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Psychological outcomes in persons with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) have received substantial attention. The objectives of this paper were to (1) catalog psychological endpoints assessed in CAH outcome studies and (2) classify the conceptual/theoretical model shaping the research design and interpretation of CAH-related psychological effects. A total of 98 original research studies, published between 1955 and 2009, were categorized based on psychological endpoints examined as well as the research design and conceptual model guiding analysis and interpretation of data. The majority of studies (68%) investigated endpoints related to psychosexual differentiation. The preponderance of studies (76%) examined a direct relationship (i.e., inferring causality) between prenatal androgen exposure and psychological outcomes. Findings are discussed in relation to the observed imbalance between theoretical interest in the role of prenatal androgens in shaping psychosexual differentiation and a broader conceptual model that examines the role of other potential factors in mediating or moderating the influence of CAH pathophysiology on psychological outcomes in both affected females and males. The latter approach offers to identify factors amenable to clinical intervention that enhance both health and quality of life outcomes in CAH as well as other disorders of sex development.
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Abstract
CONONGENITAL ADRENAL hyperplasia (CAH) is an inborn error of metabolism that can produce life-threatening disease in the first one to three weeks of life, unless properly diagnosed and managed. This autosomal recessive disease results in insufficient biosynthesis of cortisol due to an enzyme defect in the adrenal gland. CAH due to 21-hydroxylase (21-OH) deficiency is found in 1/11,000–1/15,000 people in the general population, with a prevalence as high as 1/750 people in some populations such as the Yupik Eskimos in Alaska and the people of La Réunion in France.1 Males and females are equally affected by this disease due to the autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance.
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Verma S, Green-Golan L, VanRyzin C, Drinkard B, Mehta SP, Weise M, Eisenhofer G, Merke DP. Adrenomedullary function in patients with nonclassic congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Horm Metab Res 2010; 42:607-12. [PMID: 20446239 PMCID: PMC7473418 DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1253385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is classified into three types based on disease severity: classic salt-wasting, classic simple virilizing, and nonclassic. Adrenomedullary dysplasia and epinephrine deficiency have been described in classic CAH, resulting in glucose dysregulation. Our objective was to investigate adrenomedullary function in nonclassic CAH and to evaluate adrenomedullary function according to disease severity. Adrenomedullary function was evaluated in response to a standardized cycle ergonometer test in 23 CAH patients (14 females, age 9-38 years; 6 salt-wasting, 7 simple virilizing, 5 nonclassic receiving glucocorticoid treatment, 5 nonclassic not receiving glucocorticoid), and 14 controls (7 females, age 12-38 years). Epinephrine, glucose, and cortisol were measured at baseline and peak exercise. CAH patients and controls were similar in age and anthropometric measures. Patients with nonclassic CAH who were not receiving glucocorticoid and controls experienced the expected stress-induced rise in epinephrine, glucose, and cortisol. Compared to controls, patients with all types of CAH receiving glucocorticoid had impaired exercise-induced changes in epinephrine (salt-wasting: p=0.01;simple virilizing: p=0.01; nonclassic: p=0.03), and cortisol (salt-wasting: p=0.004; simple virilizing: p=0.006; nonclassic: p=0.03). Salt-wasting patients displayed the most significant impairment, including impairment in glucose response relative to controls (p=0.03). Hydrocortisone dose was negatively correlated with epinephrine response (r=-0.58; p=0.007) and glucose response (r=-0.60; p=0.002). The present study demonstrates that untreated patients with nonclassic CAH have normal adrenomedullary function. The degree of epinephrine deficiency in patients with CAH is associated with the severity of adrenocortical dysfunction, as well as glucocorticoid therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Verma
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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Keil MF, Bosmans C, Van Ryzin C, Merke DP. Hypoglycemia during acute illness in children with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia. J Pediatr Nurs 2010; 25:18-24. [PMID: 20117671 PMCID: PMC2819226 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2008.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2008] [Revised: 05/28/2008] [Accepted: 06/05/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) describes a group of genetic, autosomal recessive conditions, where there is a block in cortisol biosynthesis. Approximately 95 percent of cases are due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, which is discussed in this article. Patients with the severe or classic form of CAH have epinephrine deficiency in addition to cortisol deficiency. Both epinephrine and cortisol are important counterregulatory hormones and help prevent hypoglycemia during physical stress. This is the first prospective study to evaluate the incidence of hypoglycemia during acute illness in children with classic CAH. Our objective was to examine blood glucose levels and symptoms of these children during the physical stressor of a typical acute illness managed at home. Twenty patients, ages 3 to 10 years with classic CAH participated. Parents were instructed regarding management of illnesses, home blood glucose monitoring and questionnaire completion. Over 29 months, 20 patients completed questionnaires and 6 patients performed home blood glucose monitoring. A blood glucose of <60 mg/dL was documented in 3 out of 8 monitored acute illness episodes, and in 2 out of 6 of monitored children. The acute illness episodes with documented blood glucose <60 mg/dL were not associated with vomiting. Our data suggest that children with classic CAH may experience lowering of blood glucose during illnesses, and patient education regarding the management of common childhood illness should include glucose supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret F Keil
- Reproductive Medicine and Biology Branch, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) caused by steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency occurs in 1:16,000-1:20,000 births. If not promptly diagnosed and treated, CAH can cause death in early infancy from shock, hyponatremia and hyperkalemia. Affected girls usually have ambiguous genitalia but boys appear normal; therefore, newborn babies are commonly screened for CAH in the US and many other countries. By identifying babies with severe, salt-wasting CAH before they develop adrenal crises, screening reduces morbidity and mortality, particularly among affected boys. Diagnosis is based on elevated levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone, the preferred substrate for steroid 21-hydroxylase. Initial testing usually involves dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluorescence immunoassay that has a low positive predictive value (about 1%), which leads to many follow-up evaluations that have negative results. The positive predictive value might be improved by second-tier screening using DNA-based methods or liquid chromatography followed by tandem mass spectrometry, but these methods are not widely adopted. Cost estimates for such screening range from US$20,000 to $300,000 per life-year saved. In babies with markedly abnormal screen results, levels of serum electrolytes and 17-hydroxyprogesterone should be immediately determined, but the most reliable way to diagnose CAH is measurement of levels of steroid precursors after stimulation with cosyntropin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perrin C White
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9063, USA.
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Aso K, Izawa M, Higuchi A, Kotoh S, Hasegawa Y. Stress doses of glucocorticoids cannot prevent progression of all adrenal crises. Clin Pediatr Endocrinol 2009; 18:23-7. [PMID: 24790376 PMCID: PMC4004880 DOI: 10.1297/cpe.18.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2008] [Accepted: 11/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenal crises (ACs) sometimes progress rapidly and can be fatal. The aims of
the present study were to reveal whether stress doses of glucocorticoids (SDGs) can
prevent progression of severe ACs and to suggest a method of prevention, through analysis
of its clinical features. We studied 24 severe ACs (nine patients) that occurred after
diagnosis of primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency, retrospectively. The following
information was analyzed: 1) whether SDGs were given orally and/or sc; 2) duration from
the time when some symptoms started to the time when the patient came to the hospital; and
3) presence of hypoglycemia and electrolyte disturbance (hyponatremia, hyperkalemia).
Eleven crises occurred after taking SDGs. Ten crises progressed within 3 h. Six of these
ten crises progressed to severe ACs despite the fact that the patients took SDGs. Six
crises were observed in association with hypoglycemia, and five of these six crises
occurred in patients under 5 yr of age. Three of the six crises in association with
hypoglycemia progressed to ACs within 3 h. Two of the three crises progressed to severe
status within 3 h despite the fact that the patients took SDGs. Electrolyte disturbance
was observed in only one crisis. In conclusion, SDGs cannot prevent progression of all
ACs. Progression can be associated with hypoglycemia, particularly in patients under 5 yr
of age. Patients should be given guidance on an ongoing basis on how to prevent ACs and
hypoglycemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Aso
- First Department of Pediatrics, Toho University Medical Center, Omori Hospital, Tokyo, Japan ; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Kiyose Children's Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masako Izawa
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Kiyose Children's Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Asako Higuchi
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Kiyose Children's Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinobu Kotoh
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Kiyose Children's Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Hasegawa
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Kiyose Children's Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
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Inozemtseva O, Matute E, Juárez J. Learning disabilities spectrum and sexual dimorphic abilities in girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. J Child Neurol 2008; 23:862-9. [PMID: 18660470 DOI: 10.1177/0883073808315618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia could provide a promising model for the study of the effects of hormones on cognition. The aim of this study was to assess sexual dimorphic abilities related to oral language, spatial abilities, and verbal fluency and to determine the existence of learning disabilities in 11 congenital girls with adrenal hyperplasia compared with 11 healthy girls. Both groups underwent a neuropsychological evaluation using the Child Neuropsychological Assessment battery for Spanish-speaking children. Results showed that the congenital adrenal hyperplasia group had a significantly lower performance than the control group in the repetition and expression domains, right-left comprehension task, and verbal semantic fluency task. A higher incidence of learning disabilities (predominantly reading related) in the patient group compared with their controls was also evident. Thus, the presence of weak verbal areas along with a high incidence of learning disabilities related primarily, though not exclusively, to reading was documented in these girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Inozemtseva
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Departamento de Estudios en Educación Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
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Grosse SD, Van Vliet G. How many deaths can be prevented by newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia? HORMONE RESEARCH 2007; 67:284-91. [PMID: 17199092 DOI: 10.1159/000098400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2006] [Accepted: 11/09/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Grosse
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta GA 30333, USA.
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Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to deficiency of 21-hydroxylase is a disorder of the adrenal cortex characterised by cortisol deficiency, with or without aldosterone deficiency, and androgen excess. Patients with the most severe form also have abnormalities of the adrenal medulla and epinephrine deficiency. The severe classic form occurs in one in 15,000 births worldwide, and the mild non-classic form is a common cause of hyperandrogenism. Neonatal screening for CAH and gene-specific prenatal diagnosis are now possible. Standard hormone replacement fails to achieve normal growth and development for many children with CAH, and adults can experience iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome, hyperandrogenism, infertility, or the development of the metabolic syndrome. This Seminar reviews the epidemiology, genetics, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of CAH, and provides an overview of clinical challenges and future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah P Merke
- Pediatric and Reproductive Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1932, USA.
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Nordenström A, Ahmed S, Jones J, Coleman M, Price DA, Clayton PE, Hall CM. Female preponderance in congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to CYP21 deficiency in England: implications for neonatal screening. HORMONE RESEARCH 2004; 63:22-8. [PMID: 15627780 DOI: 10.1159/000082896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2004] [Accepted: 09/16/2004] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase (CYP21) deficiency causes symptoms ranging from life-threatening neonatal adrenal crises to minimal virilization in adulthood. The relationship between CYP21 genotype and phenotypic markers in a non-screened population of 73 CAH children (44 female, 29 male; 54 white, 19 Asian) treated at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital was investigated and ethnic and sex differences assessed. The patients were categorized according to the mutation on the mildest allele. The age at the time of diagnosis differed significantly between the groups (p = 0.02): all 25 Null and 25 of 26 of the I2 splice patients were diagnosed during the neonatal period, whereas 7 of 11 I172N patients were diagnosed late. Degree of female genital virilization, 17-hydroxyprogesterone level at diagnosis, and fludrocortisone requirement during the 1st year of treatment correlated with the genotype, although Asian Null patients required more fludrocortisone than their white counterparts (p = 0.055). There was an equal sex ratio in both the I2 splice (12 female/14 male) and I172N (5 female/6 male) groups. However, in the Null group, the ratio was 4.0 (20 female/5 male; p = 0.003), suggesting that some Null male infants perish before being clinically detected to have CYP21 deficiency. Our findings strongly support the need for implementation of a neonatal screening programme for CAH in the UK which may reduce the male infant mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Nordenström
- Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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Van Vliet G, Czernichow P. Screening for neonatal endocrinopathies: rationale, methods and results. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 9:75-85. [PMID: 15013478 DOI: 10.1016/s1084-2756(03)00115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2003] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The measurement of thyrotropin or thyroxine from dried blood spots collected from neonates allows diagnosis before clinical manifestations develop, and prevents mental deficiency from congenital hypothyroidism. However, severely hypothyroid newborns remain at risk of cognitive problems that may be avoided if they are treated within two weeks of birth, hence the importance of a quick turnaround time of the screening programme. This also applies to screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency based on the measurement of 17-hydroxy-progesterone from dried blood; this was primarily designed to prevent neonatal deaths from acute adrenal insufficiency. This goal can be achieved by a high degree of clinical awareness of the diagnosis, but this has only been reported in a few jurisdictions. Furthermore, biochemical screening allows earlier treatment. On the other hand, there are many false positives, mostly in premature infants, so screening for 21-hydroxylase deficiency has not been universally adopted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Van Vliet
- Université de Montréal and Endocrinology Service, Hôpital Sainte-Justine, 3175 Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal H3T 1C5, Québec, Canada.
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Török D, Eckhardt G, Sólyom J. Twenty years experience in rapid identification of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in Hungary. Eur J Pediatr 2003; 162:844-9. [PMID: 14648216 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-003-1311-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2003] [Accepted: 08/13/2003] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The aim of this study was to assess the effectivity of the identification of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in Hungary in the absence of systematic neonatal screening and to estimate the incidence. Dried blood-spot samples of patients clinically suspected at any age to have CAH were collected between 1978 and 1998 throughout the whole country. 17-Hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) was measured by radioimmunoassay. Age-specific cut-offs were used. The effectivity of the system was retrospectively assessed. Additional cases were sought to assess the overall incidence of CAH in Hungary. Among the 1,837 patients investigated, 185 cases of CAH were identified. The overall effectivity was 94.7%. The sensitivity and the specificity were 98.9% and 94.2%, respectively. Salt-wasting (SW) boys were, on average, diagnosed 2 weeks later than SW girls, while both boys and girls with the simple virilising (SV) form were diagnosed at similar ages (2 versus 2.5 years). An additional 19 cases were diagnosed during the study period using other methods (plasma and urinary steroid profiles without blood-spot 17-OHP measurements). The incidence of classical CAH in Hungary was 1:14,300 (CI 95% between 1:12,450 and 1:16,795). Presuming that the incidence of CAH is the same among boys and girls, one can calculate that the diagnosis was missed in 24 boys (2 SW, 22 SV). CONCLUSION it is possible to identify the vast majority of classical cases of congenital adrenal hyperplasia without a neonatal mass screening programme. However, a significant number of boys with the simple virilising form missed whereas both salt-wasting boys and girls are diagnosed safely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dóra Török
- 2nd Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Tüzoltó u. 7-9, 1094, Budapest, Hungary
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Affiliation(s)
- Songya Pang
- University of Illinois College of Medicine, 840 South Wood Street, M/C 856, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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Van der Kamp HJ, Noordam K, Elvers B, Van Baarle M, Otten BJ, Verkerk PH. Newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia in the Netherlands. Pediatrics 2001; 108:1320-4. [PMID: 11731654 DOI: 10.1542/peds.108.6.1320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) patients can be detected by newborn screening before the occurrence of life-threatening salt wasting and whether the prevalence, specificity, and sensitivity are adequate enough for a routine screening procedure. DESIGN From 1998, a 2-year regional pilot screening for CAH was performed. In 1998, cutoff levels for 17OHP were primarily based on birth weight, and in 1999 on gestational age. In addition, nationwide, all newly diagnosed patients with CAH were reported to the Dutch Pediatric Surveillance Unit to compare screened CAH patients with CAH patients in the area without screening. RESULTS In 2 years, 176 684 newborns were screened and 15 CAH patients (7 males/8 females) were detected. Therapy was started at the median age of 7 days. In the area without screening, 223 307 infants were born and 19 CAH patients (10 males/9 females) were reported to the Dutch Pediatric Surveillance Unit. Therapy was started at the median age of 14 days. The mean (standard deviation) serum sodium concentration was 134.5 (3.4) mmol/L in the area of screening versus 124.5 (10.8) mmol/L in the area without screening. The overall prevalence was 1:11 764. In 1998 and 1999, the specificity was 99.76% and 99.97%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 4.5% and 16%, respectively. To date, no false-negative cases have been detected. CONCLUSION Severe salt wasting can be prevented by neonatal screening. The prevalence, specificity, and sensitivity allowed addition of screening for CAH to the routinely performed national neonatal screening program.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J Van der Kamp
- Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Abstract
Cognition in patients with CAH has not been as well studied as other aspects of psychologic function. Nevertheless, it is possible to make some conclusions and to offer a number of hypotheses for further study (Table 1). First, patients with CAH do not seem to have an overall intellectual advantage as a direct consequence of the disease. The high IQs reported in some groups of patients with CAH are also reported in their siblings and probably reflect sampling bias. Second, it is possible that, on average, patients with salt-wasting CAH have lower overall ability than patients with the simple-virilizing form, but both groups are well within the normal range, and there is considerable variability among both groups. Third, the evidence to date does not confirm that patients with CAH are more likely to have diagnosable learning disabilities when compared with their unaffected relatives, but this issue has not been well studied with the appropriate psychoeducational assessments. It is unlikely that patients with CAH are at substantially increased risk for frank learning disabilities, but they may be likely to have problems in specific areas. Fourth, females with CAH seem to have enhanced spatial ability as a result of exposure to high levels of androgens early in development. The neural substrate of this advantage is unknown but a subject of active research. It is unclear whether when compared with their unaffected siblings, females with CAH are better in other abilities that are typically performed best by males or worse in abilities typically performed best by females. Fifth, it is likely that patients with CAH have other cognitive changes as a consequence of disease characteristics (besides androgens) and of the treatment of the disease. Some evidence suggests that patients with CAH are more likely to have white-matter brain changes produced by the disease and its treatment. This has not been well studied but should be because of the potential clinical implications. It is reasonable to hypothesize that there will be cognitive changes that reflect effects of undertreatment (e.g., ACTH effects on attention) and other changes that reflect effects of overtreatment (e.g., glucocorticoid effects on memory). Some of these effects may be transient, reflecting acute brain changes, whereas others may become chronic as a result of permanent brain changes with repeated exposure. There is need for continuing study of cognition in patients with CAH. Such studies will provide basic information about hormonal effects on cognition and the neural mechanisms that mediate those effects. They will also provide important clinical information to guide psychologic and medical treatment of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Berenbaum
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA
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Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- P C White
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75390-9063, USA.
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Bornstein SR, Tajima T, Eisenhofer G, Haidan A, Aguilera G. Adrenomedullary function is severely impaired in 21-hydroxylase-deficient mice. FASEB J 1999; 13:1185-94. [PMID: 10385609 DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.13.10.1185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Deficiency of 21-hydroxylase (21-OH), one of the most common genetic defects in humans, causes low glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid production by the adrenal cortex, but the effect of this disorder on the adrenomedullary system is unknown. Therefore, we analyzed the development, structure, and function of the adrenal medulla in 21-OH-deficient mice, an animal model resembling human congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Chromaffin cells of 21-OH-deficient mice exhibited ultrastructural features of neuronal transdifferentiation with reduced granules, increased rough endoplasmic reticulum and small neurite outgrowth. Migration of chromaffin cells in the adrenal to form a central medulla was impaired. Expression of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT) was reduced to 27 +/- 9% (P<0.05), as determined by quantitative TaqMan polymerase chain reaction, and there was a significant reduction of cells staining positive for PNMT in the adrenal medulla of the 21-OH-deficient mice. Adrenal contents of epinephrine were decreased to 30 +/- 2% (P<0. 01) whereas norepinephrine and dopamine levels were reduced to 57 +/- 4% (P<0.01) and 50 +/- 9% (P<0.05), respectively. 21-OH-deficient mice demonstrate severe adrenomedullary dysfunction, with alterations in chromaffin cell migration, development, structure, and catecholamine synthesis. This hitherto unrecognized mechanism may contribute to the frequent clinical, mental, and therapeutic problems encountered in humans with this genetic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- S R Bornstein
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
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