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Augsburger P, Liimatta J, Flück CE. Update on Adrenarche-Still a Mystery. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2024; 109:1403-1422. [PMID: 38181424 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgae008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Adrenarche marks the timepoint of human adrenal development when the cortex starts secreting androgens in increasing amounts, in healthy children at age 8-9 years, with premature adrenarche (PA) earlier. Because the molecular regulation and significance of adrenarche are unknown, this prepubertal event is characterized descriptively, and PA is a diagnosis by exclusion with unclear long-term consequences. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION We searched the literature of the past 5 years, including original articles, reviews, and meta-analyses from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus, using search terms adrenarche, pubarche, DHEAS, steroidogenesis, adrenal, and zona reticularis. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS Numerous studies addressed different topics of adrenarche and PA. Although basic studies on human adrenal development, zonation, and zona reticularis function enhanced our knowledge, the exact mechanism leading to adrenarche remains unsolved. Many regulators seem involved. A promising marker of adrenarche (11-ketotestosterone) was found in the 11-oxy androgen pathway. By current definition, the prevalence of PA can be as high as 9% to 23% in girls and 2% to 10% in boys, but only a subset of these children might face related adverse health outcomes. CONCLUSION New criteria for defining adrenarche and PA are needed to identify children at risk for later disease and to spare children with a normal variation. Further research is therefore required to understand adrenarche. Prospective, long-term studies should characterize prenatal or early postnatal developmental pathways that modulate trajectories of birth size, early postnatal growth, childhood overweight/obesity, adrenarche and puberty onset, and lead to abnormal sexual maturation, fertility, and other adverse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Augsburger
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jani Liimatta
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
- Kuopio Pediatric Research Unit (KuPRU), University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, 70029 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Christa E Flück
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
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Jones SL, De Braga V, Caccese C, Lew J, Elgbeili G, Castellanos-Ryan N, Parent S, Muckle G, Herba CM, Fraser WD, Ducharme S, Barnwell J, Trasler J, Séguin JR, Nguyen TV, Montreuil TC. Prenatal paternal anxiety symptoms predict child DHEA levels and internalizing symptoms during adrenarche. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 17:1217846. [PMID: 38239262 PMCID: PMC10794355 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1217846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study examined (1) whether measures of paternal anxious and depressive symptoms collected prenatally and during a follow-up assessment when the child was in middle childhood, predict child neuroendocrine outcomes, and (2) whether neuroendocrine outcomes are intermediate factors between paternal mental health and child cognitive/behavioral outcomes. Middle childhood coincides with increased autonomy as the child transitions into grade school, and with adrenarche, as the maturing adrenal gland increases secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated metabolite (DHEA-S), hormones that are implicated in corticolimbic development which regulate emotions and cognition. Methods Participants were recruited from a subsample of a large prospective birth cohort study (3D study). We conducted a follow-up study when children were 6-8 years old (N = 61 families, 36 boys, 25 girls). Parental symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression were assessed via validated self-report questionnaires: prenatally using an in-house anxiety questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D), and at the follow up, using the Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression Inventories. Children provided salivary hormone samples, and their pituitary gland volume was measured from structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. Child behaviors were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and cognitive outcomes using the WISC-V. Multiple regression analyses were used to test whether paternal mental health symptoms assessed prenatally and during childhood are associated with child neuroendocrine outcomes, adjusting for maternal mental health and child sex. Indirect-effect models assessed whether neuroendocrine factors are important intermediates that link paternal mental health and cognitive/behavioral outcomes. Results (1) Fathers' prenatal anxiety symptoms predicted lower DHEA levels in the children, but not pituitary volume. (2) Higher prenatal paternal anxiety symptoms predicted higher child internalizing symptoms via an indirect pathway of lower child DHEA. No associations were detected between paternal anxiety symptoms measured in childhood, and neuroendocrine outcomes. No child sex differences were detected on any measure. Conclusion These results highlight the often-overlooked role of paternal factors during pregnancy on child development, suggesting that paternal prenatal anxiety symptoms are associated with child neuroendocrine function and in turn internalizing symptoms that manifest at least up to middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri Lee Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Victoria De Braga
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christina Caccese
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jimin Lew
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guillaume Elgbeili
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Sophie Parent
- School of Psychoeducation, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec, School of Psychology, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Catherine M. Herba
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - William D. Fraser
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Sherbrooke, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julia Barnwell
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Human Genetics and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jacquetta Trasler
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Human Genetics and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean R. Séguin
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tuong-Vi Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Reproductive Psychiatry Program, McGill University Health Centre, Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tina C. Montreuil
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Liu W, Gong T, Xu Y. The co-expression of steroidogenic enzymes with T1R3 during testicular development in the Congjiang Xiang pig. Anim Reprod Sci 2023; 251:107216. [PMID: 37011421 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2023.107216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone is a key crucial hormone synthesized by steroidogenic enzymes that initiate and maintain spermatogenesis and secondary sexual characteristics in adult males. The taste receptor family 1 subunit 3 (T1R3) is reported to be associated with male reproduction. T1R3 can regulate the expressions of steroidogenic enzymes and affect testosterone synthesis. In this study, we addressed the question of whether the expression of steroid synthase was associated with T1R3 and its downstream-tasting molecules during testicular development. The results showed an overall upward trend in testosterone and morphological development in testes from Congjiang Xiang pigs from pre-puberty to sexual maturity. Gene expression levels of testicular steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), cytochrome P450c17 (CYP17A1) and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) were increased from pre-puberty to sexual maturity. Protein expression changes of CYP17A1 and 3β-HSD were consistent with mRNA. The relative abundance of tasting molecules (TAS1R3, phospholipase Cβ2, PLCβ2) was increased from pre-puberty to puberty (P < 0.05), with no further significant changes in expression from puberty to sexual maturity. Steroidogenic enzymes (3β-HSD and CYP17A1) were strongly detected in Leydig cells from pre-puberty to sexual maturity, while tasting molecules were localized in Leydig cells and spermatogenic cells. Correlation analysis showed that the genes mentioned above (except for PLCβ2) were positively correlated with testosterone levels and morphological characteristics of the testes at different developmental stages of Congjiang Xiang pigs. These results suggest that steroidogenic enzymes regulate testosterone synthesis and testicular development, and that taste receptor T1R3, but not PLCβ2, may associate with this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjiao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in The Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, PR China
| | - Ting Gong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in The Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, PR China.
| | - Yongjian Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in The Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, PR China
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Gaston LS, Stafford DE. Premature adrenarche in Prader-Willi syndrome is associated with accelerated pre-pubertal growth and advanced bone age. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2023; 36:185-194. [PMID: 36458449 PMCID: PMC10103844 DOI: 10.1515/jpem-2022-0468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is characterized by obesity, growth hormone deficiency, hypogonadism, and a high prevalence of premature adrenarche despite reported hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction. While idiopathic premature adrenarche is associated with accelerated pre-pubertal growth and advanced bone age, the consequences of elevated adrenal androgens on growth and bone maturation in PWS remain unknown. This study therefore sought to describe age-related changes in dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and their effects on growth and bone maturation in PWS. METHODS This retrospective observational study included 62 children with PWS. Simple and multiple regression models were constructed to relate age and BMI-SDS with DHEAS levels. Height velocity was compared to age and sex-based norms with t-tests and two-way ANOVA. Patterns in bone age Z-score were examined with two-way ANOVA, and the contributions of age, BMI-SDS, and DHEAS to bone age Z-score were analyzed with multiple regression. RESULTS DHEAS levels rose earlier and were less strongly correlated with age in males and females with PWS (R2=0.12 and 0.30) compared to healthy controls (R2=0.89 and 0.88) in a pattern unrelated to BMI-SDS (adjusted R2=0.076, p=0.10 for age, and 0.29 for BMI-SDS). Mid-childhood height velocity was increased in males and preserved in females with PWS before declining at the age of expected puberty (p<0.0001). Peri-adrenarchal bone age was advanced in a manner associated with DHEAS but not BMI-SDS (p<0.0001; adjusted R2=0.48, p=0.0014 for DHEAS, and 0.78 for BMI-SDS). CONCLUSIONS An obesity-independent increase in adrenal androgens is associated with accelerated mid-childhood growth and bone maturation in PWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey S Gaston
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diane E Stafford
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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Helfrecht C, Wang H, Dira SJ, DeAvila D, Meehan CL. DHEAS and nutritional status among Sidama, Ngandu, and Aka children: Effects of cortisol and implications for adrenarche. Am J Hum Biol 2023:e23881. [PMID: 36802115 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Adrenarche, the biological event marked by rising production of dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate (DHEAS), may represent a sensitive period in child development, with important implications for adolescence and beyond. Nutritional status, particularly BMI and/or adiposity, has long been hypothesized as a factor in DHEAS production but findings are inconsistent, and few studies have examined this among non-industrialized societies. In addition, cortisol has not been included in these models. We here evaluate effects of height- (HAZ), weight- (WAZ), and BMI- (BMIZ) for-age on DHEAS concentrations among Sidama agropastoralist, Ngandu horticulturalist, and Aka hunter-gatherer children. METHODS Heights and weights were collected from 206 children aged 2-18 years old. HAZ, WAZ, and BMIZ were calculated using CDC standards. DHEAS and cortisol assays were used to determine biomarker concentrations in hair. Generalized linear modeling was used to examine effects of nutritional status on DHEAS concentrations, as well as cortisol, controlling for age, sex, and population. RESULTS Despite the prevalence of low HAZ and WAZ scores, the majority (77%) of children had BMI z-scores >-2.0 SD. Nutritional status has no significant effect on DHEAS concentrations, controlling for age, sex, and population. Cortisol, however, is a significant predictor of DHEAS concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not support a relationship between nutritional status and DHEAS. Instead, results suggest an important role for stress and ecology in DHEAS concentrations across childhood. Specifically, effects of environment via cortisol may be influential to patterning of DHEAS. Future work should investigate local ecological stressors and their relationship to adrenarche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Helfrecht
- Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Hui Wang
- Institute for Rural Health Research, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Samuel J Dira
- Department of Anthropology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - David DeAvila
- Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Courtney L Meehan
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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Pignatti E, Altinkilic EM, Bräutigam K, Grössl M, Perren A, Zavolan M, Flück CE. Cholesterol Deprivation Drives DHEA Biosynthesis in Human Adrenals. Endocrinology 2022; 163:6588149. [PMID: 35583599 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Adrenarche is an early event in sexual maturation in prepubertal children and corresponds to the postnatal development of the adrenocortical zona reticularis (zR). However, the molecular mechanisms that govern the onset and maturation of zR remain unknown. Using tissue laser microdissection combined with transcript quantification and immunodetection, we showed that the human zR receives low levels of cholesterol in comparison with other adrenal layers. To model this metabolic condition, we challenged adrenal cells in vitro using cholesterol deprivation. This resulted in reprogramming the steroidogenic pathway toward inactivation of 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD3B2), increased CYB5A expression, and increased biosynthesis of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 3 key features of zR maturation during adrenarche. Finally, we found that cholesterol deprivation leads to decreased transcriptional activity of POU3F2, which normally stimulates the expression of HSD3B2 by directly binding to its promoter. These findings demonstrate that cholesterol deprivation can account, at least in part, for the acquisition of a zR-like androgenic program in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Pignatti
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Emre Murat Altinkilic
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern , 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Grössl
- Department for BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern , 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Aurel Perren
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern , 3008 Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Christa E Flück
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
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Abstract
Adrenarche is the maturational increase in adrenal androgen production that normally begins in early childhood. It results from changes in the secretory response to adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) that are best indexed by dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) rise. These changes are related to the development of the zona reticularis (ZR) and its unique gene/enzyme expression pattern of low 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 with high cytochrome b5A, sulfotransferase 2A1, and 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 5. Recently 11-ketotestosterone was identified as an important bioactive adrenarchal androgen. Birth weight, body growth, obesity, and prolactin are related to ZR development. Adrenarchal androgens normally contribute to the onset of sexual pubic hair (pubarche) and sebaceous and apocrine gland development. Premature adrenarche causes ≥90% of premature pubarche (PP). Its cause is unknown. Affected children have a significantly increased growth rate with proportionate bone age advancement that typically does not compromise growth potential. Serum DHEAS and testosterone levels increase to levels normal for early female puberty. It is associated with mildly increased risks for obesity, insulin resistance, and possibly mood disorder and polycystic ovary syndrome. Between 5% and 10% of PP is due to virilizing disorders, which are usually characterized by more rapid advancement of pubarche and compromise of adult height potential than premature adrenarche. Most cases are due to nonclassic congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Algorithms are presented for the differential diagnosis of PP. This review highlights recent advances in molecular genetic and developmental biologic understanding of ZR development and insights into adrenarche emanating from mass spectrometric steroid assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Rosenfield
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Section of Adult and Pediatric Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Satoh M. Bone age in prepubertal children with nonfamilial or familial idiopathic short stature and prepubertal short-stature children born small for gestational age: a longitudinal data analysis. Clin Pediatr Endocrinol 2021; 30:171-177. [PMID: 34629739 PMCID: PMC8481081 DOI: 10.1297/cpe.30.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This retrospective study aimed to clarify the characteristics of bone maturation using
longitudinal data in short-stature prepubertal children. Children with chronological ages
(CAs) of 4.5–10.5 yr with nonfamilial idiopathic short stature (ISS, n = 95), familial ISS
(FSS, n = 21), and short-stature children born small for gestational age (SGA, n = 23)
were selected, of which 435 left-hand plain radiographic images were evaluated. Bone age
(BA) delay was defined as BA minus CA. In the ISS group, there was a statistically
significant difference in median BA delay among the CA groups (P < 0.001), as median BA
delay gradually increased from 5- to 9-yr-old groups (−1.06 [range, −2.17 to 0.27] and
−2.45 [range, −4.35 to −0.32] yr, respectively). In the FSS group, median BA delays were
approximately −1 yr in all CA groups. In the SGA group, median BA delay gradually
decreased from 7- to 10-yr-old groups (−1.96 [range, −2.99 to 0.56] and −0.04 [range,
−2.44 to 0.92] yr, respectively), but with no significant difference (P = 0.647). The
heavier weight of children with FSS and the probable earlier onset of adrenarche in
children born SGA compared to those with ISS could have affected bone maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari Satoh
- Department of Pediatrics, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
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Dumontet T, Martinez A. Adrenal androgens, adrenarche, and zona reticularis: A human affair? Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 528:111239. [PMID: 33676986 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In humans, reticularis cells of the adrenal cortex fuel the production of androgen steroids, constituting the driver of numerous morphological changes during childhood. These steps are considered a precocious stage of sexual maturation and are grouped under the term "adrenarche". This review describes the molecular and enzymatic characteristics of the zona reticularis, along with the possible signals and mechanisms that control its emergence and the associated clinical features. We investigate the differences between species and discuss new studies such as genetic lineage tracing and transcriptomic analysis, highlighting the rodent inner cortex's cellular and molecular heterogeneity. The recent development and characterization of mouse models deficient for Prkar1a presenting with adrenocortical reticularis-like features prompt us to review our vision of the mouse adrenal gland maturation. We expect these new insights will help increase our understanding of the adrenarche process and the pathologies associated with its deregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Typhanie Dumontet
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Training Program in Organogenesis, Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Antoine Martinez
- Génétique, Reproduction et Développement (GReD), Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique CNRS, Institut National de La Santé & de La Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Université Clermont-Auvergne (UCA), France.
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Nyce JW. A lex naturalis delineates components of a human-specific, adrenal androgen-dependent, p53-mediated 'kill switch' tumor suppression mechanism. Endocr Relat Cancer 2020; 27:R51-R65. [PMID: 31815681 PMCID: PMC6993206 DOI: 10.1530/erc-19-0382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We have recently described in this journal our detection of an anthropoid primate-specific, adrenal androgen-dependent, p53-mediated, 'kill switch' tumor suppression mechanism that reached its fullest expression only in humans, as a result of human-specific exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons caused by the harnessing of fire - but which has components reaching all the way back to the origin of the primate lineage. We proposed that species-specific mechanisms of tumor suppression are a generalized requirement for vertebrate species to increase in body size or lifespan beyond those of species basal to their lineage or to exploit environmental niches which increase exposure to carcinogenic substances. Using empirical dynamic modeling, we have also reported our detection of a relationship between body size, lifespan, and species-specific mechanism of tumor suppression (and here add carcinogen exposure), such that a change in any one of these variables requires an equilibrating change in one or more of the others in order to maintain lifetime cancer risk at a value of about 4%, as observed in virtually all larger, longer-lived species under natural conditions. Here we show how this relationship, which we refer to as the lex naturalis of vertebrate speciation, elucidates the evolutionary steps underlying an adrenal androgen-dependent, human-specific 'kill switch' tumor suppression mechanism; and further, how it prescribes a solution to 'normalize' lifetime cancer risk in our species from its current aberrant 40% to the 4% that characterized primitive humans. We further argue that this prescription writ by the lex naturalis represents the only tenable strategy for meaningful suppression of the accelerating impact of cancer upon our species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Wesley Nyce
- ACGT Biotechnology, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
- Correspondence should be addressed to J W Nyce:
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