Primary glucocorticoid resistance (OMIM 615962) is a rare endocrinologic condition caused by resistance of the human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR) to glucocorticoids (GR) and characterised by general or partial insensitivity of target organs to GK. Compensatory activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-andrenal axis results in development of a various pathological conditions caused by overstimulation of adrenal glands. Clinical spectrum may range from asymptomatic cases to severe cases of mineralocorticoid and/or androgen excess. At present time, primary generalized glucocorticoid resistance has been exclusively associated with defects in the NR3C1 gene. Here, we present a case report of an adolescent patient with clinical presentation of glucocorticoid resistance confirmed by detailed endocrinologic evaluation but no confirmed mutations in the NR3C1 gene.
Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome, PJS) refers to syndromes of hereditary tumor predisposition and is caused by pathological variants of the STK11 gene, leading to a defect in the synthesis of serine/threonine kinase 11 protein, which acts as a tumor suppressor.Clinical symptoms of the syndrome are combination of hamartomatous polyposis of the gastrointestinal tract and specific skin-mucosal hyperpigmentation. Also, this disease is characterized by a high risk of developing gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal tumors, including benign or malignant tumors of the reproductive system.One of the first signs of the disease in male patients may be prepubertal gynecomastia associated with large-cell calcifying Sertoli cells tumors expressing aromatase. In contrast to from pubertal gynecomastia, prepubertal is extremely rare, and it is often based on pathological causes. Early diagnosis of patients with pre-pubertal gynecomastia, including Peitz-Jaegers syndrome, defines the tactics of gynecomastia management and protocols for monitoring the development of other components of the disease in the future.This article describes two patients with pre-pubertal gynecomastia and Peitz-Jaegers syndrome with different molecular genetic defects: in one case associated with duplication of the STK11 gene site, in the other - with microdeletion of the short arm of chromosome 19 containing this gene.
Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) is a rare pathology with a prevalence of 100 to 140 cases per one million. X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) and X-linked congenital adrenal hypoplasia (X-CAH) are the leading pathologies among boys (after congenital cortical dysfunction adrenal glands) and account for 3.1% and 2.0% of all PAI, respectively. Establishing the PAI etiology is necessary to predict the course of the disease and adhere to special protocols for examining patients. The purpose of this research was to compare the PAI course in diseases with an X-linked type of inheritance. Materials and methods used: a single-center, one-stage observational comparative retrospective study was conducted in 25 male patients with genetically confirmed diagnoses of X-ALD, X-CAH and who had PAI as a component of the disease. The study was conducted at the Pediatric Endocrinology Institute with the Endocrinology Research Centre of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia (Moscow, Russia) in 2019-2022 as well as based on the patients’ medical records that have been forwarded for a genetic search for the causes of adrenal insufficiency under the “Alfa-Endo” Charity Program for children with endocrine diseases in the same period of time. Results: X-ALD was detected in 11/25 (44%) patients, median age of manifestation was 6.2 [4.5; 7.2] y/o and 2 y/o was the earliest. A single patient with X-ALD was found to have TARTs (testicular adrenal rest tumors). X-CAH was diagnosed in the remaining 14/25 (56%) patients, median age of manifestation was 1.9 [0.04; 3.9] y/o, p=0.015. The oldest age of manifestation was 14 y/o. A single patient was found to have hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) and another one had bilateral cryptorchidism. There were no statistically significant differences in symptoms, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol levels during the manifestation of PAI and doses of replacement therapy (p=0.756 for ACTH, p=0.591 for cortisol, p=0.825 for hydrocortisone and p=0.148 for fludrocortisone). Conclusion: it is necessary to exclude X-ALD and X-CAH when diagnosing PAI in boys regardless of the age of the disease manifestation. It is highly recommended to conduct a genetic study of a panel of genes responsible for the development of PAI in order to establish the PAI etiology, and regardless of the established PAI etiology it is necessary to perform an ultrasonic study of the testicles with the purpose of excluding the space-occupying formations. It is necessary to evaluate ACTH levels in patients with testicular masses for timely diagnosis of PAI and optimal treatment.
Autoantibodies against type 1 interferons (IFN-I) are a highly specific marker for type 1 autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS-1). Moreover, determination of antibodies to omega-interferon (IFN-ω) and alpha2-interferon (IFN-α2) allows a short-term diagnosis in patients with isolated and atypical forms of APS-1. In this study, a comparison of three different methods, namely multiplex microarray-based, cell-based and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for detection of antibodies against omega-interferon and alpha2-interferon, was carried out. A total of 206 serum samples from adult patients with APS-1, APS-2, isolated autoimmune endocrine pathologies or non-autoimmune endocrine disorders, and healthy individuals were analyzed. In the APS-1 patient cohort (n = 18), there was good agreement between the results of anti-IFN-I antibody tests performed by three methods, with 100% specificity and sensitivity for microarray-based assay. Although only the cell-based assay can determine the neutralizing activity of autoantibodies, the microarray-based assay can serve as a highly specific and sensitive screening test to identify anti-IFN-I antibody positive patients.
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is one of the key regulators of calcium and phosphate metabolism in the body, controlling bone metabolism and ion excretion by the kidneys. At present, attempts to use PTH as a therapeutic agent have been associated with side-effects, the nature of which is not always clear and predictable. In addition, it is known that in vivo impairment of PTH post-receptor signaling is associated with atypical differentiation behavior not only of bone cells, but also of connective tissues, including adipose tissue. In this work, we studied the functional responses of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to the action of PTH at the level of single cells. We used MSCs isolated from the periosteum and subcutaneous adipose tissue to compare characteristics of cell responses to PTH. We found that the hormone can activate three key responses via its receptor located on the surface of MSCs: single transients of calcium, calcium oscillations, and hormone-activated smooth increase in intracellular calcium. These types of calcium responses led to principally different cellular responses of MSCs. The cAMP-dependent smooth increase of intracellular calcium was associated with pro-osteogenic action of PTH, whereas phospholipase C dependent calcium oscillations led to a decrease in osteogenic differentiation intensity. Different variants of calcium responses are in dynamic equilibrium. Suppression of one type of response leads to increased activation of another type and, accordingly, to a change in the effect of PTH on cell differentiation.
Autosomal dominant hypocalcemia (ADH), or familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) is a rare hereditary disease manifested by hypocalcemia and hypercalciuria due to a malfunction of the calcium-sensitive receptor (mutations in the CASR or GNA11 genes). A familial clinical case of ADH is presented: the disease was diagnosed in a 36 y/o female and her two male children of 11 and 1.5 y/o. The disease was detected in an older child aged 7 years on the basis of convulsive syndrome, decreased blood calcium and parathyroid hormone, increased calciuria and detection of a mutation in the CASR gene (c.344-358del TTGCTCAAAACAAAA/ p.116 120delAQNKI). The initial manifestations of the disease in the form of a convulsive syndrome were observed in a child starting his 2nd day of life and were regarded as a manifestation of epilepsy, which was then followed by a long non-convulsive period. The patient needs constant therapy with alfacalcidol and has nephrocalcinosis. Based on the diagnosis made, the disease was also confirmed in his mother as the asymptomatic hypocalcemia and a mutation in the CASR gene were found. The woman does not need drug therapy, does not have nephrocalcinosis. In the youngest child, the diagnosis was suspected at birth on the basis of convulsions, hypocalcemia and was subsequently confirmed then by the detection of a mutation in the CASR gene. The course of the disease in the youngest child is severe, aggravated by the presence of perinatal CNS lesions and epilepsy. The patient has been receiving therapy with alfacalcidol since birth, has manifestations of severe nephrocalcinosis with a decrease in the filtration function of the kidneys. To stop the convulsive syndrome the patient needs to maintain a higher level of blood calcium, which is complicated due to hypercalciuria and causes chronic kidney disease. Conclusion: the observed familial case demonstrates the polymorphism of the course of the disease, and, given the rarity of the disease and the nonspecificity of manifestations, the description of this case will improve the awareness of medical practitioners of various specialties about the disease for its timely diagnosis.
СБОРНИК ТЕЗИСОВ XVII Российская научно-практическая конференция детских эндокринологов «Достижения науки в практику детского эндокринолога» КЛИНИЧЕСКИЙ СЛУЧАЙ СЕМЕЙНОЙ АУТОСОМНО-ДОМИНАНТНОЙ ГИПОКАЛЬЦИЕМИИ И.Ю.Ковальчук, Л
21-hydroxylase (21-OH) is the main antigen of the adrenal cortex, so the determination of antibodies (Ab) to 21-OH can help in the diagnosis and prognosis of chronic primary adrenal insufficiency (CPAI). Purpose of the study: evaluation of the relevance of Ab to 21-OH for the diagnosis and prediction of autoimmune CPAI. Materials and methods of research: the study consisted of three blocks: 1) assessment of the specificity and sensitivity, as well as the prognostic potential of Ab to 21-OH in patients with polyglandular autoimmune syndrome (APS) – individuals with APS type 1 with and without CPAI (n=106); 2) assessment of the dynamics of the level of Ab to 21-OH – patients with autoimmune CPAI were included (n=41); 3) assessment of the significance of Ab data for the differential diagnosis of various forms of CPAI, including patients with CPAI and APS type 1 exclusion (n=30). The study of Ab to 21-hydroxylase was performed using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (BioVendor kits, Czech Republic). Results: statistically significant differences were obtained in the frequency of detection of Ab to 21-OH in patients with or without PCNI (p<0,001). The sensitivity of the method was 96%, specificity was 75%, a positive predictive value was 90%, and the negative predictive value was 89%. In 83% of patients, the level of Ab decreased with time (median size decreases – 20,4%/year). An inverse relationship was also found between the level of Ab and the duration of the course of CPAI (R=–0,460, p<0,001). In a group of 30 patients with CPAI and with exclusion of APS type 1, 21 were found to have Ab to 21-OH, only one of them had a monogenic non-autoimmune cause of CPAI (a mutation in the MC2R gene). Monogenic forms of CPAI were found in another 7 patients (mutations were found in the DAX1 and ABCD1 genes), among them an increase in Ab to 21-OH was not detected. Conclusion: determination of Ab to 21-OH is a specific and sensitive method for the diagnosis of autoimmune CPAI. An increase in Ab to 21-OH is a risk marker of autoimmune CPAI development.
СБОРНИК ТЕЗИСОВ XVII Российская научно-практическая конференция детских эндокринологов «Достижения науки в практику детского эндокринолога» КЛИНИЧЕСКИЙ СЛУЧАЙ ФЕОХРОМОЦИТОМЫ С СИНДРОМОМ СИСТЕМНОГО ВОСПАЛИТЕЛЬНОГО ОТВЕТА М.М.Гаспарян, Л
Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic inflammatory liver disease of unknown etiology; the prevalence of juvenile autoimmune hepatitis is unknown. Autoimmune hepatitis occurs in 10–20% of patients with type 1 autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome, a rare (orphan) disease, which is characterized by a clinical triad in 70–100% of cases: chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, hypopara thy roidismand adrenal insufficiency, as well as more 25 possible autoimmune endocrine and non-endocrine manifestations.Thisstudy describes a case of a 5-year-old girl with autoimmune hepatitis as the first clinical manifestation of the disease. The symptoms of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis enabled us to suggest and genetically confirm the diagnosis of autoimmune poly endocrine syndrome type 1 before the lesions of endocrine organs. The girl had nonsense mutations R257 * and p.Q94* of the AIRE gene in a compound heterozygous state. Later, there appeared another autoimmune disorder – common vitiligo.Timelydiagnosisoftype1autoimmunepolyendocrinesyndromeinachildwiththefirstnon-endocrine autoimmune manifestation, initiation of therapy and further medical management made it possible to preventseve recomplications and improve the patient’s quality of life.