Pregnancy outcomes in women with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

OBJECTIVE: Despite earlier detection, treatment, and surgical advances, fertility prognosis in women with classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) is still low, especially in the salt-wasting (SW) form. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analysed the course and outcome of four pregnancies in two simple virilizing (SV) and one SW patient. RESULTS: The evaluation of carrier status indicated that all three fathers had two normal CYP21 genes. During the pregnancy, the dose of prednisolone was increased in one of the SV patients and the SW patient. In the SW patient who developed pre-eclampsia, the dose of fludrocortisone was also increased. Three patients gave birth to a total of four healthy girls who were heterozygotes for 21-OHD with normal genitalia (one by vaginal delivery and three by Caesarean section). Family studies revealed that the mother of the SW patient has nonclassical 21-OHD. CONCLUSION: Improving a low birth rate in females with SW 21-OHD remains a problem and new approaches are required. If the mother has 21-OHD (even nonclassical 21-OHD), pre-conception counselling and paternal genotyping are advisable and prenatal dexamethasone therapy should be considered.     

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

OBJECTIVE: To obtain objective information on the relationship between adult height (AH), glucocorticoid (GC) dose, and degree of hormonal suppression in a population of patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency congenital adrenal hyperplasia (21-OHD CAH) to optimize treatment regimes. STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective chart review of patients with salt wasting 21-OHD CAH diagnosed in the first 6 months of life, and who had reached AH (n = 54). The data were compiled into a single database. RESULTS: Mean adult height standard deviation score - midparental height standard deviation score was -1.1 for both sexes. Growth velocity was normal during childhood but compromised during infancy and puberty. Onset and tempo of puberty were normal-to-delayed. Bone age was closely correlated with chronologic age (r = 0.93). AH was negatively correlated with androstenedione in infancy (r -0.68; P =.03) and childhood (-0.66; P <.01) and with testosterone in childhood (r -0.44; P =.01), but not with dehydroepiandrosterone or 17-hydroxyprogesterone. GC dose was not associated with AH. CONCLUSIONS: Mean AH was in the lower range of genetic potential in this group of persons with 21-OHD CAH. Androgen levels should be used in conjunction with growth velocity measurements to optimize GC dosing in persons with 21-OHD CAH.     

Untreated congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an inherited metabolic disease caused by the deficiency of one of the enzymes necessary for cortisol synthesis. With carefully supervised medical treatment, CAH patients have the capacity for normal puberty and fertility. We report on a 12.4-year-old female who, because of the early interruption of treatment, developed progressive virilization with reduced final height and altered psycho-social orientation to male. One of the reasons for interrupting replacement therapy in our case was the difficult social and economic status of the family, who lived for many years without basic medical care.     

先天性肾上腺皮质增生症21羟化酶缺乏患者的生长与最终身高影响因素

先天性肾上腺皮质增生症(CAH)是一组常染色体隐性遗传病,由于肾上腺皮质激素合成酶的缺陷,皮质醇的合成部分或完全受阻使促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)分泌过多导致肾上腺皮质增生,同时皮质醇的前体产物过多堆积并转化为性激素.21羟化酶缺乏(21-OHD)是最常见的CAH,同时也是人类最常见的常染色体隐性遗传病之一,分为经典型...     

先天性肾上腺皮质增生症21羟化酶缺乏患者的生长与最终身高影响因素

先天性肾上腺皮质增生症(CAH)是一组常染色体隐性遗传病,由于肾上腺皮质激素合成酶的缺陷,皮质醇的合成部分或完全受阻使促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)分泌过多导致肾上腺皮质增生,同时皮质醇的前体产物过多堆积并转化为性激素.21羟化酶缺乏(21-OHD)是最常见的CAH,同时也是人类最常见的常染色体隐性遗传病之一,分为经典型和非经典型.21-OHD的治疗目标是用糖皮质激素和盐皮质激素替代,抑制ACTH的过度分泌,使肾上腺分泌的雄激素水平正常,保证正常的生长和骨骼发育,以达到或接近其遗传潜力所决定的身高.然而,由于自身疾病以及治疗的影响,CAH患儿的成年身高常较正常人群平均水平及自身遗传靶身高低下,因而成为备受关注的问题.     

Gender role across development in adult women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

This study evaluated the degree of femininity and masculinity at different developmental stages in a group of adult women, some of whom were exposed to elevated prenatal adrenal androgens as a result of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21 hydroxylase (21-OH) deficiency. Women who had presented to the Johns Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Endocrine Clinic for treatment of CAH due to 21-OH deficiency were included. The control group consisted of sisters of CAH participants and women referred for evaluation of polycystic ovary syndrome. Study participants were given a questionnaire asking them to indicate their degree of masculinity and femininity during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. In addition, participants were asked questions related to their play behavior during childhood, including playmate preferences, toy preferences, and admiration of male or female characters during fantasy play. Across participant groups, self-reported femininity decreased in a dose response manner, according to prenatal androgen exposure. For all groups, femininity increased through developmental stages. Women with salt-losing CAH remained less feminine than controls into adulthood. Conversely, self-reported masculinity increased in a dose-response manner, according to prenatal androgen exposure, across participant groups. Women with CAH showed a decrease in masculinity across developmental stages, such that by adulthood, there were no significant differences in masculinity between controls and the women with CAH. Women with salt-losing CAH were more likely to recall preferences for boy playmates, male-typical toys, and admiration for male characters during childhood than other study participants. Our data support the effect of both prenatal androgen exposure and socialization on gender role behavior in adult women with CAH due to 21-OH deficiency.     

先天性肾上腺皮质增生症21-羟化酶缺陷的产前诊断一例

目的　探讨先天性肾上腺皮质增生症 2 1 羟化酶缺陷的产前诊断方法。方法　运用Southern杂交、单链构象多态性分析和人工酶切位点分析的方法检测突变 ,对先天性肾上腺皮质增生症 2 1 羟化酶缺陷先证者 (男 ,3岁 )及其父母进行DNA诊断 ,并于其母亲第 5次妊娠 16周时抽取其羊水进行羊水细胞诊断。结果　先证者存在缺失突变与内含子 2第 6 5 6剪切突变 ,父母各携带其一。羊水细胞未检出两种突变 ,判断胎儿正常。胎儿娩出后发育良好 ,实验室检查正常 ,证实了产前诊断结果。结论　羊水细胞DNA分析是先天性肾上腺皮质增生症 2 1 羟化酶缺陷的产前诊断的可靠方法。     

Growth in infants with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency: An analysis of the factors affecting height

BackgroundIt has been suggested that overtreatment of infants with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency might affect their growth and final height.ObjectiveTo assess the axiological parameters of infants with CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency from their first presentation in neonatal period and during infancy, in an attempt to decide the optimum doses of glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid and salt therapy that can achieve androgen suppression, prevent life-threatening salt-wasting crises, and allow normal growth velocity for age.Materials and methodsRetrospective study conducted in the Diabetes Endocrine and Metabolism Pediatric Unit at Children’s Hospital, Cairo University included baseline and follow-up data of 28 infants with 21-hydroxylase deficiency.ResultsMedian age at presentation was 34 days. Lower doses of hydrocortisone (<20 mg/m²/day) were associated with better growth, not reaching a statistical significance. Delta change in length standard deviation score (SDS) was significantly higher in males (p = 0.01). Delta change in length and weight SDS of cases with mean basal length SDS below −2 were significantly higher than those with mean basal length SDS above −2 (p = 0.02 and 0.04 respectively). No correlations were found between delta height-SDS and age at diagnosis, duration of follow-up, glucocrticoid or mineralocorticoid dosing.ConclusionPoor growth in infants with salt wasting CAH was not related to age at diagnosis and start of therapy, doses of glucocorticoid, fludrocortisones, or saline therapy. Male sex and mean basal length SDS below −2 were associated with a more favorable growth catch up. Further prospective studies with inclusion of intercurrent illnesses and nutritional status are needed.     

Blood pressure in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

BACKGROUND: In patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) recording of blood pressure (BP) must be included in monitoring treatment to detect hypertension. AIM: To investigate the BP patterns in patients with CAH. METHODS: Twenty-three children and adolescents (age 6-17 years) and 11 adult patients (age 18-26 years) were studied (21 females, 13 males; 28 salt-wasting patients). In the whole group BP in the outpatient clinic was compared with BP under hospitalisation and in 11 of the children and adolescents also with 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). RESULTS: BP in the ward in children and adolescents but not in adults was significantly higher than BP in the outpatient clinic, where BP was in the upper normal range. There was also a significant difference between BP in the outpatient clinic and the lower ABPM in the 11 patients tested. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in blood serum showed normal values. CONCLUSIONS: BP measured in outpatients in a relaxed and calm atmosphere meets the requirements for monitoring of treatment. Measurement of BP on the ward leads to falsely high results. ABPM is not necessary. Estimation of ANP provides no additional information.     

Adrenocortical tumor in a patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

An adrenal cortical tissue tumor developed in a patient with poorly controlled salt-losing congenital adrenal hyperplasia. A 16-year-old girl became progressively virilized from 13 to 16 years of age. Base line serum progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and testosterone levels were high and there was a diurnal pattern of the hormones. Initially elevated urinary 17-ketosteroid and serum steroid levels were decreased by high dose dexamethasone therapy, and at laparotomy an adenoma was found in the cortex of the hyperplastic left adrenal gland. It is inferred that persistent adrenocorticotrophic hormone stimulation may result in neoplastic transformation of hyperplastic adrenal cortical tissue in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.     

Hydrometrocolpos following prenatal dexamethasone treatment for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (21-hydroxylase deficiency)

A female with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (21-hydroxylase deficiency) received prenatal dexamethasone treatment. Suppression of the fetal adrenal was initially inadequate but adequate in later pregnancy. The baby showed masculinisation without clitoral enlargement and a narrow urogenital sinus with resulting hydrometrocolpos. It is possible that dexamethasone treatment which is initially inadequate increases the risk of this latter complication.     

Prenatal diagnosis and treatment of steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency (congenital adrenal hyperplasia)

Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency congenital adrenal hyperplasia is the most common cause of genital ambiguity in females at birth. Inhibited formation of cortisol causes increase in the release of ACTH in turn leading to overproduction of adrenal androgens. This predisposes the affected female fetus to prenatal development of genital ambiguity. A large number of patients also have aldosterone insufficiency which manifests after birth in form of inability to conserve sodium and to excrete potassium which can lead to adrenal shock and neonatal death, if left untreated. Prenatal diagnosis is possible using several methods like steroid assay of amniotic fluid and,HLA typing. Recently with advancement more accurate direct molecular genetic techniques have been utilized on chorionic villus samples in first trimester of pregnancy. Prenatal treatment is also possible and pregnancies can be managed by administering dexamethasone to the mother as soon as pregnancy is diagnosed. This suppresses fetal androgen production in genetic females preventing virilization and leading to normal development. Prenatal diagnosis and treatment are highly desirable in families with a positive family history towards birth of a child without features of the disease.     

Successful prenatal treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

A mother carrying a fetus affected with 21-hydroxylase deficiency received prenatal treatment with dexamethasone (0.5 mg, tid, p.o.) started from the very beginning of the 8th week of gestation. Prenatal diagnosis had to rely on amniocentesis with karyotyping and steroid hormone determination, because HLA and DNA data from the deceased index case or direct molecular genetic techniques were not available. The pre- and postnatal diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency was based on mass spectrometric determination of 17-hydroxyprogesterone. Dexamethasone was discontinued for 5 days prior to amniocentesis. Monitoring of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate and oestriol in maternal plasma revealed suppressed maternal and fetal adrenal glands throughout pregnancy. Plasma dexamethasone levels confirmed excellent maternal compliance. At term, an eutrophic girl with normal female genitalia was delivered. The diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency and salt loss was confirmed postnatally. Regarding the side-effects of dexamethasone, the benefit/risk ratio was in favour of prenatal dexamethasone therapy.     

Detection of late-onset 21-hydroxylase deficiency congenital adrenal hyperplasia in adolescents

Because severe hirsutism is difficult to reverse, the evaluation of the adolescent girl with progressive hirsutism should aim at the pathophysiology of androgen excess in order to select appropriate therapies. A prospective study was undertaken to determine the occurrence of late-onset 21-hydroxylase deficiency among adolescents with androgen excess. Twenty-two young women (mean age 17.3 +/- 2.6 years) with androgen excess had serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone measured before and after bolus intravenous infusion of synthetic ACTH (Cortrosyn), 0.25 mg. Two patients, aged 13 and 19 years old, had elevated base line 17-hydroxyprogesterone and 30- and 60-minute responses to Cortrosyn consistent with 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Chromosome 6p haplotypes provided supportive evidence of 21-hydroxylase deficiency. The base line androgen levels, clinical presentation, and a four-day dexamethasone test did not distinguish patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency from other hirsute adolescents. The Cortrosyn test identifies a population of adolescents who need long-term corticosteroid therapy. The use of major histocompatibility complex haplotypes could be of help in identifying affected siblings prior to the development of significant hirsutism.     

Adiponectin levels are high in children with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

Objective: It has been shown that adiponectin serves as an insulin-sensitizing adipokine. Serum concentrations of adiponectin are low in children with obesity, and increase with fat mass loss, indicating that adiponectin can serve as a biomarker. Since the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increased in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), our study aimed to evaluate serum levels of adiponectin in a cohort of CAH children and adolescents, and their associations with clinical parameters such as chronological age (CA), body mass index (BMI), Tanner stage (TS), medication and metabolic control.
Patients and methods: We studied 51 patients, aged between 5.6 and 19.6 years (median 11.8; 30 females, 21 males), cross-sectionally. All patients had genetically confirmed CAH and received standard steroid substitution therapy. Adiponectin was measured by an enzyme linked immunoassay. Since BMI SDS of the CAH cohort were significantly higher compared to the reference population, we built matched pairs with healthy Caucasian subjects from a normal representative cohort for sex, Tanner stage, chronologic age and BMI.
Results: Adiponectin concentrations were significantly higher in CAH patients (median 11 μg/L) compared to the matched controls (6.7 μg/L, p < 0.0001). Correlation analyses in CAH patients revealed a significant inverse relationship between adiponectin and CA, TS, BMI, serum DHEAS and serum testosterone, but no correlation with hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone dosage.
Conclusion: Currently, the importance of the elevated adiponectin concentrations in CAH children for risk assessment is not clear. However, our data imply that besides adequate metabolic control of glucocorticoid substitution, a long-term follow-up of other metabolic markers of insulin resistance should be conducted in CAH patients.     

Growth and pubertal characteristics in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

This retrospective study examined the pubertal characteristics and growth in patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD). There were 18 males and 31 females with salt wasting (SW), simple virilizing (SV), or non-classical (NC) 21-OHD. Mean ages at onset of puberty (AOP) in SW, SV, and NC males were 9.2 +/- 1.9, 10.3 +/- 1.1, and 10.7 +/- 0.8 years, respectively; while mean AOP in SW, SV, and NC females were 9.3 +/- 1.7, 8.6 +/- 1.6, and 8.5 +/- 1.3 years, respectively. Mean final height (FH) in SW males (159.6 +/- 7.8 cm) was less than in SV (166.8 +/- 7.5 cm, p = 0.06) and NC (173.4 +/- 6.4 cm, p = 0.005) males. Mean FH in SW females (157.1 +/- 5.5 cm) was similar to SV (156.0 +/- 8.4 cm) but less than NC (161.3 +/- 5.4 cm, p = 0.01) females. In conclusion, while the patients as a group entered puberty earlier than the general population, SW males entered puberty the earliest and had the most compromised FH outcome.     

Disproportionate suppression of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) in treated patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

Serum concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) were measured in 28 patients (18 females, 10 males) with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency who were treated with oral hydrocortisone (non-salt losers) or hydrocortisone and 9-alpha-fluorohydrocortisone (salt-losers). Adequacy of therapy was assessed by clinical findings, determination of bone age, urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids, and serum concentration of 17-hydroxyprogesterone. These allowed the separation of patients into three groups: poorly controlled, adequately controlled and overtreated. Individual values for serum levels of DHEAS were compared to mean normal values for age. In the adequately controlled and overtreated patients, mean serum concentrations of DHEAS were significantly lower than normal values for age (P less than 0.05). In the poorly treated patients, the mean serum concentration of DHEAS was not significantly different from normal values for age (P = 0.50). These data indicate that the serum concentration of DHEAS is overly suppressed in treated patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. This finding suggests that measurement of the serum levels of DHEAS has limited value in assessing the adequacy of therapy in this disease.