Association of HLA alleles and haplotypes with CYP21A2 gene p. V282L mutation in the Croatian population.

The CYP21A2 mutations that are in linkage disequilibrium with particular HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 alleles/haplotypes, cause deficiency of the 21-hydroxylase enzyme (21-OHD) and account for the majority of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) cases. The aim of this study was to investigate those associations with the p.V282L mutation linked to the non-classical (NC) form of CAH among Croatians. The study included parents of patients with the NC form of CAH, positive for the p.V282L mutation (N = 55) and cadaveric donor samples (N = 231). All subjects were HLA-A, -B, and -DRB1 typed and tested for the presence of the p.V282L mutation. Among parents of patients, 92.73% of subjects were positive for the B*14:02 allele and almost half of them carried the HLA-A*33:01-B*14:02-DRB1*01:02 haplotype. Among cadaveric samples 77 out of 96 subjects positive for the B*14:02 allele had the p.V282L mutation. Among them, 37 were positive for the HLA-A*33:01-B*14:02-DRB1*01:02 haplotype, 23 had the HLA-A*33:01-B*14:02-DRB1*03:01 haplotype, 8 had the B*14:02-DRB1*01:02 combination and 5 were carrying the HLA-A*68:02-B*14:02-DRB1*13:03 haplotype. Only 4 of these subjects were positive for the B*14:02 allele. HLA-B*14:02 was the only single allele with association that reached statistically significant P value (RR = 12.00; P = 0.0024). Haplotypes B*14:02-DRB1*01:02 (P < 0.001) and HLA-A*68:02-B*14:02-DRB1*13:03 (P < 0.001) as well as HLA-A*33:01-B*14:02-DRB1*01:02 and HLA-A*33:01-B*14:02-DRB1*03:01 showed high relative risks (RR = 45.00, RR = 41.63 and RR = 36.96, respectively). Our data support the previously documented association of the HLA-A*33:01-B*14:02-DRB1*01:02 haplotype with the p.V282L mutation, but also point out a high frequency of the p.V282L mutation among Croatians with HLA-A*33:01-B*14:02-DRB1*03:01 and HLA-A*68:02-B*14:02-DRB1*13:03 haplotypes.

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.

Syndrome of short stature, mental deficiency, microcephaly, ectodermal dysplasia, and multiple skeletal anomalies.

We report on two brothers with mental deficiency, short stature of prenatal onset, microcephaly, alopecia/sparse hair, follicular ichthyosis, multiple skeletal anomalies, and recurrent respiratory infections. The younger brother has celiac disease, cryptorchidism, inguinal herniae, and hypohidrosis, while the older brother has hidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, juvenile autoimmune thyroiditis, hypolacrimation, photophobia, and optic atrophy. Striking resemblance exists between our patients and those previously reported by Schinzel ¿1980: Helv Paediatr Acta 35:243-251 and van Gelderen ¿1982: Am J Med Genet 13:383-387. The fact that boys are born to young and healthy nonconsanguineous parents and there are no other affected relatives suggests autosomal or X-linked recessive inheritance or parental germinal mosaicism for a dominant mutation.

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (21-hydroxylase deficiency) in Croatia.

We report on the prenatal diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase in 20 at-risk pregnancies (16 salt-wasting and 4 simple virilizing families). We have diagnosed 3 affected fetuses (2 males and 1 female), 3 healthy homozygotes (2 males and 1 female), and 14 healthy heterozygotes (7 females and 7 males). These data were collected over 4 years. In 16 fetuses, the diagnosis was made with measurements of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) and delta-4-androstenedione (delta) in amniotic fluid (AF), human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing of amniotic cells, as well as karyotypes between the 16th and 18th weeks of gestation. In 4 fetuses, DNA analysis of amniotic cells was also performed. In 3 pregnancies in which affected fetuses were suspected (on the basis of HLA typing and measurements of 17-OHP and delta concentrations in AF), the fetuses were electively aborted between the 17th to 19th weeks of gestation by parental decision. In all aborted fetuses, diagnosis was confirmed with HLA typing, autopsy findings of hyperplastic adrenal glands, and ambiguous genitalia in female fetuses. Postnatal diagnosis was confirmed in healthy fetuses with HLA typing and serum measurements of 17-OHP concentrations, and in 4 of them with DNA analysis. In 3 of the 4 families, DNA analyses revealed the following mutations: in Family 1, the index case mutation was Intron 2, Exon 3/Exon 6, and the fetus was Normal/Exon 6; in Family 2, the index case mutation was Ex1 Int2 Ex3/ Int2, and the fetus was Ex1 Int2 Ex3/Normal; and in Family 3, the index case mutation was Ex8(356)/Ex8(356), and the fetus was Ex8(356)/ Normal. We also report one case of prenatal diagnosis and treatment. Dexamethasone 0.5 mg BID (20 micrograms/kg/d) was given starting at 6th week of gestation. Prenatal diagnosis suggested, but did not prove, that the female fetus was a heterozygote as the fetus lacked the paternal mutation Ex8(318). No mutation was found in the mother. The fetus, the mother, and the affected sib shared a haplotype, further suggesting heterozygosity. The unaffected status was confirmed postnatally.

[The Cohen syndrome]. / Cohenov sindrom.

A girl with Cohen syndrome is presented. The diagnosis has been established on the basis of the characteristic face appearance with hypoplastic maxilla and mandible, open mouth, prominent maxillary central incisors, as well as characteristic appearance of extremities (narrow hands and feet), childhood obesity, hypotonia, and mental insufficiency. The girls also has the so-called "mottled retina". The attempts of weight reduction have been unsuccessful so far.

[The Johanson-Blizzard syndrome]. / Johanson-Blizzardov sindrom.

A 17 year and 10 month old boy with Johanson-Blizzard syndrome is presented as a case report for the first time. Diagnosis has been established on the basis of craniofacial abnormalities: microcephalia, parietal skin and bone defects, sparse hair with frontal up sweep, alae nasi hypoplasia, irregular dentition and nasolacrimal fistula, with mental insufficiency, partial exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and low birth-weight and length, hypotonia and failure to thrive in infancy. Congenital cataract and hiatus sacralis apertus are additional signs that have never been described in the literature concerning Johanson-Blizzard syndrome.

[Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome]. / Triho-rino-falangalni sindrom.

A girl with tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome is described. Besides clinical and radiologic symptoms of type I of this syndrome (short stature, pear-shaped nose, prominent and elongated philtrum, small carious teeth, thin and sparse hair, badly shaped laterally protruding ears, deep voice, cone-shaped phalangeal epiphyses as well as shortening of metacarpal and metatarsal bones) the patient exhibits a group of abnormalities characteristic for type II (broad nasal bridge, thicker septum, laterally postured nostrils, heavier eyebrows, mild deafness and epilepsy). The girl also has the symptoms of primary hypothyroidism because of the ectopic thyroid gland, the first recorded instance up to now, so it is probably a coincidence.

[X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy--2 case reports]. / X-spolno vezana adrenoleukodistrofija--prikaz dvaju bolesnika.

Cases of a ten-year-old boy with childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and a 22-year-old youngster with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) are reported. ALD is an inherited, X-linked perixisomal disorder associated with the accumulation of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA). Neurological symptoms occur due to progressive demyelination and destruction of cerebral white matter and primary adrenal insufficiency. The boy with ALD manifested neurological signs (impaired spatial orientation, visual disturbances, poor handwriting, seizures). Latent primary adrenal insufficiency was established, and successfully treated by gluco- and mineralocorticoids. Lorenzo's oil (mixture of glyceroltrioleate:glyceroltrierucate 4:1) treatment significantly reduced elevated concentrations of VLCFA, but in spite of that, neurological symptoms progressed and the boy died a year after the initial clinical presentation of the disease. The boy with AMN revealed primary adrenal insufficiency at the age of 15 years. AMN was suspected when hair and eyebrows loss occurred and the diagnosis was established due to elevated VLCFA levels in the serum at the age of 22 years. On examination no neurologic signs of the disease could be detected. Adrenal insufficiency is well controlled by gluco- and mineralocorticoids. In addition to the previously described two women who were symptomatic heterozygotes we now also report on two patients with ALD and AMN. The patients reported are the first four with this peroxisomal disorder described in Croatia so far. Probably a great number of such patients remains unrecognised. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the serum VLCFA levels in males with primary adrenal insufficiency, and in those with signs of progressive central demyelination and destruction of cerebral white matter accompanied by neurological symptoms of unknown etiology.

[Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with Turner's syndrome]. / Kronicni autoimuni tiroiditis u bolesnica s Turnerovim sindromom.

Studies concerning adult female patients with Turner's syndrome demonstrated that the impairment of the thyroid function is more often found in these patients than in the general female population. This is primarily related to a greater frequency of autoimmune thyroid diseases. Thyroid function was studied in a group of 23 female patients with Turner's syndrome, aged 7 to 24 years. Mean age was 15.6 years. Twelve patients had the karyotype 45X, three had mosaics 45X/46XX, one had the karyotype 45X/47XXX, while 7 had different structural X chromosome anomalies. They were all clinically euthyroid, except one which had plasma thyroxine (T4) values somewhat lower, and three which had plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations somewhat higher than normal levels which could correspond to the so-called "subclinical" or "compensated" hypothyroidism. Elevated thyroid autoantibodies (TAA) were found in nine patients, whereas only two of these patients had goiter, simultaneously. It may perhaps be concluded that in female patients with Turner's syndrome, the atrophic form of autoimmune thyroiditis is more frequent than that associated with goiter (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), the latter being more prevalent in younger age groups in the general population. In view to the possible progression to hypothyreosis and the need for substitution therapy, the necessity of regular thyroid function follow-up especially in patients with positive TAA titers is emphasized. This is particularly important in female patients of younger age who are still in their growth and development period and in whom low thyroid hormone concentrations may lead to even greater growth retardation which is already compromised with the principal disease.

[Prenatal diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase enzyme deficiency]. / Prenatalna dijagnostika kongenitalne adrenalne hiperplazije zbog nedostatka enzima 21-hidroksilaze.

Prenatal diagnosis of the "classical" forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) which is a result of 21-hydroxylase (21-OH) deficiency either complete, with salt-wasting or incomplete without salt wasting, is performed in two ways: by measuring concentration of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) and androstendione (delta 4) in amniotic fluid and by HLA typing of fetal cells from amniotic fluid. Having ones own normal values is the basic condition for the safe prenatal diagnosis of CAH 21-OH deficiency by measuring steroid concentration in amniotic fluid. Normal concentrations of 17-OHP in amniotic fluid achieved by amniocentesis in 85 pregnant women from 16-23 gestation week have been measured, as well as concentrations of delta 4 in 66 pregnant women in the same period of gestation. It has been proved that there are no differences between the concentrations of delta 4 in amniotic fluid regarding the sex. As far as 17-OHP is concerned, the same was confirmed earlier. The results of 9 prenatal diagnosis in 8 families, having already one child with "classical" form of CAH with salt-wasting, have been presented. It was achieved by combination of two methods: by measuring concentration of 17-OHP and delta 4 in amniotic fluid and HLA typing of fetal cells from amniotic fluid. In 8 fetuses at risk the birth of healthy children was correctly predicted, which was confirmed after the birth in three cases by HLA typing and measuring concentration of 17-OHP and delta 4 and from the blood of newborn babies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Primary adrenocortical micronodular dysplasia]. / Primarna adrenokortikalna mikronodularna displazija.

Two girls (11 and 13 years old) with Cushing's syndrome due to primary adrenocortical micronodular dysplasia (PAMD) are presented. High plasma cortisol concentrations, elevated urinary free cortisol and 17-ketogenic steroids excretion, in addition to low or normal plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels pointed towards independent adrenal cortisol hypersecretion. In both girls bilateral adrenalectomy was performed, followed by replacement therapy with glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. Pathohistological findings of otherwise enlarged adrenal glands, showed characteristic small nodules measuring 1-2 mm, composed of cells resembling those of zona fasciculata, with abundant, clear cytoplasm. Our younger patient fulfilled the criteria of "Carney complex", because beside PAMD she has had the lentigines.

Absent spermatogenesis despite early bilateral orchidopexy in 17-ketoreductase deficiency.

We describe a 26-year-old patient with 17-ketoreductase deficiency who was raised as a male from 8 months and whose left testis was brought down at the age of 2.5 years and the right testis at the age of 4. Despite the early orchidopexy and not significantly decreased serum testosterone, he was sterile, and biopsy of the testes at the age of 26 revealed absence of spermatogenesis. This case indicates that the absence of spermatogonia in previously reported patients whose testes remained undescended until a later age could not be attributed solely to cryptorchidism. We suggest that decreased intratesticular testosterone due to steroidogenic defect in the developing testis mainly contributes to the arrest of spermatogenesis.

Bilateral gonadoblastoma in a 9-month-old infant with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis.

A 9-month-old infant with hypertrophic clitoris and separated urethral and vaginal opening was diagnosed as having 46,XY incomplete "pure gonadal dysgenesis". Examination of both gonads revealed gonadoblastoma and bilateral salpingo-gonadectomy and partial hysterectomy were performed. Patient is raised as a girl, and clitoroplasty will be done in next several months. The fact that gonadal neoplasia in our patient was found already at the age of 9 months, confirms the need for gonadectomy at the time of diagnosis in the patients with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis.

HLA-A, B and DR antigens in patients with gonadal dysgenesis.

HLA (human leukocyte antigens) antigens A, B, and DR were determined in a series of 50 patients with gonadal dysgenesis (GD), separated into different groups according to karyotype. There were no significant differences in frequency of HLA antigen types between GD patients and the population control. When frequencies of the HLA antigens in the various GD patient groups by karyotype were compared, only one significant difference was found: HLA-A3 was more common among GD patients with isochromosome X than among GD patients with karyotype 45,X (p < 0.001, corr. p < 0.008). Although GD patients have a higher expectancy for development of autoimmune disorders, and in our 50 patients thyroglobulin and/or microsomal antibodies were detected in 20 (i.e., 40%), we failed to find any increased frequency of specific HLA antigen types known to be associated with juvenile autoimmune thyroiditis.

Thyroid diseases in a school population with thyromegaly.

A survey of 5462 schoolchildren was conducted for signs of thyroid disease in the seaside region of Sibenik, Croatia. In this region, salt is regularly iodised with 0.01% potassium iodide. Thyromegaly was found in 152 children (2.8%). The most common disorder was simple goitre, which was established in 126 of these, 12 boys and 114 girls (combined prevalence of 2.3%, and of 0.45% in boys and 4.07% in girls). Juvenile autoimmune thyroiditis was found in 19 of the children (prevalence 0.35%), with a female:male sex ratio of 8:1. Diagnosis was confirmed in all cases by fine needle biopsy. Thyroglobulin antibodies were detected in all 19 of the patients with juvenile autoimmune thyroiditis, but microsomal antibodies in only eight. Three patients had decreased concentrations of thyroxine and raised concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), one of these also with clinical hypothyroidism. Raised concentrations of TSH but with normal triiodothyronine and thyroxine were seen in two patients. Graves' disease was diagnosed in four children, three girls and one boy (combined 0.07%). Thyroid nodules were identified in three children (0.055%; two benign adenomas and one cyst). Only seven of the 152 patients with thyromegaly (three with hyperthyroidism and four with simple goitre) had previously sought medical advice, which points to the need for careful thyroid examination of apparently healthy children even in regions where the regular iodide intake is assumed to be sufficient.

Xerostomia in patients with triple A syndrome--a newly recognised finding.

Triple A syndrome is characterised by achalasia, alacrima, adrenal insufficiency and progressive neurological abnormalities including impaired autonomic nervous function. We present five patients with triple A syndrome in whom we describe xerostomia for the first time, a symptom which was presumed to be practically exclusive to Sjøgren syndrome and familial dysautonomia. Conclusion We recommend the investigation of salivation in all patients with triple A syndrome and treatment of xerostomia in order to ease swallowing. Further, our results corroborate earlier doubts that some patients with Sjøgren syndrome, especially those with the so-called "achalasia sicca" syndrome and adrenocortical insufficiency, actually had triple A syndrome. Therefore, adrenocortical function should be assessed in all patients with Sjøgren syndrome, particularly in those with difficulties in swallowing, because even latent adrenocortical insufficiency could be life-threatening for these patients in stressful situations.

Extraovarian steroid cell tumor 'not otherwise specified' as a rare cause of virilization in twelve-year-old girl.

BACKGROUND: We present a 12-year-old girl with a 5-year history of progressive virilization. RESULTS: Regarding elevated plasma levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) and androgens, normal ultrasound and CT scan of ovaries and adrenal glands, the nonclassic form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency was presumed the cause of virilization. As the glucocorticoid therapy did not normalize high levels of 17-OHP and androgens, and the DNA analysis did not demonstrate a mutation causing CAH, a laparotomy was performed. Near the right ovary a tumor was found and extirpated. Pathohistological studies determined it to be a rare steroid cell tumor, 'not otherwise specified'. Within the next months the signs of virilization resolved and menarche occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Steroid cell tumor should be considered in differential diagnosis of virilization in childhood. Regarding the age of our patient and pathohistological findings of the tumor, her prognosis is favorable.