X-linked congenital adrenal hypoplasia: Report of long clinical follow-up and description of a new complex variant in the NR0B1 gene.

Adrenal hypoplasia congenita, attributed to NR0B1 pathogenic variants, accounts for more than 50% of the incidence of primary adrenal insufficiency in children. Although more than 250 different deleterious variations have been described, no genotype-phenotype correlation has been defined to date. We report a case of an adopted boy who reported the onset of an adrenal crisis at 2 weeks of age, requiring replacement therapy with mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids for 4 months. For 3 years, he did well without treatment. At almost 4 years of age, the disorder was restarted. A long follow-up showed the evolution of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Molecular studies on NR0B1 revealed a novel and deleterious deletion-insertion-inversion-deletion complex rearrangement sorted in the 5'-3' direction, which is described as follows: (1) deletion of the intergenic region (between TASL and NR0B1 genes) and 5' region, (2) insertion of a sequence containing 37 bp at the junction of the intergenic region of the TASL gene and a part of exon 1 of the NR0B1 gene, (3) inversion of a part of exon 1, (4) deletion of the final portion of exon 1 and exon 2 and beginning of the 3'UTR region, (5) maintenance of part of the intergenic sequence (between genes MAGEB1 and NR0B1, telomeric sense), (6) large posterior deletion, in the same sense. The path to molecular diagnosis was challenging and involved several molecular biology techniques. Evaluating the breakpoints in our patient, we assumed that it was a nonrecurrent rearrangement that had not yet been described. It may involve a repair mechanism known as nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ), which joins two ends of DNA in an imprecise manner, generating an "information scar," represented herein by the 37 bp insertion. In addition, the local Xp21 chromosome architecture with sequences capable of modifying the DNA structure could impact the formation of complex rearrangements.

[A Novel Pathogenic variant in NR0B1 gene associated with Congenital Adrenal Hypoplasia]. / Nueva Variante Patogénica en el Gen NR0B1 Asociada a Hipoplasia Adrenal Congénita.

X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita is a rare cause of primary adrenal insufficiency. Mutations in the NR0B1 gene cause a loss of function in the DAX1 receptor, which activates genes involved in the development and function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Objective: To describe a case of adrenal hypoplasia congenita secondary to a mutation in the NR0B1 gene and identified the differential diagnoses of the pediatric patient with adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Clinical Case: A 4-year-old male patient with no relevant history and from a rural area was admitted to the emergency room due to a 15-days of emesis, asthenia, adynamia, myalgia, and ataxic gait. On the physical examination, hypotension, hyponatremia, and hyperkalemia, as well as mucosal hyperpigmentation and bilateral cryptorchidism were observed, therefore, adrenal crisis was diagnosed, starting fluid resuscitation with saline solution, hydrocortisone, and fludrocortisone, which stabilized the patient. Adrenal hyperplasia congenita, innate metabolic error, and infectious or autoimmune etiology were ruled out as etiology. A clinical exome test was performed which iden tified the variant c.1275A > T; p.Arg425Ser (Transcript ENST00000378970.5) in the NR0B1 gene consistent with X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita. Management of the patient continued with glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids with favorable clinical course at 7 years of follow-up. Con clusion: A novel pathogenic variant associated with X-linked adrenal hypoplasia is described. Variants in the NR0B1 gene should be a differential diagnosis in a male patient with the association of primary adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadism.

Uso de corticosteróides no recém-nascido com choque séptico: estado da arte / The use of corticosteroids in the newborn with sepsis shock: state of art

Objetivo: Verificar se a utilização de corticosteróide no recém-nascido com choque séptico e insuficiência adrenal tem influência na sobrevida dos pacientes. Fontes Pesquisadas: MEDLINE e LILACS no período de 1996 a 2006. Os artigos foram selecionados desde que fornecessem informações sobre a utilização de corticosteróides em recém-nascidos com choque séptico. Síntese dos Dados: A revisão foi dividida em tópicos que abordaram o recém-nascido com choque séptico, a utilização de corticosteróides neste tipo de choque e na insuficiência adrenal associada a este quadro e a relação do tratamento com a evolução dos pacientes. Conclusões: A insuficiência adrenal também ocorre no recém-nascido com choque séptico e os corticosteróides devem ser considerados, mesmo nos pré-termos, não respondentes ao tratamento convencional como expansão de volume e terapia inotrópica.

Objective: To review the use of corticosteroids in the treatment of newborns with septic shock and adrenal failure and the role in survival of the patients. Data Sources: Scientific articles were searched in the data base MEDLINE and LILLACS between 1996 and 2006. The articles were selected whether they provided information about the association of the use of corticosteroids in newborn infants with septic shock. Data Synthesis: This review is structured in topics, in which the septic shock is defined, as well the use of corticosteroids in the adrenal failure and their role in the survival of this patients. Conclusions: There are a very few studies including the use of corticosteroids in critically ill term or premature newborn infants. However, the reposition of adrenal cortex hormones must be considered in the treatment of septic shock with adrenal failure when these patients did not have a good response to the conventional treatment how volume expansion and inotropic therapy.

Adrenal insufficiency in newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia frequently have catecholamine-unresponsive systemic hypotension and respiratory failure. We found that adrenal insufficiency frequently complicates the clinical course of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and was associated with increased severity of illness.

IMAGe syndrome: a complex disorder affecting growth, adrenal and gonadal function, and skeletal development.

IMAGe syndrome (intrauterine growth restriction, metaphyseal dysplasia, adrenal hypoplasia congenita, genital abnormalities; MIM 300290) is a multisystem disorder with a broad phenotype, which, if unrecognized, may result in major and possibly life-threatening complications. Initial clinical features overlap with those of Russell-Silver syndrome (RSS) and isolated growth hormone (GH) deficiency, conditions from which it must be distinguished. We report an Australian male with adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) in association with IMAGe syndrome. The patient had intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and dysmorphic features comprising small, low-set ears, micrognathia, bilateral cryptorchidism, micropenis, and skeletal abnormalities. Signs of adrenal insufficiency occurred at aged 4.6 years. Our patient differs from those previously described by the late onset of adrenal insufficiency and the presence of GH deficiency. IMAGe is a complex syndrome involving dysmorphic features; disorders of growth, gonadal, and adrenal function; and skeletal abnormalities.

Presymptomatic diagnosis of X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita by analysis of DAX1.

A novel DAX1 mutation (L381H) was discovered in the asymptomatic 8-month-old brother of a boy with primary adrenal failure. The infant had impaired adrenal reserve despite normal basal adrenal steroid concentrations. This case highlights the value of genetic testing in children at risk of the development of X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita before the onset of a potentially life-threatening adrenal crisis.

Minipuberty of infancy and adolescent pubertal function in adrenal hypoplasia congenita.

An infant and his uncle, both with adrenal hypoplasia congenita, shared the same DAX1 mutation. The adolescent uncle had hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, but the infant had a normal minipuberty of infancy. These observations suggest differences in the physiologic mechanisms regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in infancy and adolescence.

Segregation of Allgrove (triple-A) syndrome in Puerto Rican kindreds with chromosome 12 (12q13) polymorphic markers.

Allgrove syndrome (AS), also known as triple-A syndrome, is a rare cause of congenital adrenal insufficiency due to adrenocorticotropic hormone resistance. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and is associated with achalasia, alacrima, and other neurological abnormalities, including autonomic, sensory, and upper- and lower-motor neuropathy, deafness, and mental retardation. Although the etiology of AS remains unknown, recently the disease was linked to a chromosome 12 locus (corresponding cytogenetic band 12q13) in consanguineous families of European ancestry. In the present study, we investigated four nonconsanguineous families with documented inheritance of AS for linkage with the reported 12q13 locus. Eighteen subjects were studied, of whom five were affected by AS. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes and amplified by standard methods with primers from polymorphic sequence tagged sites (STSs) located in the chromosome 12q13 region. Two-point logarithm-of-odds (LOD) score analysis revealed a maximum LOD score of 1.7 for STSs D12S361 and D12S368 without any recombinants [recombination distance (theta) = 0]. Multipoint linkage analysis defined an area of estimated genetic distance less than 0.5 cM (approximately 500,000 bp) between STSs D12S361 and D12S359 that is most likely to contain the AS gene(s). We conclude that, in Puerto Rican families, AS segregates with polymorphic markers that have been mapped to the chromosome 12q13 locus, revealing the absence of heterogeneity for this syndrome in a genetically distinct population. Candidate genes in the region include those that code for several of the keratin proteins, transcription factors, and others.

Active hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in an infant with X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita.

To evaluate the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in an infant with adrenal hypoplasia congenita, we measured the serum levels of testosterone and performed a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone stimulation test. The diagnosis was made because of the presence of a mutation, A300V, in the DAX-1 gene. The results demonstrated an active hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, with adult-level testosterone of 266 ng/dl on day 0, and maintenance of testosterone concentration in the 100 to 250 ng/dl range for 140 days as expected. The luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone lest was compatible with an active pituitary gland with a luteinizing hormone peak of 13.1 IU/L and a follicle-stimulating hormone of 5.0 IU/L We conclude that the DAX-1 mutation does allow a normal reproductive axis at birth. We speculate that sometime between infancy and puberty this mutation in the DAX-1 gene leads to an inability to activate the reproductive axis from its childhood suppression; thus puberty will not develop in this infant.

Dysmorphic features in patients with complex glycerol kinase deficiency.

Complex glycerol kinase deficiency is a contiguous gene syndrome consisting of a deletion of the glycerol kinase locus, together with the genes for adrenal hypoplasia congenita or Duchenne muscular dystrophy or both. We describe an infant with complex glycerol kinase deficiency and mildly dysmorphic features similar to those seen in other patients, including an "hourglass" appearance of the middle of the face; hypertelorism; rounded palpebral fissures; esotropia; wide, flattened earlobes; and a downturned mouth. The combination of medical history and characteristic facies should prompt the request for specific laboratory tests diagnostic for this potentially treatable condition.