Near adult height and BMI changes in growth hormone treated short children with Noonan syndrome: the Belgian experience.

Introduction A variable near adult height (NAH) outcome after growth hormone (GH) therapy in Noonan syndrome (NS) patients with short stature has been reported. The main objective of this study was to evaluate NAH and body mass index (BMI) evolution in a large Belgian cohort of NS patients treated for short stature. The secondary objectives were to investigate whether sex, genotype, the presence of a thoracic deformity and/or a heart anomaly might affect NAH and to validate the recently developed NAH prediction model by Ranke et al. Methods Clinical and auxological data of GH treated short NS patients born before 2001 were extracted from the national Belgrow registry. NAH was available in 54 (35 male) genotyped NS using a gene panel of 9 genes, showing pathogenic variants in PTPN11 in 32 and in SOS1 in 5 patients, while in 17 patients gene panel analysis was inconclusive (no mutation group). Results After a median (P10; P90) duration of 5.4 (2.2-10.3) years of GH therapy with a median dose of 0.05 mg/kg/day NS patients reached a median NAH of -1.7 (-3.4; -0.8) SDS. Median total height gain was 1.1 (0.1; 2.3) SDS. Sex, genotype and the presence of a thoracic or cardiac malformation did not correlate with NAH or total height gain. Linear regression modelling revealed that height SDS at start (beta=0.90, p<0.001), mid-parental height SDS (beta =0.27; p=0.005), birth weight SDS (beta=0.15; p=0.051), age at start (beta=0.07; p=0032) were independently associated with NAH SDS. Median BMI SDS increased significantly (p<0.001) from -1.0 (-2.5; 0.0) at start to -0.2 (-1.5; 0.9) at NAH. The observed NAH in a subgroup of 44 patients with more than 3 years of GH treatment was not statistically different from the predicted NAH by the Noonan NAH prediction model of Ranke. Conclusion Long-term GH therapy at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg/day in short NS patients is effective in improving adult height and BMI, irrespective of the genotype and presence or absence of cardiac and or thoracic anomalies.

Possible association between complex congenital heart defects and 11p15 hypomethylation in three patients with severe Silver-Russell syndrome.

Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is characterized by pre- and post-natal growth restriction that spares head growth, feeding difficulties, and variable dysmorphic facial features without major malformations. Hypomethylation of the paternal 11p15 imprinting control region 1 (ICR1) and maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 are found in 50-60% and in 5-10% of SRS patients, respectively. We report on the pre- and post-natal features of three unrelated SRS patients with unusual congenital heart defects (CHDs). Two patients born prematurely had total anomalous pulmonary venous return and died shortly after birth, and a third patient, now 4 years old, had cor triatriatum sinistrum, which was surgically corrected. In all three patients, the underlying molecular defect was 11p15 ICR1 hypomethylation. Based on a large cohort with molecularly proven SRS, the prevalence of CHD in SRS is estimated at 5.5%. We suggest that the occurrence of CHD in SRS with 11p15 ICR1 hypomethylation is not coincidental, but specific to this genotype.

IGF1 haploinsufficiency in children with short stature: a case series.

CONTEXT: Short stature in children is a common reason for referral to pediatric endocrinologists. The underlying cause of short stature remains unclear in many cases and patients often receive unsatisfactory, descriptive diagnoses. While textbooks underline the rarity of genetic causes of growth hormone (GH) insensitivity and the severity of its associated growth failure, increased genetic testing in patients with short stature of unclear origin has revealed gene defects in the GH/insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) axis associated with milder phenotypes. As such, heterozygous IGF1 gene defects have been reported as a cause of mild and severe short stature. Here, we aimed to describe the clinical and hormonal profile of children with IGF1 haploinsufficiency and their short-term response to growth hormone treatment (GHT). CASE DESCRIPTIONS: We describe five patients presenting with short stature, microcephaly, and in four out of five born small for gestational age diagnosed with IGF1 haploinsufficiency. The phenotype of these patients resembles that of previously described cases with similar gene defects. In our series, segregation of the short stature with the IGF1 deletion is evident from the pedigrees and our data suggests a modest response to GHT. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first case series of complete heterozygous IGF1 deletions in children. The specific genetic defects provide a clear image of the phenotype of IGF1 haploinsufficiency - unbiased by heterozygous mutations with possible dominant negative effects on IGF-I function. We increase the evidence for IGF1 haploinsufficiency as a cause of short stature, microcephaly, and SGA.

DNA Methylation Profiling and Genomic Analysis in 20 Children with Short Stature Who Were Born Small for Gestational Age.

PURPOSE: In a significant proportion of children born small for gestational age (SGA) with failure of catch-up growth, the etiology of short stature remains unclear after routine diagnostic workup. We wanted to investigate if extensive analysis of the (epi)genome can unravel the cause of growth failure in a significant portion of these children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty SGA children treated with GH because of short stature were selected from the BELGROW database of the Belgian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology for exome sequencing, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and genome-wide methylation analysis to identify the (epi)genetic cause. First-year response to GH was compared with the response of SGA patients in the KIGS database. RESULTS: We identified (likely) pathogenic variants in 4 children (from 3 families) using exome sequencing and found pathogenic copy number variants in 2 probands using SNP array. In a child harboring a NSD1-containing microduplication, we identified a DNA methylation signature that is opposite to the genome-wide DNA methylation signature of Sotos syndrome. Moreover, we observed multilocus imprinting disturbances in 2 children in whom no other genomic alteration could be identified. Five of 6 children with a genetic diagnosis had an "above average" response to GH. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that a more advanced approach with deep genotyping can unravel unexpected (epi)genomic alterations in SGA children with persistent growth failure. Most SGA children with a genetic diagnosis had a good response to GH treatment.