Search

Objectives: To improve adult height in pubertal girls with a poor height prediction, treatment with growth hormone (GH) can be used in combination with a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa), to delay closure of the growth plates. However, there are few studies to support this practice, and they show conflicting results. The objective of this trial is to assess the safety and efficacy of this combination treatment in early pubertal girls with a short predicted height, in comparison with matched controls. Design, patients, and methods: We designed an open-label, multicenter, interventional case-control study. Early pubertal girls with predicted adult height (PAH) below -2.5 SDS, were recruited in tertiary care centers in Belgium. They were treated for four years with GH and GnRHa. The girls were followed until adult height (AH) was reached. AH vs PAH, AH vs Height at start, and AH vs Target Height (TH) were evaluated, as well as safety parameters. Control data were assembled from historical patient files or from patients who preferred not to participate in the study. Results: Sixteen girls with mean age (± SD) at start of 11.0 years (± 1.3) completed the study protocol and follow-up. Their mean height (± SD) increased from 131.3 ± 4.1 cm (-2.3 ± 0.7 SDS) at start of treatment to 159.8 ± 4.7 cm (-1.1 ± 0.7 SDS) at AH. In matched controls, height increased from 132.3 ± 4.2 cm (-2.4 ± 0.5 SDS) to 153.2 ± 3.4 cm (-2.1 ± 0.6 SDS) (p<0.001). AH surpassed initial PAH by 12.0 ± 2.6 cm in treated girls; and by 4.2 ± 3.6 cm in the controls (p<0.001). Most treated girls reached normal adult height (>-2SD) (87.5%) and 68.7% reached or superseded the target height (TH), which was the case in only a minority of the controls (37.5% and 6.2%, respectively) (p= 0.003 and 0.001). A serious adverse event possibly related to the treatment, was a fracture of the metatarsals. Conclusion: A four-year GH/GnRHa treatment in early pubertal girls with a poor PAH seems safe and result, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

STUDY QUESTION: What is the long-term outcome of individuals born with bilateral testicular regression (BTR) in relation to its underlying etiology? SUMMARY ANSWER: Statural growth and pubertal development are adequate with incremental doses of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT); however, penile growth is often suboptimal, especially in those with a suspected genetic etiology (i.e. heterozygous DHX37 variants) or a micropenis at birth. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: BTR is a rare and poorly understood condition. Although a vascular origin has been postulated, heterozygous missense variants in DHX37 have been attributed to the phenotype as well. How these various etiologies impact the clinical phenotype, gonadal histology and outcome of BTR remains unclear. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: For this cross-sectional study, individuals with BTR were recruited in eight Belgian pediatric endocrinology departments, between December 2019 and December 2022. A physical exam was performed cross-sectionally in all 17 end-pubertal participants and a quality of care questionnaire was completed by 11 of them. Exome-based panel testing of 241 genes involved in gonadal development and spermatogenesis was performed along with a retrospective analysis of presentation and management. A centralized histological review of gonadal rests was done for 10 participants. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: A total of 35 participants (33 with male, 1 with female, and 1 with non-binary gender identity) were recruited at a mean age of 15.0 ± 5.7 years. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The median age at presentation was 1.2 years [0-14 years]. Maternal gestational complications were common (38.2%), with a notably high incidence of monozygotic twin pregnancies (8.8%). Heterozygous (likely) pathogenic missense variants in DHX37 (p.Arg334Trp and p.Arg308Gln) were found in three participants. No other (likely) pathogenic variants were found. All three participants with a DHX37 variant had a microph, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

BACKGROUND: An ENDO-European Reference Network (ERN) initiative was launched that was endorsed by the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and the European Society for Endocrinology with 22 participants from the ENDO-ERN and the two societies. The aim was to update the practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of congenital hypothyroidism (CH). A systematic literature search was conducted to identify key articles on neonatal screening, diagnosis, and management of primary and central CH. The evidence-based guidelines were graded with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system, describing both the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence. In the absence of sufficient evidence, conclusions were based on expert opinion. SUMMARY: The recommendations include the various neonatal screening approaches for CH as well as the etiology (also genetics), diagnostics, treatment, and prognosis of both primary and central CH. When CH is diagnosed, the expert panel recommends the immediate start of correctly dosed levothyroxine treatment and frequent follow-up including laboratory testing to keep thyroid hormone levels in their target ranges, timely assessment of the need to continue treatment, attention for neurodevelopment and neurosensory functions, and, if necessary, consulting other health professionals, and education of the child and family about CH. Harmonization of diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up will optimize patient outcomes. Lastly, all individuals with CH are entitled to a well-planned transition of care from pediatrics to adult medicine. CONCLUSIONS: This consensus guidelines update should be used to further optimize detection, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of children with all forms of CH in the light of the most recent evidence. It should be helpful in convincing health authorities of the benefits of neonatal screening for CH. Further epidemiological and experimental studies are needed to

Background: An ENDO-European Reference Network (ERN) initiative was launched that was endorsed by the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and the European Society for Endocrinology with 22 participants from the ENDO-ERN and the two societies. The aim was to update the practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of congenital hypothyroidism (CH). A systematic literature search was conducted to identify key articles on neonatal screening, diagnosis, and management of primary and central CH. The evidence-based guidelines were graded with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system, describing both the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence. In the absence of sufficient evidence, conclusions were based on expert opinion. Summary: The recommendations include the various neonatal screening approaches for CH as well as the etiology (also genetics), diagnostics, treatment, and prognosis of both primary and central CH. When CH is diagnosed, the expert panel recommends the immediate start of correctly dosed levothyroxine treatment and frequent follow-up including laboratory testing to keep thyroid hormone levels in their target ranges, timely assessment of the need to continue treatment, attention for neurodevelopment and neurosensory functions, and, if necessary, consulting other health professionals, and education of the child and family about CH. Harmonization of diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up will optimize patient outcomes. Lastly, all individuals with CH are entitled to a well-planned transition of care from pediatrics to adult medicine. Conclusions: This consensus guidelines update should be used to further optimize detection, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of children with all forms of CH in the light of the most recent evidence. It should be helpful in convincing health authorities of the benefits of neonatal screening for CH. Further epidemiological and experimental studies are needed to, SCOPUS: re.j, DecretOANoAutActif, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Background Obesity is a chronic disease with limited treatment options in pediatric patients. Liraglutide may be useful for weight management in adolescents with obesity. Methods In this randomized, double-blind trial, which consisted of a 56-week treatment period and a 26-week follow-up period, we enrolled adolescents (12 to <18 years of age) with obesity and a poor response to lifestyle therapy alone. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either liraglutide (3.0 mg) or placebo subcutaneously once daily, in addition to lifestyle therapy. The primary end point was the change from baseline in the body-mass index (BMI; the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) standard-deviation score at week 56. Results A total of 125 participants were assigned to the liraglutide group and 126 to the placebo group. Liraglutide was superior to placebo with regard to the change from baseline in the BMI standard-deviation score at week 56 (estimated difference, −0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.37 to −0.08; P=0.002). A reduction in BMI of at least 5% was observed in 51 of 113 participants in the liraglutide group and in 20 of 105 participants in the placebo group (estimated percentage, 43.3% vs. 18.7%), and a reduction in BMI of at least 10% was observed in 33 and 9, respectively (estimated percentage, 26.1% vs. 8.1%). A greater reduction was observed with liraglutide than with placebo for BMI (estimated difference, −4.64 percentage points) and for body weight (estimated difference, −4.50 kg [for absolute change] and −5.01 percentage points [for relative change]). After discontinuation, a greater increase in the BMI standard-deviation score was observed with liraglutide than with placebo (estimated difference, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.23). More participants in the liraglutide group than in the placebo group had gastrointestinal adverse events (81 of 125 [64.8%] vs. 46 of 126 [36.5%]) and adverse events that led to discontinuation of the t

A Belgian updated consensus on the assessment and management of obesity. Obesity is the most prevalent chronic disease worldwide. The negative impacts of weight excess and obesity are considerable at the individual and collective levels, spreading across physical, mental, quality-of-life, societal and economic aspects. To give an example, only considering the economic burden of this health problem, a recent analysis estimated that weight excess reduces gross domestic product by 3.3% in OECD countries and those developed countries will spend 8.4% of their health budget to treat the consequences of excess weight.1 Fortunately, there are also favorable prospects for this health problem. The same analysis predicted that every single US dollar invested in addressing overweight will result in 5.6 US dollars of return in terms of economic benefits. At the individual level, it is proven that obesity management programs can improve or revert many symptoms or co-morbidities associated with obesity. [...]

Objective: Several criteria for first-year growth response (FYGR) to growth hormone (GH) treatment have been proposed. We explored which FYGR criteria predicted best the final height outcome after GH treatment in prepubertal children with GH deficiency (GHD). Design and methods: Height data of 129 GHD children (83 boys) who attained adult height and had been treated with GH for at least 4 consecutive years with at least 1 year before pubertal onset, were retrieved from the Belgian GH Registry. The FYGR parameters were: (1) increase in height (ΔHt) SDS, (2) height velocity (HV) SDS, (3) ΔHV (cm/year), (4) index of responsiveness (IoR) in KIGS prediction models, (5) first-year HV SDS based on the KIGS expected HV curve (HV KIGS SDS), (6) near final adult height (nFAH) prediction after first-year GH treatment. Poor final height outcome (PFHO) criteria were: (1) total ΔHt SDS <1.0, (2) nFAH SDS <−2.0, (3) nFAH minus midparental height SDS <−1.3. ROC curve analyses were performed to define the optimal cut-off for FYGR parameters to predict PFHO. Only ROC curves with an area under the curve (AUC) of more than 70% were further analyzed. Results: Twelve, 22 and 10% of the children had respectively a total ΔHt SDS <1, nFAH SDS <−2, and nFAH minus midparental height SDS <−1.3. The AUC's ranged between 73 and 85%. The highest AUC was found for first-year ΔHt SDS to predict total ΔHt SDS <1, and predicted nFAH SDS to predict nFAH SDS <−2. The currently used FYGR criteria had low specificities and sensitivities to detect PFHO. To obtain a 95% specificity, the cut-off value (and sensitivity) of FYGR parameters were: ΔHt SDS <0.35 (40%), HV SDS <−0.85 (43%), ΔHV <1.3 cm/year (36%), IoR <−1.57 (17%), HV KIGS SDS <−0.83 (40%) to predict total ΔHt SDS <1; predicted nFAH SDS (with GH peak) <−1.94 (25%), predicted nFAH SDS (without GH peak) <−2.02 (25%) to predict nFAH SDS <−2. At these cut-offs, the amount of correctly diagnosed poor final responders equals the amount of false positiv, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

La survenue d’une pilosité pubienne précoce est souvent une source d’inquiétude, tant pour les familles que pour les médecins. Dans la majorité des cas, il ne s’agit que d’une variante de la normale ou prémature adrenarche. Cependant, cette situation peut être en rapport avec des pathologies potentiellement graves comme une hyperplasie congénitale des surrénales ou une tumeur surrénalienne ou gonadique qu’il convient de diagnostiquer et de prendre en charge.

X-linked acrogigantism (X-LAG) syndrome is a newly-described form of inheritable pituitary gigantism that begins in early childhood and is usually associated with markedly elevated growth hormone (GH) and prolactin secretion by mixed pituitary adenomas/hyperplasia. Microduplications on chromosome Xq26.3 including the GPR101 gene cause X-LAG syndrome. In individual cases random GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) levels have been elevated. We performed a series of hormonal profiles in a young female sporadic X-LAG syndrome patient and subsequently undertook in vitro studies of primary pituitary tumor culture following neurosurgical resection. The patient demonstrated consistently elevated circulating GHRH levels throughout preoperative testing, which was accompanied by marked GH and prolactin hypersecretion; GH demonstrated a paradoxical increase following TRH administration. In vitro, the pituitary cells showed baseline GH and prolactin release that was further stimulated by GHRH administration. Co-incubation with GHRH and the GHRH receptor antagonist, acetyl-(D-Arg²)-GHRH (1-29) amide, blocked the GHRH-induced GH stimulation; the GHRH receptor antagonist alone significantly reduced GH release. Pasireotide, but not octreotide, inhibited GH secretion. A ghrelin receptor agonist and an inverse agonist led to modest, statistically significant increases and decreases in GH secretion, respectively. GHRH hypersecretion can accompany the pituitary abnormalities seen in X-LAG syndrome. These data suggest that the pathology of X-LAG syndrome may include hypothalamic dysregulation of GHRH secretion, which is in keeping with localization of GPR101 in the hypothalamus. Therapeutic blockade of GHRH secretion could represent a way to target the marked hormonal hypersecretion and overgrowth that characterizes X-LAG syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder with different nutritional phases from suckling deficit with failure to thrive to early onset of obesity. Hyperghrelinemia has been described in PWS long before the development of obesity. Ghrelin is found in both acylated (AG) and unacylated (UAG) forms in the circulation. In contrast to AG, UAG has been shown to inhibit food intake and to be elevated in anorexia nervosa. The present project is aiming to determine the underlying mechanisms driving the different nutritional phases in PWS. METHODS: Measurement of at least 4 h-fasting plasma acylated and unacylated ghrelin in 37 infants with a genetic diagnosis of PWS aged from 1 month to 4 years and in 100 age-matched controls without endocrine disorder recruited prior to minor surgery. One blood sampling was analysed for each patient/control and clinical data were recorded. Eleven PWS infants underwent repetitive blood samples at 3 or 6-month intervals during routine visits. RESULTS: In infants with PWS, AG is not elevated (p = 0.45), UAG is significantly higher (p = 0.0044; confidence interval 1.06;1.33) resulting in a low AG/UAG ratio (p = 0.0056; confidence interval 0.76;0.95) compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Unlike children and adults with PWS that have high AG and AG/UAG ratio, infants with PWS have elevated UAG that supports the concept of anorexia in the early phases of the disease. The change in AG/UAG ratio possibly drives the switch from failure to thrive to obesity. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02529085 .

Background/Aim: To validate prediction models for near final adult height (nFAH) by Ranke et al. [Horm Res Paediatr 2013;79:51-67]. Methods: Height data of 127 (82 male) idiopathic growth hormone (GH)-deficient children, treated with GH until nFAH, were retrieved from the database of the Belgian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology (BESPEED). nFAH was predicted after first-year GH treatment, applying prediction models by Ranke et al. Bland-Altman plots and Clarke error grid analyses were performed to assess clinical significance of the differences between observed and predicted nFAH. Results: In males, the predicted nFAH was higher than the observed nFAH (difference: 0.2 ± 0.7 SD; p < 0.01). In females, there was no significant difference. Bland-Altman analyses showed that the means of the differences between observed and predicted nFAH were close but not equal to zero, with overprediction for smaller heights and underprediction for taller heights. Clarke error grid analysis: in males, 59-61% of the predicted nFAH were within 0.5 SDS and 88% within 1.0 SDS from the observed nFAH; in females, 40-44% of the predicted nFAH were within 0.5 SDS and 76-78% within 1.0 SDS from the observed nFAH. Conclusion: Ranke's models accurately predicted nFAH in females and overpredicted nFAH in males by about 1.5 cm. In most individuals, the predicted nFAH was within 1 SDS of observed nFAH. These models can be of help in giving realistic expectations of adult height

Background/Aim: To validate prediction models for near final adult height (nFAH) by Ranke et al. [Horm Res Paediatr 2013;79:51-67]. Methods: Height data of 127 (82 male) idiopathic growth hormone (GH)-deficient children, treated with GH until nFAH, were retrieved from the database of the Belgian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology (BESPEED). nFAH was predicted after first-year GH treatment, applying prediction models by Ranke et al. Bland-Altman plots and Clarke error grid analyses were performed to assess clinical significance of the differences between observed and predicted nFAH. Results: In males, the predicted nFAH was higher than the observed nFAH (difference: 0.2 ± 0.7 SD; p < 0.01). In females, there was no significant difference. Bland-Altman analyses showed that the means of the differences between observed and predicted nFAH were close but not equal to zero, with overprediction for smaller heights and underprediction for taller heights. Clarke error grid analysis: in males, 59-61% of the predicted nFAH were within 0.5 SDS and 88% within 1.0 SDS from the observed nFAH; in females, 40-44% of the predicted nFAH were within 0.5 SDS and 76-78% within 1.0 SDS from the observed nFAH. Conclusion: Ranke's models accurately predicted nFAH in females and overpredicted nFAH in males by about 1.5 cm. In most individuals, the predicted nFAH was within 1 SDS of observed nFAH. These models can be of help in giving realistic expectations of adult height., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published