Similarities and Differences in Diurnal Salivary Adrenal Hormones in Monozygotic Twins with Discordant Birthweight.

Introduction: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate is increased in formerly small-for-gestational age singletons and in smaller twins compared to their normal-weight co-twin. Less is known concerning other adrenal hormones. We compared diurnal salivary profiles in monozygotic twins with intra-twin birthweight (bw) differences to analyse the long-term impact of bw and persistent intra-twin auxological differences on various adrenal hormones.

Alveolar macrophage function is impaired following inhalation of berry e-cigarette vapor.

In the lower respiratory tract, the alveolar spaces are divided from the bloodstream and the external environment by only a few microns of interstitial tissue. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) defend this delicate mucosal surface from invading infections by regularly patrolling the site. AMs have three behavior modalities to achieve this goal: extending cell protrusions to probe and sample surrounding areas, squeezing the whole cell body between alveoli, and patrolling by moving the cell body around each alveolus.

The sperm-specific K channel Slo3 is inhibited by albumin and steroids contained in reproductive fluids.

To locate and fertilize the egg, sperm probe the varying microenvironment prevailing at different stages during their journey across the female genital tract. To this end, they are equipped with a unique repertoire of mostly sperm-specific proteins. In particular, the flagellar Ca channel CatSper has come into focus as a polymodal sensor used by human sperm to register ligands released into the female genital tract.

Global Adrenal Insufficiency in Two Independent Patients Carrying the Same Homozygous c.172A>G, p.(Thr58Ala) Mutation in the TBX19 Gene.

Introduction: TBX19 mutations cause isolated ACTH-deficiency. While this classically results in severe hypocortisolism, potential consequences for mineralocorticoid biosynthesis have not been described to date. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) allow novel insights into the steroid metabolism of pediatric endocrine diseases.

Contexts of care for people with differences of sex development: Diversity is still missing in the laboratory routine.

The 2006 Chicago consensus statement of management of disorders/difference of sex development (DSD) has achieved advantages in clinical care and diagnosis for patients and families affect by DSD. This article provides a brief overview of contexts of care for physicians, and points out specific challenges in clinical practice that have arisen from the transformations of the sex/gender system in recent years. We focus on the impact of diagnosis and laboratory measurements.

Behavior and circadian glucocorticoids in prepubertal monozygotic twins with birthweight differences: A prospective longitudinal cohort study on twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome patients.

Background/objective: Low birthweight may have adverse sequelae in later life. Therefore, we analyzed behavioral difficulties and salivary glucocorticoid profiles in monozygotic twins with intra-twin birthweight differences due to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).

Methods: 46 monozygotic TTTS twin pairs with birthweight differences of <1SDS (concordant; n=29) and ≥1SDS (discordant; n=17) were recruited at a mean age of 6.

New liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry reference data for estradiol show mini-puberty in both sexes and typical pre-pubertal and pubertal patterns.

Context: Reliable estradiol (E2) reference intervals (RIs) are crucial in pediatric endocrinology.

Objectives: This study aims to develop a sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for E2 in serum, to establish graphically represented RI percentiles and annual RIs for both sexes, and to perform a systematic literature comparison.

Methods: First, a UPLC-MS/MS method for E2 was developed.

Skin dysbiosis and loss of microbiome site specificity in critically ill patients.

An increasing amount of evidence has linked critical illness with dysbiotic microbiome signatures in different body sites. The disturbance of the indigenous microbiota structures has been further associated with disease severity and outcome and has been suggested to pose an additional risk for complications in intensive care units (ICUs), including hospital-acquired infections. A better understanding of the microbial dysbiosis in critical illness might thus help to develop strategies for the prevention of such complications.

Mobile vaccination units substantially increase COVID-19 vaccinations: evidence from a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Governments around the world used mobile vaccination units (MVUs) to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake, but the causal effect of MVUs has not yet been evaluated.

Methods: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 20 Swiss communities (10 treatment, 10 control) in August 2021, MVUs were sent to treatment communities for 4 hours on a single day. The experimental sample comprises 20 414 adults who were unvaccinated against COVID-19 at this point.

Salivary Diurnal Glucocorticoid Profiles in Monozygotic Twins With Intratwin Birthweight Differences.

Context: Low birthweight (bw) and unfavorable intrauterine conditions have been associated with metabolic sequelae in later life, but little is known about their impact on glucocorticoid metabolism.

Objective: We studied monozygotic twins with intratwin bw differences to analyze the long-term impact of bw on glucocorticoid metabolism.

Methods: 46 monozygotic twin pairs with bw differences of <1 SDS (concordant; n = 29) and ≥1 SDS (discordant; n = 17) were recruited.

Pilot study shows suppression of mineralocorticoid precursors under high-dose glucocorticoid therapy in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Glucocorticoids represent a key element in the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lead to adrenal suppression. We aimed to assess the differential response profile of adrenal steroids in children with ALL during BFM (Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster) induction treatment. Therefore, we performed liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based steroid profiling of up to seven consecutive leftover morning serum samples derived from 11 patients (pts) with ALL before (day 0) and during induction therapy at days 1-5, 6-12, 13-26, 27-29, 30-35 and 36-40.

Resident macrophages of the lung and liver: The guardians of our tissues.

Resident macrophages play a unique role in the maintenance of tissue function. As phagocytes, they are an essential first line defenders against pathogens and much of the initial characterization of these cells was focused on their interaction with viral and bacterial pathogens. However, these cells are increasingly recognized as contributing to more than just host defense.

Age at menarche relates to depression in adolescent girls: Comparing a clinical sample to the general pediatric population.

Context: The timing of puberty, physical features of pubertal development, and hormones are closely intertwined but may also individually contribute to the risk for depression and depression severity. Additionally, their effects on mood may depend on depression severity, but previously this has only been studied in mostly subclinical depression.

Methods: In 184 girls from a single psychiatric hospital with significant depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II score > 13), the relationship between depression severity and age at menarche (AAM), pubertal status, and gonadal/adrenal hormones (estradiol, progesterone, DHEA-S, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone) was investigated.

From infection to repair: Understanding the workings of our innate immune cells.

In a world filled with microbes, some posing a threat to our body, our immune system is key to living a healthy life. The innate immune system is made of various cell types that act to guard our bodies. Unlike the adaptive immune system that has a specific response, our innate immune system encompasses cells that elicit unspecific immune responses, triggered whenever the right signals are detected.

Metabolic effects of estradiol versus testosterone in complete androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Purpose: To study differences in metabolic outcomes between testosterone and estradiol replacement in probands with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS).

Methods: In this multicentre, double-blind, randomized crossover trial, 26 women with CAIS were included of whom 17 completed the study. After a two-months run in phase with estradiol, probands either received transdermal estradiol followed by crossover to transdermal testosterone or vice versa.

De Novo and Depot-Specific Androgen Production in Human Adipose Tissue: A Source of Hyperandrogenism in Women with Obesity.

Introduction: Obesity in women is often associated with hyperandrogenism, but the role of adipose tissue (AT) in androgen synthesis remains unclear. Therefore, we studied whether AT could be a source of androgens promoting hyperandrogenism.

Methods: Subcutaneous and visceral (visc) AT was collected from lean and obese women.

Size Matters: The CAG Repeat Length of the Androgen Receptor Gene, Testosterone, and Male Adolescent Depression Severity.

There is a distinct increase in the prevalence of depression with the onset of puberty. The role of peripubertal testosterone levels in boys in this context is insufficiently understood and may be modulated by a functional polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene (AR), a variable number of CAG repeats. Moreover, there is preliminary evidence that the relationship between testosterone, CAG repeat length, and the severity of depressive symptoms may differ between subclinical and overt depression, but this has neither been studied in a clinical sample of adolescents with depression nor compared between subclinical and overt depression in an adequately powered study.

New Insights Into Extended Steroid Hormone Profiles in Transwomen in a Multi-Center Setting in Germany.

Background: Little information is available on steroid hormone profiles in transwomen on the day of gender affirming surgery (GAS) after gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT).

Aim: We compared extended serum steroid hormone profiles of 77 transwomen with 3 different treatment regimens in order to get more insight on how GAHT changes the hormone system.

Methods: Samples were obtained from 3 independent clinics.

The Action of Reproductive Fluids and Contained Steroids, Prostaglandins, and Zn on CatSper Ca Channels in Human Sperm.

The sperm-specific Ca channel CatSper registers chemical cues that assist human sperm to fertilize the egg. Prime examples are progesterone and prostaglandin E that activate CatSper without involving classical nuclear and G protein-coupled receptors, respectively. Here, we study the action of seminal and follicular fluid as well of the contained individual prostaglandins and steroids on the intracellular Ca concentration of sperm from donors and -deficient patients that lack functional CatSper channels.

Lack of Evidence for a Relationship Between the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal and the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis in Adolescent Depression.

In adults with major depressive disorder (MDD), a dysfunction between the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis has been shown, but the interaction of both axes has not yet been studied in adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD). Data from 273 adolescents diagnosed with MDD from two single center cross-sectional studies were used for analysis. Serum levels of thyrotropin (TSH), free levothyroxine (fT4), and cortisol were determined as indicators of basal HPT and HPA axis functioning and compared to that of adolescent controls by t-tests.

Diabetes Type 1 Negatively Influences Leydig Cell Function in Rats, Which is Partially Reversible By Insulin Treatment.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with impaired spermatogenesis and lower testosterone levels and epididymal weight. However, the underlying processes in the testis are unknown and remain to be elucidated. Therefore, the present study focused on the effects of T1DM on testicular function in a spontaneously diabetic rat model.