Clinical and metabolic characteristics of an obese, Dominican, pediatric population.

The prevalence of obesity is particularly high in Black and Latino pediatric populations. A limited number of metabolic studies suggest that race plays a role in the development of obesity-related co-morbidities. We evaluated clinical and metabolic characteristics of 428 obese (mean BMI z-score 2.

A review of the effects of therapy on growth and bone mineralization in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

The medical management of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) can be challenging with regard to optimizing final height. Insufficient glucocorticoid suppression of adrenal hormone production will result in acceleration of bone maturation and premature epiphyseal fusion, while appropriate or excessive glucocorticoid therapy can be accompanied by suppression of the growth axis. The extent of the growth suppression appears to be affected by the type and dose of glucocorticoid.

Early endocrine, metabolic, and sonographic characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): comparison between nonobese and obese adolescents.

Approximately half of all women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are overweight or obese, and studies have reported endocrine and metabolic differences between lean and obese women with PCOS. PCOS has not been as extensively investigated in the adolescent population. The objectives of our study were to further characterize early endocrine and metabolic alterations in adolescents with PCOS and to determine whether differences between nonobese and obese women with PCOS are present early in its course.

Insulin sensitivity and the insulin-like growth factor system in prepubertal boys with premature adrenarche.

Girls with premature adrenarche (PA), similar to women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, display alterations in the IGF system, may have impaired insulin sensitivity, and demonstrate unfavorable lipid profiles. Girls with PA are also at increased risk for functional ovarian hyperandrogenism. Metabolic studies in boys with PA, however, are limited.

Proinsulin in girls: relationship to obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and puberty.

In adults with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and obesity (OB), an elevated proinsulin (PI) is predictive of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and precedes the diagnosis by 5-20 yr. In type 2 DM, the PI is disproportionately elevated, i.e.

5 alpha-reductase and 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in prepubertal Hispanic girls with premature adrenarche.

Girls with idiopathic premature adrenarche, characterized by the early appearance of pubic hair and adrenal hyperandrogenism, may be at an increased risk for polycystic ovarian syndrome and its associated complications. Alterations of peripheral metabolism of adrenal steroids, specifically increased 5 alpha-reductase and 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities, have been documented in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome and proposed as an underlying mechanism for the adrenal hyperandrogenism in this syndrome. We sought to investigate whether alterations in 5 alpha-reductase and 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities are present in girls with premature adrenarche, suggesting a possible role in the pathogenesis of the hyperandrogenism of this condition.

Case report of an anaphylactoid reaction to arginine.

Background: Arginine is an agent commonly used to evaluate adequacy of growth hormone (GH) secretion. Because arginine is a simple amino acid, it is considered safe and rarely causes adverse reactions.

Objective: To report the second anaphylactoid reaction to arginine in a child undergoing stimulation testing with arginine for assessing GH secretion.

Elevated free IGF-I levels in prepubertal Hispanic girls with premature adrenarche: relationship with hyperandrogenism and insulin sensitivity.

Girls with premature adrenarche (PA) (the onset of pubic hair before the age of 8 yr associated with elevated levels of adrenal androgens and no evidence of true puberty or adrenal dysfunction) may be at increased risk for development of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Alterations in the IGF system, including elevated free IGF-I, have been demonstrated in PCOS and may be involved in its pathogenesis. Hyperinsulinemia, elevated total IGF-I, and decreased IGF-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) have also been reported in PA.