Publications by authors named "Maricilda Palandi De-Mello"

Objective: Considering the rarity and clinical and molecular diversity of Wolfram syndrome (WS), the objective of this study was to identify patients with a clinical presentation suggestive of WS following up at a single Brazilian diabetes service and analyze their clinical and molecular characteristics.

Subjects And Methods: The study included all patients with a clinical presentation of WS following up between 1991 and 2022 with early-onset diabetes mellitus and other WS signs and symptoms. A retrospective analysis was conducted, including patients' age, sex, consanguinity, age at symptom onset, diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, diabetes insipidus, neurological and psychiatric disorders, hearing loss, urinary disorders, hypogonadism, and molecular analysis.

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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.

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Background: DHX37 is an autosomal gene responsible for encoding a helicase from the DExD/H-box family that plays an essential role in ribosome biogenesis. Variants in this gene were previously reported in two different phenotypes: neurodevelopmental disorders and disorders/differences of sex development (DSD). Particularly for the DSD group, variants were mainly reported associated with gonadal dysgenesis and testicular regression syndrome.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined prenatal findings in cases of disorders or differences of sex development (DSDs) diagnosed after birth at a specialized center.
  • Prenatal ultrasounds and cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) tests were conducted on 57 DSD cases, revealing discrepancies between ultrasound findings and cffDNA interpretations for determining genotypic sex.
  • The authors recommend developing a prenatal investigation algorithm and emphasize the importance of counseling for parents by an experienced multidisciplinary team regarding DSD management.
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The group of disorders known as 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis (GD) is characterized by anomalies in testis determination, including complete and partial GD (PGD) and testicular regression syndrome (TRS). Several genes are known to be involved in sex development pathways, however approximately 50% of all cases remain elusive. Recent studies have identified variants in , a gene encoding a putative RNA helicase essential in ribosome biogenesis and previously associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, as a cause of PGD and TRS.

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Introduction: Ovotesticular disorder of sex development (OT-DSD) is a rare condition defined by concomitance of testicular tissue and ovarian tissue (containing follicles) in the same individual. In SRY-negative 46,XX OT-DSD, the presence of testicular tissue may be due to variations in NR5A1. Our aims were to search for NR5A1 variants in SRY-negative 46,XX OT-DSD patients and to perform a systematic review on the contribution of NR5A1 variations to 46,XX OT-DSD.

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Background: Knowledge of clinical and laboratory differences between chromosomal and undefined causes aids etiological research on non-obstructive azoospermia.

Objective: Compare clinical and laboratory differences between men with non-obstructive azoospermia due to chromosomal anomalies versus undefined causes.

Design And Setting: A cross-sectional retrospective study conducted at a public university hospital in Campinas (Brazil).

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Ovotesticular disorders of sex development (OT-DSD) are characterized by ovarian follicles and seminiferous tubules in the same individual, with a wide range of atypical genitalia. We report on two sibs with atypical genitalia and SRY-negative 46,XX DSD, OT-DSD was confirmed only in the boy, while the girl had bilateral ovaries. Chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) showed a 737-kb duplication at Xq27.

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Background: The Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia due to 21 hydroxylase deficiency is the most common cause of genital ambiguity in persons with XX sexual chromosomes. Genital ambiguity among persons with XY sexual chromosomes comprises diverse and rare etiologies. The deficiency of 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 enzyme (HSD17B3) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder due to functionally altered variants of the HSD17B3 gene.

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Objectives: Wilm's Tumor (WT) is the most common pediatric kidney cancer. Whereas most WTs are isolated, approximately 5% are associated with syndromes such as Denys-Drash (DDS), characterized by early onset nephropathy, disorders of sex development and predisposition to WT.

Case Presentation: A 46,XY patient presenting with bilateral WT and genital ambiguity without nephropathy was heterozygous for the novel c.

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Background: Because normal male sexual differentiation is more complex than normal female sexual differentiation, there are more cases of disorders of sex development (DSDs) with 46,XY karyotype that have unclear etiology. However, Leydig and Sertoli cell markers are rarely used in distinguishing such individuals.

Objectives: To evaluate the function of Leydig and Sertoli cells in individuals with genital ambiguity, 46,XY karyotype, palpable gonads and normal testosterone secretion.

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Background: APOL1 high-risk genotypes (HRG) are associated with increased risk of kidney disease in individuals of African ancestry. We analyzed the effects of APOL1 risk variants on an ethnically diverse Brazilian pediatric nephrotic syndrome (NS) cohort.

Methods: Multicenter study including 318 NS patients, categorized as progressors to advanced CKD [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)] < 30 mL/min/1.

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Objective: Steroid measurement is a challenge in pediatric endocrinology. Currently, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is considered a gold standard for this purpose. The aim of this study was to compare both LC-MS/MS and immunoassay (IA) for androgens before and after human recombinant chorionic gonadotropin (rhCG) stimulus in children with 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD).

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High-throughput techniques such as whole-exome sequencing (WES) show promise for the identification of candidate genes that underlie Mendelian diseases such as nephrotic syndrome (NS). These techniques have enabled the identification of a proportion of the approximately 54 genes associated with NS. However, the main pitfall of using WES in clinical and research practice is the identification of multiple variants, which hampers interpretation during downstream analysis.

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Nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 (NR5A1), also named steroidogenic factor 1, is an essential transcription factor that regulates a number of target genes crucial for normal reproductive physiology and endocrine function. It is encoded by NR5A1 gene and is expressed in high doses mainly in steroidogenic tissues, where it controls several steps of adrenal and gonadal development. NR5A1 mutations are associated with a wide phenotypic spectrum of disorders/differences of sex development (DSD), a group of conditions in which development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomic sex is atypical.

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Objective: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an inborn error of metabolism and a common disorder of sex development where >90% of all cases are due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Novel and rare pathogenic variants account for 5% of all clinical cases. Here, we sought to investigate the functional and structural effects of four novel (p.

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Background: Testicular adrenal rest tumors (TART) can cause infertility in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) males.

Aims: To determine TART prevalence in patients with CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) and evaluate possible factors associated with its development.

Methods: This is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study evaluating males with the classical form of 21-OHD through testicular ultrasonography and serum inhibin B dosages.

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Background: Deficiency of 17α-hydroxylase (17OHD) is a rare form of adrenal hyperplasia. Diagnosis is generally delayed, impairing appropriate treatment.

Case Presentation: Here, we report the clinical, molecular, hormonal, and treatment data of three unrelated 17OHD patients, aged 14-16 years with hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism; uncontrolled hypertension; primary adrenal insufficiency; and high progesterone, low to normal potassium, and low dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, and testosterone levels.

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Background: Dopamine is involved in several cerebral physiological processes, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) have been associated with numerous neurological and mental disorders, including those involving alterations in cognitive and emotional processes.

Methods: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the SNPs c.957C > T (rs6277) and c.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study examined serum inhibin B levels in 29 patients diagnosed with various forms of 46,XY DSD using two different ELISA assays (Beckman-Coulter and AnshLabs).*
  • The results showed a high interclass correlation (0.915), but significant discrepancies between the assays suggest that the same kit should be used for consistent measurements in patients.*
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The presence of splicing sequence variants in genes responsible for sex development in humans may compromise correct biosynthesis of proteins involved in the normal development of gonads and external genitalia. In a cohort of Brazilian patients, we identified mutations in HSD17B3 and SRD5A2 which are both required for human sexual differentiation. A number of these mutations occurred within regions potentially critical for splicing regulation.

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Steroidogenic factor-1 (SF1), encoded by the NR5A1 gene, is a key regulator of steroidogenesis and reproductive development. NR5A1 mutations described in 46,XY patients with disorders of sex development (DSD) can be associated with a range of conditions of phenotypes; however, the genotype-phenotype correlation remains elusive in many cases. In the present study, we describe the impact of five NR5A1 variants (three novel: p.

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Background: Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency due to CYP21A2 gene mutations represents more than 90% of all congenital adrenal hyperplasia cases. This deficiency is screened by measuring levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone, which may vary, causing false positive or false negative results. In order to assist the diagnosis, molecular methodologies have been employed.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study analyzed 408 cases of disorders of sex development (DSD) with ambiguous genitalia over a 23-year period, focusing on diagnosis, age of referral, karyotype, and sex of rearing.
  • The majority of cases were 46,XY (61.3%), with common conditions including testicular DSD and ovarian DSD, while congenital adrenal hyperplasia was the leading cause.
  • The average age for diagnosis was 31.7 months, with a final sex of rearing predominantly male (238 cases) and only a small percentage (6.6%) requiring sex reassignment.
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