Publications by authors named "Szarras-Czapnik M"

Background: Until now, there are no established norms for prostate size in children. Prostate volume during development has been analyzed in small study groups. In diagnostic imaging, transabdominal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging are used.

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MELAS syndrome (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes) is a genetically determined disease caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA. We present a girl who was suspected of MELAS syndrome during the diagnostic evaluation of short stature. The patient suffered from symptoms potentially indicating mitochondrial disease, such as muscular weakness, cranial nerve VI palsy, headaches, retinitis pigmentosa, sensory-neural hearing loss, and elevated lactic acid.

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Introduction: Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism results from a dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, which is essential for the development and function of the reproductive system. It may be associated with anosmia, referred to as Kallmann syndrome, or a normal sense of smell. Numerous studies have proven that hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is not simply a monogenic Mendelian disease, but that more than one gene may be involved in its pathogenesis in a single patient.

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Background: Patients with disorders/differences of sex development (DSD), especially those possessing the Y chromosome, have a higher risk of gonadal germ-cell tumours (GCTs). We aimed to examine the incidence of different types of gonadal neoplasia and associated risk factors.

Methods: A total of 1040 DSD patients aged ≥16 years participated in a cross-sectional multicentre European study (dsd-LIFE).

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Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) is caused by dysfunction of hypothalamic gonadotropic-releasing hormone (GnRH) axis. The condition is both clinically and genetically heterogeneous with more than 40 genes implicated in pathogenesis. The goal of the present study was to identify causative mutations in CHH individuals employing 2 step procedure with a targeted NGS panel as first-line diagnostics and subsequently whole exome sequencing in unsolved cases.

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Objectives The main cause of hyperandrogenism in children is congenital adrenal hyperplasia, adrenal and gonadal tumors, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOs) and Cushing's disease. In the last 20 years several descriptions of girls with hyperandrogenism and venous porto-systemic shunts appeared in literature. Case presentation First case is an eleven and a half-year-old girl, was admitted to Department of Endocrinology because of symptoms of hyperandrogenism.

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Introduction: Patients with disorders/differences of sex differentiation/development (DSD) are exposed to physical and mental suffering. The aim of the study was to assess the following: the mental health status and the risk of mental problems in adult DSD patients, their dependence on therapeutic procedures, and to identify groups of disorders that require particular psychological support.

Material And Methods: The study involved 59 patients with DSD (gonadal dysgenesis - GD, androgen insensitivity syndrome - AIS, 5-alpha reductase deficiency, ovotestis), and with the Y chromosome in the karyotype, aged 16-65 years.

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Background: Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) is a rare disease, triggered by defective GnRH secretion, that is usually diagnosed in late adolescence or early adulthood due to the lack of spontaneous pubertal development. To date more than 30 genes have been associated with CHH pathogenesis with X-linked recessive, autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive and oligogenic modes of inheritance. Defective sense of smell is present in about 50-60% of CHH patients and called Kallmann syndrome (KS), in contrast to patients with normal sense of smell referred to as normosmic CHH.

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Identification of novel genes involved in sexual development is crucial for understanding disorders of sex development (DSD). Here, we propose a member of the START domain family, the X chromosome STARD8, as a DSD candidate gene. We have identified a missense mutation of this gene in 2 sisters with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis, inherited from their heterozygous mother.

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Background: dsd-LIFE is a comprehensive cross-sectional clinical outcome study of individuals with disorders/differences of sex development (DSD). This study focuses on various rare genetic conditions characterized by impaired gonadal or adrenal functionality.

Methods/design: The study aims to assess quality of life (QoL) as a measure of psychosocial adaptation, psychosexual and mental health aspects as major outcomes.

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Introduction: In patients with Y-chromosome in the karyotype, partial gonadal dysgenesis and disorders of male reproductive sex organs development are usually resected in childhood because of the high risk of germ cell tumours (GCT). In patients with Y-chromosome, complete gonadal dysgenesis and female genitalia gonadectomy is performed markedly later. However, due to the relatively low number of adult patients with preserved dysgenetic gonads, the true risk of neoplasm is unknown.

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Leydig cell number and function decline as men age, and low testosterone is associated with all "Western" cardio-metabolic disorders. However, whether perturbed androgen action within the adult Leydig cell lineage predisposes individuals to this late-onset degeneration remains unknown. To address this, we generated a novel mouse model in which androgen receptor (AR) is ablated from ∼75% of adult Leydig stem cell/cell progenitors, from fetal life onward (Leydig cell AR knockout mice), permitting interrogation of the specific roles of autocrine Leydig cell AR signaling through comparison to adjacent AR-retaining Leydig cells, testes from littermate controls, and to human testes, including from patients with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS).

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Context: P450 oxidoreductase deficiency (PORD) is a unique congenital adrenal hyperplasia variant that manifests with glucocorticoid deficiency, disordered sex development (DSD), and skeletal malformations. No comprehensive data on genotype-phenotype correlations in Caucasian patients are available.

Objective: The objective of the study was to establish genotype-phenotype correlations in a large PORD cohort.

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Context: P450 oxidoreductase (POR) is a crucial electron donor to all microsomal P450 cytochrome (CYP) enzymes including 17α-hydroxylase (CYP17A1), 21-hydroxylase (CYP21A2) and P450 aromatase. Mutant POR causes congenital adrenal hyperplasia with combined glucocorticoid and sex steroid deficiency. P450 oxidoreductase deficiency (ORD) commonly presents neonatally, with disordered sex development in both sexes, skeletal malformations, and glucocorticoid deficiency.

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Context: Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is a severe chromosomal instability disorder characterized by microcephaly, growth retardation, immune deficiency, and predisposition for malignancy. It is caused by hypomorphic mutations in the NBN gene, which product belongs to the protein complex critical for processing DNA double-strand breaks during mitotic and meiotic recombination. Data on gonadal function in patients with NBS are limited.

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Context: Undervirilization in males, i.e. 46,XY disordered sex development (46,XY DSD), is commonly caused by either lack of androgen action due to mutant androgen receptor (AR) or deficient androgen synthesis, e.

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Objective: Discontinuation of growth hormone (GH) therapy on completion of linear growth may adversely affect bone mineral density (BMD) in young adults with childhood-onset GH-deficiency (GHD). In the present study, we analyzed the impact of GH treatment on bone in young adults with GHD.

Methods: BMD at the lumbar spine (L2-L4), total hip, and total body was measured at baseline and after 24 months in a cohort of young adults (18-25 years; n=160) with severe GHD treated with GH during childhood who were randomized to GH (n=109) or no treatment (n=51) in a multicenter, multinational, open-label study.

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Introduction: Central precocious puberty is usually idiopathic. Appearance of the precocious puberty symptoms in early childhood or pre-school period indicate that also it could be caused by organic disorder of the central nervous system. The aim of this work is to present the case of the 4-year-old girl, diagnosed with precocious puberty.

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Study Objective: To provide late adolescent and young adult psychosexual follow-up information on a consecutive series of patients with either mixed or partial gonadal dysgenesis.

Setting: Children's Memorial Health Institute (Warsaw, Poland).

Participants: 19 patients (age range, 17-26 years), 9 raised as females and 10 raised as males.

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Background: Insulin resistance--a key element of the metabolic syndrome--is observed in children with simple obesity. Adipose tissue is producing bioactive substances called adipocytokines. Some of them may play a role in the development of insulin resistance.

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Unlabelled: In males AMH is produced by the testes from fetal life to puberty. The main role of AMH in the male fetus is to cause Müllerian duct regression, in prepubertal boys AMH is involved in testicular development and function. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY was to assess the use of a sensitive assay kit of AMH measurements in the diagnosis and management of children with abnormal sexual differentiation and cryptorchidism.

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Antley-Bixler syndrome (ABS, MIM 207410) is a skeletal abnormality syndrome primarily affecting head and limbs. Little is known of the origin of the condition but inactivating mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR2) has been found in some patients. Genital ambiguity is seen occasionally in this condition, suggesting possible disordered steroidogenesis in early pregnancy.

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