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Journal of Clinical Research in... Mar 2020Imprinting disorders are a group of congenital diseases caused by dysregulation of genomic imprinting, affecting prenatal and postnatal growth, neurocognitive... (Review)
Review
Imprinting disorders are a group of congenital diseases caused by dysregulation of genomic imprinting, affecting prenatal and postnatal growth, neurocognitive development, metabolism and cancer predisposition. Aberrant expression of imprinted genes can be achieved through different mechanisms, classified into epigenetic - if not involving DNA sequence change - or genetic in the case of altered genomic sequence. Despite the underlying mechanism, the phenotype depends on the parental allele affected and opposite phenotypes may result depending on the involvement of the maternal or the paternal chromosome. Imprinting disorders are largely underdiagnosed because of the broad range of clinical signs, the overlap of presentation among different disorders, the presence of mild phenotypes, the mitigation of the phenotype with age and the limited availability of molecular techniques employed for diagnosis. This review briefly illustrates the currently known human imprinting disorders, highlighting endocrinological aspects of pediatric interest.
Topics: Abnormalities, Multiple; Child; Diabetes Mellitus; Genomic Imprinting; Humans; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Intellectual Disability; Pseudohypoparathyroidism; Puberty, Precocious; Syndrome; Uniparental Disomy
PubMed: 30968677
DOI: 10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2019.2018.0249 -
Medecine Sciences : M/S 2022Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is an uncommon disorder which is characterized by end-organ PTH resistance. The genetic defect is located at the GNAS locus that encodes... (Review)
Review
Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is an uncommon disorder which is characterized by end-organ PTH resistance. The genetic defect is located at the GNAS locus that encodes the alpha-subunit of the stimulatory G protein (Gα) and several splice variants thereof. This complex locus undergoes parental specific methylation changes that result in tissue-specific silencing of the paternal allele. Heterozygous inactivating mutations that disrupt Gα function or epigenetics changes that impair Gα expression contribute to a wide clinical spectrum of the disease: PHP1A, PHP1B, osseous heteroplasia, osteodystrophy, obesity, intrauterine growth retardation… whose mechanisms at the molecular level remain unresolved.
Topics: Chromogranins; GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs; Heterozygote; Humans; Pseudohypoparathyroidism; Translational Science, Biomedical
PubMed: 36094235
DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2022103 -
Journal of Epidemiology Nov 2023Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) and nonsurgical hypoparathyroidism (NS-HypoPT) are rare diseases with hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and high and low parathyroid...
BACKGROUND
Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) and nonsurgical hypoparathyroidism (NS-HypoPT) are rare diseases with hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and high and low parathyroid hormone levels, respectively. In Japan, over 20 years have passed since the last survey on these diseases. We carried out a nationwide cross-sectional survey to estimate the prevalence of these diseases in 2018.
METHODS
We conducted a nationwide mail-based survey targeting hospitals in 2018. From a total of 13,156 departments throughout Japan, including internal medicine, pediatrics, neurology, and psychiatry, 3,501 (27%) departments were selected using a stratified random sampling method. We asked each included department to report the number of patients with PHP and NS-HypoPT in 2017.
RESULTS
The overall survey response rate was 52.0% (1,807 departments). The estimated number of patients with PHP and NS-HypoPT was 1,484 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1,143-1,825) and 2,304 (95% CI, 1,189-3,419), respectively; the prevalence per 100,000 population was 1.2 and 1.8, respectively.
CONCLUSION
In this study, we generated estimates of the national prevalence of PHP and NS-HypoPT in Japan during 2017, which were found to be higher than those previously reported.
Topics: Humans; Child; Prevalence; Japan; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pseudohypoparathyroidism; Hypoparathyroidism
PubMed: 36123043
DOI: 10.2188/jea.JE20220152 -
Pseudohypoparathyroidism during pregnancy and the postpartum period: A case series of five patients.Frontiers in Endocrinology 2022Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is a rare disease, especially when combined with pregnancy. We aimed to explore the changes in serum calcium/parathyroid hormone (PTH)...
OBJECTIVES
Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is a rare disease, especially when combined with pregnancy. We aimed to explore the changes in serum calcium/parathyroid hormone (PTH) level and medical treatment in a case series of PHP during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
METHODS
A total of five PHP patients with six pregnancies were enrolled. The classification of PHP was based on (epi)genetic analysis. Clinical characteristics, biochemical indices, and treatment strategies before, during, and after pregnancy were retrospectively collected.
RESULTS
All patients received calcium and vitamin D agents with nearly normal serum calcium before pregnancy except patient 2 who was found hypocalcemic during gestation. All patients chose Cesarean section, and one suffered preterm delivery due to oligoamnios. The neonatal birth weight ranged from 2,250 to 4,300 g, and all neonates were free of hypocalcemia-related symptoms. The change in calcium metabolism was inconsistent including stable, improved, or worsened during pregnancy. Serum PTH level remained low in the first two trimesters in patients with stable and improved conditions while increased in the last two trimesters in patients with a worsened condition. Serum calcium changed inconsistently while PTH increased consistently during lactation. For patients who did not breastfeed, calcium homeostasis improved after delivery.
CONCLUSION
Calcium homeostasis and medicine dosage changed differently in PHP patients during pregnancy and lactation. However, most patients had good pregnancy outcomes. Serum PTH levels might predict changes in calcium metabolism during pregnancy.
Topics: Pregnancy; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Female; Calcium; Cesarean Section; Retrospective Studies; Pseudohypoparathyroidism; Postpartum Period; Bone Density Conservation Agents
PubMed: 36465610
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1050305 -
Endocrine Connections May 2021'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', a fairytale that is widely known across the Western world, was originally written by the Brothers Grimm, and published in 1812 as... (Review)
Review
'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', a fairytale that is widely known across the Western world, was originally written by the Brothers Grimm, and published in 1812 as 'Snow White'. Though each dwarf was first given an individual name in the 1912 Broadway play, in Walt Disney's 1937 film 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', they were renamed, and the dwarfs have become household names. It is well known that myths, fables, and fairytales, though appearing to be merely children's tales about fictional magical beings and places, have, more often than not, originated from real facts. Therefore, the presence of the seven brothers with short stature in the story is, from an endocrinological point of view, highly intriguing, in fact, thrilling. The diversity of the phenotypes among the seven dwarfs is also stimulating, although puzzling. We undertook a differential diagnosis of their common underlying disorder based on the original Disney production's drawings and the unique characteristics of these little gentlemen, while we additionally evaluated several causes of short stature and, focusing on endocrine disorders that could lead to these clinical features among siblings, we have, we believe, been able to reveal the underlying disease depicted in this archetypal tale.
PubMed: 33878729
DOI: 10.1530/EC-20-0615 -
JCEM Case Reports Nov 2023Fahr syndrome is a rare neurologic disorder, usually affecting young and middle-aged adults, that can present with symptoms ranging from extrapyramidal to...
Fahr syndrome is a rare neurologic disorder, usually affecting young and middle-aged adults, that can present with symptoms ranging from extrapyramidal to neuropsychiatric abnormalities. Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP), characterized by parathyroid hormone (PTH)-resistance or PTH-unresponsiveness at target organs, is associated with Fahr syndrome and typically presents with hypocalcemia. The following case presents a 39-year-old-woman with PHP complicated by symptomatic hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, and movement disturbances, who had computed tomography imaging showing basal ganglia calcifications consistent with Fahr syndrome. She initially presented with headache and was hospitalized for hypertensive emergency and severe hypocalcemia. Examination, including the neurologic examination, was unrevealing aside from hypertension and central adiposity. Laboratory tests were consistent with PHP, showing hypocalcemia with elevated PTH, and negative for hyperaldosteronism. Management of hypocalcemia consisted of intravenous calcium infusion, oral calcium carbonate, oral vitamin D3, and oral calcitriol. Patients with severe hypocalcemia and elevated PTH who present with new neurological symptoms despite normal general neurologic examination may warrant consideration for brain imaging to evaluate for Fahr syndrome. Further investigations are necessary to determine the prevalence of Fahr syndrome and hypokalemia in patients with PHP, explore if these findings are significantly associated with PHP-1b subtype, and ultimately inform potential new screening pathways for these patients.
PubMed: 38045865
DOI: 10.1210/jcemcr/luad147 -
Biomedical Papers of the Medical... Dec 2023Obesity has become a serious medical condition where many factors can contribute to excess weight gain. The most common type of childhood obesity is simple obesity,... (Review)
Review
Obesity has become a serious medical condition where many factors can contribute to excess weight gain. The most common type of childhood obesity is simple obesity, which is due to gene-obesogenic environment interaction. Only a minority are due to pathological causes. Secondary causes of obesity, while less common, include these: genetic syndromes, drug-related obesity, as well as endocrine disorders (hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, growth hormone deficiency, hypogonadism, pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia, insulinoma, hypothalamic obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome). Given that some conditions may be treatable, physicians must be aware of obesity due to endocrinopathies and distinguish them from simple obesity, and treat them properly. Although rare among children, early detection of the endocrine cause of obesity leads to reduced morbidity and, in some cases, reduced mortality in these individuals. The aim of this review is to summarize the current findings on obesity-related endocrinopathies in children (illustrated by clinical examples), highlighting aspects of pathogenetic mechanisms, genetics, the clinical diagnosis, growth, body mass index and possible therapeutic approaches. Early detection and correction of endocrine obesity is of paramount importance for obese children who could benefit from timely diagnosis and an improved management of obesity as many disturbances related to obesity can be reversed at the early stage, if weight loss is achieved.
Topics: Female; Child; Adolescent; Humans; Pediatric Obesity; Overweight; Endocrine System Diseases; Hypothyroidism; Obesity, Morbid
PubMed: 37712247
DOI: 10.5507/bp.2023.036 -
Neurology India 2022Fahr's disease is an idiopathic basal ganglia calcification with autosomal dominant inheritance. Prior to diagnosing Fahr's disease based on computed tomography (CT)...
Fahr's disease is an idiopathic basal ganglia calcification with autosomal dominant inheritance. Prior to diagnosing Fahr's disease based on computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, one should rule out hypoparathyroidism (HP), and pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP). Treatments of these conditions are entirely different. HP- and PHP-related hypocalcemia requires calcium, calcitriol, and vitamin D therapy in a long run to avoid recurrent seizures whereas Fahr's disease is treated with an antiepileptic alone.
Topics: Basal Ganglia Diseases; Calcinosis; Humans; Hypoparathyroidism; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Pseudohypoparathyroidism
PubMed: 35864655
DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.349669 -
SAGE Open Medical Case Reports 2023Pseudohypoparathyroidism is a terminology used to describe a group of metabolic disorders characterized by parathyroid hormone resistance. Patients with...
Pseudohypoparathyroidism is a terminology used to describe a group of metabolic disorders characterized by parathyroid hormone resistance. Patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism have hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and elevated serum parathyroid hormone. This methylation defect leads to signaling abnormalities in the parathyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone-related peptide receptor. We present a 40-year-old African American male who was referred to our endocrinology clinic for hypocalcemia. On physical examination, his body mass index was 34.3 kg/m and he was found to have a round face, and several subcutaneous nodules on his scalp, hands, and legs. Laboratory findings revealed hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and elevated levels of intact parathyroid hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). His hand X-ray showed brachydactyly of all metacarpal bones, and soft tissue calcifications. Brain CT indicated dense calcifications in the subcortical region, bilateral basal ganglia, bilateral thalami, bilateral cerebellum and vermis, and soft tissue calcifications in the scalp. The "inactivating parathyroid hormone/parathyroid hormone-related peptide signaling disorder" diagnostic approach suggested by the Euro pseudohypoparathyroidism network was applied to the patient, who was diagnosed with parathyroid hormone signaling disorder. Compared to the old pseudohypoparathyroidism classification and the 2018 Pseudohypoparathyroidism International Consensus Statement Report, the inactivating parathyroid hormone/parathyroid hormone-related peptide signaling disorder cluster classification appears to be more flexible, and easier to use. It also accommodates future inclusion of genetic mutations associated with hormonal signaling disorders. Adoption of the inactivating parathyroid hormone/parathyroid hormone-related peptide signaling disorder classification remains limited, and further larger studies are needed to compare the three approaches.
PubMed: 37860280
DOI: 10.1177/2050313X231205776 -
Current Opinion in Endocrinology,... Dec 2012To provide the reader with a review of contemporary literature describing the evolving understanding of the molecular pathobiology of pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP). (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
To provide the reader with a review of contemporary literature describing the evolving understanding of the molecular pathobiology of pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP).
RECENT FINDINGS
The features of PHP type 1 reflect imprinting of the GNAS gene, which encodes the α subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein (Gα(s)) that couples heptahelical receptors to activation of adenylyl cyclase. Transcription of Gα(s) is biallelic in most cells, but is primarily from the maternal allele in some tissues (e.g. proximal renal tubules, thyroid, pituitary somatotropes, gonads). Patients with PHP 1a have heterozygous mutations within the exons of the maternal GNAS allele that encode Gα(s), whereas patients with PHP 1b have methylation defects in the GNAS locus that reduce transcription of Gα(s) from the maternal allele. In both PHP 1a and PHP 1b, paternal imprinting of Gα(s) leads to resistance to parathyroid hormone and TSH. Although brachydactyly is characteristic of PHP 1a, it is sometimes present in patients with PHP 1b.
SUMMARY
Molecular studies enable a distinction between PHP 1a and PHP 1b, with different mechanisms accounting for Gα(s) deficiency. Clinical overlap between these two forms of PHP type 1 is likely due to the variable levels of Gα(s) activity expressed in specific cell types.
Topics: Animals; Chromogranins; DNA Methylation; Epigenomics; GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs; Genomic Imprinting; Humans; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Mutation; Pseudohypoparathyroidism; Thyroid Gland
PubMed: 23076042
DOI: 10.1097/MED.0b013e32835a255c