ESPE Abstracts

Background: Steroidogenic factor (SF1, NR5A2) regulates multiple genes known to be involved in gonadal development, adrenal development, steroidogenesis, and gonadotroph development. Heterozygous mutations in the NR5A1 gene have been described in association with mild to severe gonadal dysgenesis with or without adrenal failure. Homozygous mutations are rare and have also been described in association with gonadal dysgenesis with or without adrenal failure.<p class="abstex...

Background: Patients with 21-Hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) present increased levels of cytochrome P450 21-hydroxylase substrates, like progesterone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone. Previous studies could show that these hormones are involved in the production of androgens via the backdoor pathway. As a second source of androgens, 11-oxyandrogens derived from the human adrenal glands are recognized as being major androgens. Specifically, 11-oxyandrogens ...

Introduction: The Androgen Receptor (AR) is a steroid hormone receptor. Upon activation by its potent ligand, 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), it regulates the expression of target genes leading to the development of the outer male genitalia. Mutations in the AR gene are associated with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS), characterized by the presence of testes and varying degrees of undervirilization of the external genitalia. Since many individ...

Introduction: Androgens are essential for the development of male sex characteristics. Testosterone (T) production from androstenedione (A) by the Hydroxysteroid 17-Beta Dehydrogenase 3 (HSD17B3) in gonadal Leydig cells triggers the differentiation of the Wolffian ducts into epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles and the prostate. Shortly after, the virilisation of the external male genitalia starts through the conversion of T into dihydrotestosterone (DHT...

Background: Individuals born with a 45,X/46,XY karyotype can present with diverging phenotypes from normal male, Turner-like to ambiguous genitalia, the latter classically being called mixed gonadal dysgenesis. No correlation between phenotype and degree of mosaicisms in the karyotype could be ascertained so far, making clinical management of these patients difficult.Objective: To understand, if androgen action through the androgen receptor (AR) is compr...

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) encompasses a group of autosomal recessive disorders which lead to impairment of steroid biosynthesis in the adrenals and gonads. 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) is the most common form of CAH (95%), followed by 11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11OHD) and 3β-dehydrogenase steroid dehydrogenase type 2 deficiency (3bHSD2). LC–MSMS based steroid analysis has become an increasingly important method for steroid analyses i...

Background: The androgen receptor (AR) is essential for the development of primary and secondary male characteristics and is activated by its ligand dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Reduced AR activity can cause undervirilization and infertility. We recently developed an assay to test AR function as a ligand-dependent transcriptional activator in human genital skin fibroblasts (GF). So far it is unclear, if AR expression levels correlate with AR function in the male external genital...

Background/aims: The high complexity of Pediatric reference ranges across age, sex and units impairs clinical application and comparability of steroid hormone data, e.g., in CAHs. We developed a Multiples-of-Median (MoM) normalization tool to overcome this major drawback in Pediatric Endocrinology.Methods: LC–MS/MS data comprising 10 steroid hormones representing 905 controls (555 males, 350 females, 0 to >16 years) from two previous datasets we...

Background: In a large fraction of patients with clinically presumed Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, no mutation of the Androgen Receptor gene can be detected. However, established Sanger sequencing techniques of the AR gene are often limited to the coding region.Objective and Hypotheses: To set up a next generation sequencing (NGS) approach of the entire AR locus (including UTRs, exons, introns, up- and downstream regions) for a comprehensive ...

Introduction: Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is a 46,XY difference of sex development (DSD) classically caused by mutations in the X-chromosomal androgen receptor (AR) gene. Nevertheless, in over 50% of individuals with clinical AIS no AR coding gene mutation can be found. We previously established an assay (apolipoprotein D (APOD) assay) that measures androgen dependent AR-activity in genital skin fibroblasts (GFs). Using this assay we identified a gro...