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 congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). We developed a multiples-of-median (MoM) normalization tool to overcome this major drawback in pediatric endocrinology. Methods: Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry data comprising 10 steroid hormones representing 905 controls (555 males, 350 females, 0 to > 16 years) from 2 previous datasets were MoM transformed across age and sex. Twenty-three genetically proven CAH patients were included (21-hydroxylase deficiency [21OHD], n = 19; 11β-hydroxylase deficiency [11OHD], n = 4). MoM cutoffs for single steroids predicting 21OHD and 11OHD were computed and validated through new, independent patients (21OHD, n = 8; adrenal cortical carcinoma, n = 6; obesity, n = 40). Results: 21OHD and 11OHD patients showed disease-typical, easily recognizable MoM patterns independent of age, sex, and concentration units. Two single-steroid cutoffs indicated 21OHD: 3.87 MoM for 17-hydroxyprogesterone (100% sensitivity and 98.83% specificity) and 12.28 MoM for 21-deoxycortisol (94.74% sensitivity and 100% specificity). A cutoff of 13.18 MoM for 11-deoxycortisol indicated 11OHD (100% sensitivity and 100% specificity). Conclusions: Age- and sex-independent MoMs are straightforward for a clinically relevant display of multi-steroid patterns. In addition, defined single-steroid MoMs can serve alone as predictors of 21OHD and 11OHD. Finally, MoM transformation offers substantial enhancement of routine and scientific steroid hormone data exchange due to improved comparability.

Neutrophils play a significant role in immune and inflammatory reactions. The preoperative inflammatory activation may have a detrimental effect on postoperative outcomes. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between preoperative hematological indices on postoperative complications’ risk in pediatric cardiac congenital surgery. The retrospective single center analysis included 93 pediatric patients (48 (65%) males and 45 (35%) females), mean age of 7 (3–30) months referred for cardiac surgery in cardiopulmonary bypass due to functional single ventricle disease (26 procedures), shunts lesions (40 procedures) and cyanotic disease (27 procedures). Among simple hematological indices, the receiver-operating-characteristic curve showed that a neutrophil count below 2.59 K/uL was found as an optimal cut-off point for predicting postoperative atrioventricular block following pediatric cardiac surgery (AUC = 0.845, p < 0.0001) yielding a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 65.62%. Preoperative values of neutrophil count below 2.59 K/uL in whole blood analysis can be regarded as a predictive factor (AUC = 0.845, p < 0.0001) for postoperative atrioventricular block in pediatric cardiac surgery.

The beneficial role of simple inflammatory blood indices in pediatric cardiology [published online as ahead of print on March 15, 2023].

According to the growth hormone - insulin-like growth factor 1 axis (GH/IGF1 axis) theory, the actions of GH on promoting growth are mediated by IGF1. In the blood, IGF1, insulin-like growth factor 1 binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) and acid-labile subunit (ALS) form ternary complexes, hence the accumulation of IGF1. We report a case of 10-year-old male with short stature due to GH deficiency diagnosed with hypopituitarism. Therapy with recombinant human GH (rhGH) was initiated at 11 years and 4 months. After twenty three months on treatment clinical effects were as follows: increase in the patient's height by 19.2 cm (initial height 12.4 cm vs. 140.6 cm; hSDS -4.35 vs. -2.7; predicted adult height 176 cm vs. 182 cm, respectively). Despite good clinical response to the therapy, serum levels of IGF1 and IGFBP3 remained diminished: IGF1 - 28 ng/ml initially, vs. 23 ng/ml 19 months on therapy and IGFBP3 - 1116 ng/ml initially, vs. 1888 ng/ml after 11 months on therapy. We attempt to justify this phenomenon by reconsidering the IGF1-independent GH actions, assessing the endocrine role of hepatic IGF1 in comparison to the autocrine/paracrine role of its bone tissue fraction, and evaluating the functions of ALS. The exact explanation for the positive response to rhGH treatment without the expected increase in IGF1 in our patient remains unknown. Serum levels of IGF1 and IGFBP3 seem not always to be reliable markers of the response to rhGH treatment in GH-deficient patients.

No abstract