cyproterone and Diseases-in-Twins

We describe a girl, one of monozygotic (MZ) twins, with endocrine dysfunction with precocious puberty, café-au-lait nevi and polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (PFD), McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS). After treatment with cyproterone acetate for 7 years the precocious puberty and excess growth improved but the bone-age still remain advanced. The co-twin had an advanced bone-age and a small café-au-lait spot, but showed neither endocrinopathy nor fibrous dysplasia of bone. On the basis of the findings in these twins, together with those in previously reported familial cases of MAS, including two pairs of MZ twins, a 2-hit mutation hypothesis is proposed: a dominant mutation may be inherited and leads to PFD in offspring as the primary defect of MAS; the second mutation may occur in somatic cell leading to mosaicism and thus resulting in MAS. This concept explains not only sporadic cases of MAS but also reported familial cases. If we assume that the second mutation occurred in an early somatic division, it would explain the discrepancy of clinical manifestation between MZ twins.

Topics: Child, Preschool; Cyproterone; Cyproterone Acetate; Diseases in Twins; Estradiol; Female; Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Genetic Markers; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Humans; Luteinizing Hormone; Mutation; Puberty, Precocious; Radionuclide Imaging; Twins, Monozygotic

In the syndrome of familial virilization, insulin resistance, and acanthosis nigricans, the interrelationships are not understood. Twin sisters were studied, along with a lesser affected sister and mother. They manifested amenorrhea, hirsutism, masculinization, hypertension, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperprolactinemia. Medical therapy with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist plus an antiandrogen resulted in reversal of the hirsutism, yet with preservation of potential fertility. In response to luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone suppression, there was normalization of the serum androgens, but not of the hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperprolactinemia, hypertension, or acanthosis nigricans.. (1) This syndrome may be familial. (2) Medical therapy for the virilization is successful. (3) The hyperandrogenemia is primarily LH dependent and not primarily insulin dependent, although insulin may have an amplification effect. (4) Hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperprolactinemia, and the hypertension are not androgen dependent.

Topics: Acanthosis Nigricans; Adult; Androgen Antagonists; Antineoplastic Agents; Cyproterone; Cyproterone Acetate; Dexamethasone; Diseases in Twins; Family Health; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Hirsutism; Humans; Hyperinsulinism; Hyperlipidemias; Hyperprolactinemia; Hypertension; Insulin Resistance; Leuprolide; Luteinizing Hormone; Male; Pituitary Hormone-Releasing Hormones; Syndrome; Virilism