Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0015672 (fatigue)
 51,768 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hypopituitarism is the partial or complete insufficiency of anterior pituitary hormone secretion and may result from pituitary or hypothalamic disease. The reported incidence (12-42 new cases per million per year) and prevalence (300-455 per million) is probably underestimated if its occurrence after brain injuries (30-70% of cases) is considered. Clinical manifestations depend on the extent of hormone deficiency and may be non specific, such as fatigue, hypotension, cold intolerance, or more indicative such as growth retardation or impotence and infertility in GH and gonadotropin deficiency, respectively.A number of inflammatory, granulomatous or neoplastic diseases as well as traumatic or radiation injuries involving the hypothalamic-pituitary region can lead to hypopituitarism. Several genetic defects are possible causes of syndromic and non syndromic isolated/multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies. Unexplained gonadal dysfunctions, developmental craniofacial abnormalities, newly discovered empty sella and previous pregnancy-associated hemorrhage or blood pressure changes may be associated with defective anterior pituitary function.The diagnosis of hypopituitarism relies on the measurement of basal and stimulated secretion of anterior pituitary hormones and of the hormones secreted by pituitary target glands. MR imaging of the hypothalamo-pituitary region may provide essential information. Genetic testing, when indicated, may be diagnostic.Secondary hypothyroidism is a rare disease. The biochemical diagnosis is suggested by low serum FT4 levels and inappropriately normal or low basal TSH levels that do not rise normally after TRH. L-thyroxine is the treatment of choice. Before starting replacement therapy, concomitant corticotropin deficiency should be excluded in order to avoid acute adrenal insufficiency. Prolactin deficiency is also very rare and generally occurs after global failure of pituitary function. Prolactin deficiency prevents lactation. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in males is characterized by low testosterone with low or normal LH and FSH serum concentrations and impaired spermatogenesis. Hyperprolactinemia as well as low sex hormone binding globulin concentrations enter the differential diagnosis. Irregular menses and amenorrhea with low serum estradiol concentration (<100 pmol/l) and normal or low gonadotropin concentrations are the typical features of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in females. In post menopausal women, failure to detect high serum gonadotropin values is highly suggestive of the diagnosis. In males, replacement therapy with oral or injectable testosterone results in wide fluctuations of serum hormone levels. More recently developed transdermal testosterone preparations allow stable physiological serum testosterone levels. Pulsatile GnRH administration can be used to stimulate spermatogenesis in men and ovulation in women with GnRH deficiency and normal gonadotropin secretion. Gonadotropin administration is indicated in cases of gonadotropin deficiency or GnRH resistance but is also an option, in alternative to pulsatile GnRH, for patients with defective GnRH secretion.
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PMID:Hypopituitarism. 1707 46

Mutation in the orphan nuclear receptor DAX-1 gene causes X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC). Affected male children classically suffer a salt-losing crisis and adrenal insufficiency in their early infancy or, in some rare exceptions, with late-onset subtype. We report here a patient manifesting late-onset adrenal hypoplasia congenita caused by the premature truncation of the C-terminus of the DAX-1 molecule, which is essential for its function as a transcriptional repressor. A 12-year-old boy was referred to us after being afflicted with generalized skin pigmentation for about 3 years, fatigue and headache. Primary adrenal insufficiency was determined on the basis of a low plasma cortisol level (3.9 microg/dl) despite an extremely high ACTH level (1200 pg/ml). Replacement therapy with hydrocortisone and fludorocortisone acetate was initiated soon thereafter. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism was confirmed at the age of 18 years, at which time sexual infantilism had become apparent. Direct sequencing of the peripheral lymphocyte-derived DNA revealed a novel 1033del13 mutation on the ligand-binding domain of the NR0B1 (DAX-1) gene, which generated a premature stop codon truncating the C-terminus. This mutation was considered de novo since we could not find it in his mother. This case demonstrates that even a truncated protein lacking the major functional domain of DAX-1 can present late-onset and latent adrenal failure.
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PMID:Late-onset adrenal hypoplasia congenita caused by a novel mutation of the DAX-1 gene. 1860 30