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Context Hormone reference intervals in pediatric endocrinology are traditionally partitioned by age and lack the framework for benchmarking individual blood test results as normalized z-scores and plotting sequential measurements onto a chart. Reference curve modeling is applicable to endocrine variables and represents a standardized method to account for variation with gender and age. Objective We aimed to establish gender-specific biomarker reference curves for clinical use and benchmark associations between hormones, pubertal phenotype, and body mass index (BMI). Methods Using cross-sectional population sample data from 2139 healthy Norwegian children and adolescents, we analyzed the pubertal status, ultrasound measures of glandular breast tissue (girls) and testicular volume (boys), BMI, and laboratory measurements of 17 clinical biomarkers modeled using the established “LMS” growth chart algorithm in R. Results Reference curves for puberty hormones and pertinent biomarkers were modeled to adjust for age and gender. Z-score equivalents of biomarker levels and anthropometric measurements were compiled in a comprehensive beta coefficient matrix for each gender. Excerpted from this analysis and independently of age, BMI was positively associated with female glandular breast volume (β = 0.5, P Conclusion Biomarker reference curves and corresponding z-scores provide an intuitive framework for clinical implementation in pediatric endocrinology and facilitate the application of machine learning classification and covariate precision medicine for pediatric patients.

Background:Various laboratory parameters routinely measured in pediatric practice covariate with sex and age. Conventional reference intervals are not suitable to account for this variation. Here we demonstrate construction of continuous LMS percentile curves from routine laboratory data. This allows adequate adjustment for both sex- and age-dependent covariation in childhood.Material and Methods:Anonymized routine blood test results requested by primary health care physicians were collected, outliers excluded and LMS-models generated in R.Results:Percentiles for several biomarkers derived from a regional population were established in the 'LMS' framework and provided here for comparison with etablished reference ranges, discussion and, potentially, clinical use.Conclusion: The reference framework 'LMS' is well-known from pediatric growth charts and can also be used in laboratory medicine.

Background: Modelling references for biomarkers as reference curves enables calculation of patient z-scores that are adjusted for both gender and covariance with age during childhood.Aim: To establish biomarker reference curves using the ‘LMS’ method previously employed for conventional growth charts.Design, Setting and Participants: Cross-sectional study of healthy Norwegian girls (n=647) and boys (n=465) in ages 6 to 16 years were recruited in the Bergen Growth Study (2016). Blood samples were analyzed using state-of-the-art instruments.Results: Reference curves for several biomarkers were established in the ‘LMS’ framework and provided here for clinical implementation. Conclusion: The ‘LMS’ reference framework is already used to create conventional growth charts and may also be applied in clinical biochemistry.

Elucidation of mechanisms that govern lipid storage, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance may lead to improved therapeutic options for type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases. Here, we find that adipose expression of the small neutral amino acid transporter SLC7A10, also known as alanine-serine-cysteine transporter-1 (ASC-1), shows strong inverse correlates with visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, and adipocyte hypertrophy across multiple cohorts. Concordantly, loss of Slc7a10 function in zebrafish in vivo accelerates diet-induced body weight gain and adipocyte enlargement. Mechanistically, SLC7A10 inhibition in human and murine adipocytes decreases adipocyte serine uptake and total glutathione levels and promotes reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Conversely, SLC7A10 overexpression decreases ROS generation and increases mitochondrial respiratory capacity. RNA sequencing revealed consistent changes in gene expression between human adipocytes and zebrafish visceral adipose tissue following loss of SLC7A10, e.g., upregulation of SCD (lipid storage) and downregulation of CPT1A (lipid oxidation). Interestingly, ROS scavenger reduced lipid accumulation and attenuated the lipid-storing effect of SLC7A10 inhibition. These data uncover adipocyte SLC7A10 as a novel important regulator of adipocyte resilience to nutrient and oxidative stress, in part by enhancing glutathione levels and mitochondrial respiration, conducive to decreased ROS generation, lipid accumulation, adipocyte hypertrophy, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.

Context Application of ultrasound (US) to evaluate attainment and morphology of glandular tissue provides a new rationale for evaluating onset and progression of female puberty, but currently no hormone references complement this method. Furthermore, previous studies have not explored the predictive value of endocrine profiling to determine female puberty onset. Objective To integrate US breast staging with hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormone references and test the predictive value of an endocrine profile to determine thelarche. Design Setting and Participants Cross-sectional sample of 601 healthy Norwegian girls, ages 6 to 16 years. Main Outcome Measures Clinical and ultrasound breast evaluations were performed for all included girls. Blood samples were analyzed by immunoassay and ultrasensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) from the subpicomolar range. Results References for E2, E1, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and sex hormone–binding globulin were constructed in relation to chronological age, Tanner stages, and US breast stages. An endocrine profile index score derived from principal component analysis of these analytes was a better marker of puberty onset than age or any individual hormone, with receiver-operating characteristic area under the curve 0.91 (P Conclusions We provide the first hormone references for use with US breast staging and demonstrate the application of endocrine profiling to improve detection of female puberty onset.

Context Discriminating adipose and glandular tissue is challenging when clinically assessing breast development. Ultrasound facilitates staging of pubertal breast maturation (US B), but has not been systematically compared to Tanner breast (Tanner B) staging, and no normative data have been reported. Objective To present normative references for US B along with references for Tanner B, pubic hair (PH), and menarche. Design, Setting, and Participants A cross-sectional sample of 703 healthy girls aged 6 to 16 years were examined. Main Outcome Measures Breast development was determined with US B and Tanner B staging. Tanner PH and menarcheal status were recorded. The age distributions of entry in US B, Tanner B, and PH stages and menarche were estimated with generalized linear and generalized additive models with a probit link. Method agreement was tested with weighted Cohen’s kappa. Results The median (±2SD) ages for thelarche, US B2 and Tanner B2, were 10.2 (7.7, 12.8) and 10.4 (8.0, 12.7) years. The median (±2SD) ages at Tanner PH2 and menarche were 10.9 (8.5, 13.3) and 12.7 (11.0, 16.2) years. Cohen’s kappa of agreement (95% confidence interval) between US B and Tanner B was 0.87 (0.85–0.88). When the methods disagreed, US B was usually more advanced. Conclusion Thelarche occurred at a slightly younger age when assessed with ultrasound compared to clinical Tanner staging, although the 2 methods had a very good agreement when determining pubertal breast maturation. A significant decrease of 2.8 months in age at menarche was observed during the past decade in Norwegian girls.

Context Testicular growth represents the best clinical variable to evaluate male puberty, but current pediatric hormone references are based on chronological age and subjective assessments of discrete puberty development stages. Determination of testicular volume (TV) by ultrasound provides a novel approach to assess puberty progression and stratify hormone reference intervals. Objective The objective of this article is to establish references for serum testosterone and key hormones of the male pituitary-gonadal signaling pathway in relation to TV determined by ultrasound. Design, Setting, and Participants Blood samples from 414 healthy Norwegian boys between ages 6 and 16 years were included from the cross-sectional “Bergen Growth Study 2.” Participants underwent testicular ultrasound and clinical assessments, and serum samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem–mass spectrometry and immunoassays. Main Outcome Measures We present references for circulating levels of total testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and sex hormone–binding globulin in relation to TV, chronological age, and Tanner pubic hair stages. Results In pubertal boys, TV accounted for more variance in serum testosterone levels than chronological age (Spearman r = 0.753, P Conclusions Objective ultrasound assessments of TV and stratification of hormone references increase the diagnostic value of traditional references based on chronological age or subjective staging of male puberty.

AIM: To estimate references for testicular volume measured with ultrasound and Tanner stages of pubic hair in Norwegian boys, and to compare the timing of puberty with data from similar populations. METHODS: Testicular volume was derived from ultrasound measurements of testicular volume in a cross-sectional study of 514 healthy boys. A continuous testicular volume for age reference curve was estimated with the LMS method. Tanner stages for pubic hair were clinically assessed in 452 boys. Age references for pubertal milestones were estimated with probit regression. RESULTS: Puberty onset, defined by an ultrasound testicular volume of 2.7 mL, equivalent to an orchidometer volume of 4 mL, occurred at a mean (SD) age of 11.7 (1.1) years. The reference range was 9.7 (3rd) to 13.7 years (97th percentile). Pubic hair (Tanner stage 2) appeared on average at 11.8 (1.2) years with a corresponding reference range of 9.5-14.1 years. CONCLUSION: The references for testicular volume measured with ultrasound are continuous in age and allow for the quantification of pubertal development. The age distribution of reaching pubertal milestones was comparable with data from other Northern European countries. ispartof: ACTA PAEDIATRICA vol:109 issue:8 pages:1612-1619 ispartof: location:Norway status: published

Circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) associate with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. 3-Hydroxyisobutyrate (3-HIB) is a catabolic intermediate of the BCAA valine. In this study, we show that in a cohort of 4,942 men and women, circulating 3-HIB is elevated according to levels of hyperglycemia and established type 2 diabetes. In complementary cohorts with measures of insulin resistance, we found positive correlates for circulating 3-HIB concentrations with HOMA2 of insulin resistance, as well as a transient increase in 3-HIB followed by a marked decrease after bariatric surgery and weight loss. During differentiation, both white and brown adipocytes upregulate BCAA utilization and release increasing amounts of 3-HIB. Knockdown of the 3-HIB–forming enzyme 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase decreases release of 3-HIB and lipid accumulation in both cell types. Conversely, addition of 3-HIB to white and brown adipocyte cultures increases fatty acid uptake and modulated insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in a time-dependent manner. Finally, 3-HIB treatment decreases mitochondrial oxygen consumption and generation of reactive oxygen species in white adipocytes, while increasing these measures in brown adipocytes. Our data establish 3-HIB as a novel adipocyte-derived regulator of adipocyte subtype-specific functions strongly linked to obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.

The glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein (GRIP1) belongs to the p160 steroid receptor coactivator family that plays essential roles in nuclear receptor-dependent transcriptional regulation. Previously, we reported that the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) induces ubiquitination leading to degradation of GRIP1. Here we show that the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) downregulates GRIP1 and is necessary for the PKA-stimulated degradation of GRIP1, which leads to changes in the expression of a subset of genes regulated by estrogen receptor-α in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Our data of domain-mapping and ubiquitination analyses suggest that CREB promotes the proteasomal breakdown of ubiquitinated GRIP1 through 2 functionally independent protein domains containing amino acids 347 to 758 and 1121 to 1462. We provide evidence that CREB interacts directly with GRIP1 and that CREB Ser-133 phosphorylation or transcriptional activity is not required for GRIP1 interaction and degradation. The basic leucine zipper domain (bZIP) of CREB is important for the interaction with GRIP1, and deletion of this domain led to an inability to downregulate GRIP1. We propose that CREB mediates the PKA-stimulated degradation of GRIP1 through protein-protein interaction and stimulation of proteasomal degradation of ubiquitinated GRIP1.

The ability of the anti-diabetic drug metformin to inhibit anabolic processes including gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis is partly attributable to activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. The p160 steroid receptor coactivator 2 (SRC-2) is a key regulator of cellular metabolism and drives expression of the gluconeogenic enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pc). Here, we uncovered a role for SRC-2 in the metabolic reprogramming imposed by metformin. In FaO cells, metformin dose-dependently reduced mRNA expression of SRC-2. Microarray analysis of metformin-treated cells revealed an overrepresentation of downregulated genes involved in biosynthesis of lipids and cholesterol. Several metformin-regulated genes including fatty acid synthase (FASN) were validated as transcriptional targets of SRC-2 with promoters characterized by sterol regulatory element (SRE) binding protein (SREBP) recognition sequences. Transactivation assays of the FASN promoter confirmed that SRC-2 is a coactivator of SREBP-1. By suppressing SRC-2 at the transcriptional level, metformin impeded recruitment of SRC-2 and RNA polymerase II to the G6Pc promoter and to SREs of mutual SRC-2/SREBP-1 target gene promoters. Hepatocellular fat accretion was reduced by metformin or knock-down of both SRC-2 and SREBP-1. Accordingly we propose that metformin inhibits glucose and lipid biosynthesis partly by downregulating SRC-2 gene expression.

Background Steroid receptor coactivators (SRCs) may modulate estrogen receptor (ER) activity and the response to endocrine treatment in breast cancer, in part through interaction with growth factor receptor signaling pathways. In the present study the effects of tamoxifen treatment on the expression of SRCs and human epidermal growth factor receptors (HERs) were examined in an animal model of ER positive breast cancer. Methods Sprague-Dawley rats with DMBA-induced breast cancer were randomized to 14 days of oral tamoxifen 40 mg/kg bodyweight/day or vehicle only (controls). Tumors were measured throughout the study period. Blood samples and tumor tissue were collected at sacrifice and tamoxifen and its main metabolites were quantified using LC-MS/MS. The gene expression in tumor of SRC-1, SRC-2/transcription intermediary factor-2 (TIF-2), SRC-3/amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1), ER, HER-1, -2, -3 and HER-4, as well as the transcription factor Ets-2, was measured by real-time RT-PCR. Protein levels were further assessed by Western blotting. Results Tamoxifen and its main metabolites were detected at high concentrations in serum and accumulated in tumor tissue in up to tenfolds the concentration in serum. Mean tumor volume/rat decreased in the tamoxifen treated group, but continued to increase in controls. The mRNA expression levels of SRC-1 (P = 0.035), SRC-2/TIF-2 (P = 0.002), HER-2 (P = 0.035) and HER-3 (P = 0.006) were significantly higher in tamoxifen treated tumors compared to controls, and the results were confirmed at the protein level using Western blotting. SRC-3/AIB1 protein was also higher in tamoxifen treated tumors. SRC-1 and SRC-2/TIF-2 mRNA levels were positively correlated with each other and with HER-2 (P ≤ 0.001), and the HER-2 mRNA expression correlated with the levels of the other three HER family members (P P Conclusions The expression of SRCs and HER-2 and -3 is stimulated by tamoxifen treatment in DMBA-induced breast cancer. Stimulation and positive correlation of coactivators and HERs may represent an early response to endocrine treatment. The role of SRCs and HER-2 and -3 should be further studied in order to evaluate their effects on response to long-term tamoxifen treatment.