Transient elevated serum prolactin in trans women is caused by cyproterone acetate treatment

Purpose: Hormone treatment in trans women in Europe usually consists of the administration of estrogens and antiandrogens, for example, cyproterone acetate (CPA). Mild serum prolactin elevations during follow-up are attributed to estrogen therapy. This analysis evaluates whether CPA contributes to the elevation of prolactin in trans women receiving gender affirming hormones. Methods: This study is part of the endocrine part of the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI). Belgian data were selected for this substudy. Trans women who initiated gender affirming hormone treatment and underwent orchiectomy were prospectively evaluated. Trans women were treated with oral CPA 50 mg in combination with estrogen substitution. Postsurgery, estrogen was reinitiated in an unchanged dose. Sex steroids, gonadotropins, and prolactin were compared at baseline, pre- and postsurgery in patients receiving orchiectomy, and at baseline, 12, and 18 months in patients who did not undergo orchiectomy. Results: One hundred and seven trans women participated in this analysis, with a mean age of 31.5 years. An increase in serum prolactin levels was seen in the group undergoing orchiectomy (23.72 mu g/L) and not undergoing orchiectomy (23.05 mu g/L) at the preoperative and 12-month visit, compared with baseline (9.42 mu g/L, P = 0.002 and 9.94 mu g/L, P < 0.001, respectively). After orchiectomy, a decline in prolactin levels (10.17 mu g/L, P < 0.001) occurred. Conclusions: CPA is likely to cause a temporary increase in serum prolactin, with prolactin levels returning to normal after orchiectomy and CPA discontinuation

Accurate, high-throughput typing of copy number variation using paralogue ratios from dispersed repeats

Recent work has demonstrated an unexpected prevalence of copy number variation in the human genome, and has highlighted the part this variation may play in predisposition to common phenotypes. Some important genes vary in number over a high range (e.g. DEFB4, which commonly varies between two and seven copies), and have posed formidable technical challenges for accurate copy number typing, so that there are no simple, cheap, high-throughput approaches suitable for large-scale screening. We have developed a simple comparative PCR method based on dispersed repeat sequences, using a single pair of precisely designed primers to amplify products simultaneously from both test and reference loci, which are subsequently distinguished and quantified via internal sequence differences. We have validated the method for the measurement of copy number at DEFB4 by comparison of results from >800 DNA samples with copy number measurements by MAPH/REDVR, MLPA and array-CGH. The new Paralogue Ratio Test (PRT) method can require as little as 10 ng genomic DNA, appears to be comparable in accuracy to the other methods, and for the first time provides a rapid, simple and inexpensive method for copy number analysis, suitable for application to typing thousands of samples in large case-control association studies

Positive and negative affect changes during gender-affirming hormonal treatment : results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI)

Improving transgender people’s quality of life (QoL) is the most important goal of gender-affirming care. Prospective changes in affect can influence QoL. We aim to assess the impact of initiating gender-affirming hormonal treatment (HT) on affect. In the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI) study, we prospectively collected data of 873 participants (451 transwomen (TW) and 422 transmen (TM)). At baseline, psychological questionnaires including the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were administered. The PANAS, levels of sex steroids and physical changes were registered at each follow-up visit during a 3-year follow-up period, starting at the initiation of hormonal therapy. Data were analyzed cross-sectionally and prospectively. Over the first three months, we observed a decline in positive affect (PA) in both TM and TW. Thereafter, PA reached a steady state in TW, whereas in TM there was also a second decline at 18 months. In both TM and TW there was no persisting difference comparing baseline to the 36-months results. Concerning negative affect (NA), we observed a decline during the first year in TM, which sustained during the second year and was not different anymore at 36 months compared to baseline. In TW though, we did not find any change of NA during the entire follow-up. Even if some of these results show significant differences, they should be considered with caution, since there was no control group and the absolute differences are small. No association between affect and the level of sex steroids was observed. Baseline QoL and psychological burden are related to affect independently from gender but are not necessarily good predictors of the evolution of one’s affect during the gender-affirming process. Further research is necessary to investigate these preliminary results

Inflammatory response in the acute phase of deep vein thrombosis

AbstractObjective: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a multifactorial disease. Recently, inflammation has been suggested as a risk factor for DVT. The question is whether inflammation is a cause of venous thrombosis or rather a result of the thrombotic process. Methods: We studied the inflammatory response in the acute phase of DVT with interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and C-reactive protein (CRP) as inflammatory markers. Plasma concentrations were measured on the day of admission (day 0) in 40 patients with acute DVT confirmed with phlebography and in 33 patients with clinical suspicion of DVT but negative phlebography results (controls). In patients with DVT, inflammatory markers were also examined on five subsequent days. Results: On day 0, the median concentrations in plasma of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and CRP were 15.0 pg/mL (range, <3 to 70 pg/mL), 7.0 pg/mL (range, <3 to 76 pg/mL), 37.5 mg/L (range, <7 to 164 mg/L), respectively, in the patient group and less than 3 pg/mL (range, <3 to 11 pg/mL; P <.001), 6.0 pg/mL (range, <3 to 52 pg/mL; P =.08), and 5.0 pg/L (range, <7 to 66 pg/L; P <.001), respectively, in the controls. During the next days, interleukin-6 concentration showed a gradual decline in patients with DVT from 15.0 to 5.5 pg/mL (P <.001), interleukin-8 concentration was relatively constant in time, and CRP concentration declined from 37.5 to 21.5 mg/L (P =.01). Conclusion: Our data show an apparent inflammatory response with highest measured concentrations of inflammatory markers on the day of admission and a subsequent decrease during the next days. This response supports the hypothesis that elevated inflammatory markers are a result rather than a cause of venous thrombosis. (J Vasc Surg 2002;35:701-6.

Lower serum estradiol levels in assigned female at birth transgender people with initiation of testosterone therapy : results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence

Purpose: Concerns have been raised about undesired estrogenic effects in assigned female at birth (AFAB) transgender people on testosterone therapy. How serum estradiol levels change after initiation of testosterone therapy and if these levels should be monitored remain unclear. Methods: This prospective cohort study was part of the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence. Serum levels of sex steroids were assessed in 746 AFAB transgender people during a 3-year follow-up period, starting at the initiation of hormone treatment. Results: Estradiol levels decreased from median [P25-P75] 45.6 [24.0-102.2] pg/mL to 36.5 [25.0-46.2] pg/mL over 3 years (p < 0.001); a change was already noticeable during the first 3 months (mean -17.1 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval -23.8 to -10.6, p < 0.001). Serum estradiol levels were lower in people without endogenous estradiol production from ovarian source (contraceptive users or post hystero-oophorectomy) at baseline and after 3 months, compared with people with endogenous estradiol production. Using long-acting testosterone undecanoate injections resulted in a more prominent decrease in serum estradiol values over 12 months, compared with short-acting mixed testosterone esters (p < 0.001) or testosterone gel (p = 0.001). Changes in serum estradiol were positively correlated to changes in luteinizing hormone (rho = 0.107, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated to changes in follicle-stimulating hormone levels (rho = -0.167, p < 0.001) and body mass index (rho = -0.082, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Testosterone administration in AFAB transgender people resulted in decreasing serum estradiol levels. Our results suggest that testosterone therapy leads to central suppression of estradiol production, with partial restitution due to aromatization

Breast development in transwomen after 1 year of cross-sex hormone therapy : results of a prospective multicenter study

Context: Breast development is a key feature of feminization and therefore important to transwomen (male-to-female transgender persons). It is not exactly known when breast development starts after initiating cross-sex hormone therapy (CHT) and how much growth may be expected. Objective: To investigate breast development in transwomen during their first year of CHT and whether clinical or laboratory parameters predict breast development. Design: This study was performed as part of the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence, which is a prospective multicenter cohort study. Setting: Gender clinics in Amsterdam, Ghent, and Florence. Participants: Transwomen who completed the first year of CHT (n = 229). Intervention: CHT. Main Outcome Measures: Breast development in centimeter and cup size. Results: The median age of the included transwomen was 28 years (range, 18 to 69). Mean breast-chest difference increased to 7.9 +/- 3.1 cm after 1 year of CHT, mainly resulting in less than an AAA cup size (48.7%). Main breast development occurred in the first 6 months of therapy. Serum estradiol levels did not predict breast development after 1 year of CHT (first quartile, 3.6 cm [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.7 to 4.5], second quartile, 3.2 cm [95% CI, 2.3 to 4.2], third quartile, 4.4 cm [95% CI, 3.5 to 5.3], and fourth quartile, 3.6 cm [95% CI, 2.7 to 4.5]). Conclusion: This study shows that, after 1 year of CHT, breast development is modest and occurs primarily in the first 6 months. No clinical or laboratory parameters were found that predict breast development

A comparative study of 3D measuring methods for monitoring breast volume changes

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques are promising new tools for measuring breast volume, for example in gender-affirming therapy. Transgender individuals can be treated with gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). A robust method for monitoring breast volume changes is critical to be able to study the effects of feminizing GAHT. The primary aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of three 3D devices (Vectra XT, Artec LEO and iPhone XR) for measuring modest breast volume differences using a mannequin. The secondary aim of this study was to evaluate these methods in several performance domains. We used reference prostheses of increasing volumes and compared the volumes using GOM-inspect software. For Vectra XT 3D images, manufacturer-provided software was used to calculate volumes as well. The scanning methods were ranked based on their performance in a total of five categories: volume estimations, costs, user-friendliness, test subject- friendliness and technical aspects. The 3D models analyzed with GOM-inspect showed relative mean estimate differences from the actual volumes of 9.1% for the Vectra XT, 7.3% for the Artec LEO and 14% for the iPhone XR. For the Vectra XT models analyzed with the built-in software this was 6.2%. Root mean squared errors (RMSE) calculated based on the GOM-inspect volume analyses showed mean RMSEs of 2.27, 2.54 and 8.93 for the Vectra XT, Artec LEO and iPhone XR, respectively. The Vectra software had a mean RMSE of 3.00. In the combined performance ranking, the Vectra XT had the most favorable ranking, followed by the Artec LEO and the iPhone XR. The Vectra XT and Artec LEO are the preferred scanners to monitor breast development due to the combination of higher accuracy and overall performance. The current study shows that 3D techniques can be used to adequately measure modest breast volume differences and therefore will be useful to study for example breast changes in transgender individuals using feminizing GAHT. These observations may also be relevant in other fields of 3D imaging research.</p

Iron and hepcidin as risk factors in atherosclerosis: what do the genes say?

BACKGROUND: Previous reports suggested a role for iron and hepcidin in atherosclerosis. Here, we evaluated the causality of these associations from a genetic perspective via (i) a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, (ii) study of association of atherosclerosis-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with iron and hepcidin, and (iii) estimation of genomic correlations between hepcidin, iron and atherosclerosis. RESULTS: Analyses were performed in a general population sample. Iron parameters (serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity and transferrin saturation), serum hepcidin and genome-wide SNP data were available for N = 1,819; non-invasive measurements of atherosclerosis (NIMA), i.e., presence of plaque, intima media thickness and ankle-brachial index (ABI), for N = 549. For the MR, we used 12 iron-related SNPs that were previously identified in a genome-wide association meta-analysis on iron status, and assessed associations of individual SNPs and quartiles of a multi-SNP score with NIMA. Quartile 4 versus quartile 1 of the multi-SNP score showed directionally consistent associations with the hypothesized direction of effect for all NIMA in women, indicating that increased body iron status is a risk factor for atherosclerosis in women. We observed no single SNP associations that fit the hypothesized directions of effect between iron and NIMA, except for rs651007, associated with decreased ferritin concentration and decreased atherosclerosis risk. Two of six NIMA-related SNPs showed association with the ratio hepcidin/ferritin, suggesting that an increased hepcidin/ferritin ratio increases atherosclerosis risk. Genomic correlations were close to zero, except for hepcidin and ferritin with ABI at rest [-0.27 (SE 0.34) and -0.22 (SE 0.35), respectively] and ABI after exercise [-0.29 (SE 0.34) and -0.30 (0.35), respectively]. The negative sign indicates an increased atherosclerosis risk with increased hepcidin and ferritin concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a potential causal role for hepcidin and ferritin in atherosclerosis, and may indicate that iron status is causally related to atherosclerosis in women

Testosterone in men with hypogonadism and transgender males: a systematic review comparing three different preparations

Testosterone therapy is the cornerstone in the care of men with hypogonadism and transgender males. Gel and intramuscular injections are most frequently used and are registered and included in the international guidelines. The specific preparation should be selected according to the patient’s preference, cost, availability, and formulation-specific properties. As the majority of men with hypogonadism and transgender males require lifelong treatment with testosterone, it is important to utilize a regimen that is effective, safe, inexpensive, and convenient to use with optimal mimicking of the physiological situation. This systematic review reviews current literature on differences between the three most used testosterone preparations in adult men with hypogonadism and transgender males. Although it appeared hardly any comparative studies have been carried out, there are indications of differences between the preparations, for example, on the stability of testosterone levels, hematocrit, bone mineral density, and patient satisfaction. However, there are no studies on the effects of testosterone replacement on endpoints such as cardiovascular disease in relation to hematocrit or osteoporotic fractures in relation to bone mineral density. The effect of testosterone therapy on health-related quality of life is strongly underexposed in the reviewed studies, while this is a highly relevant outcome measure from a patient perspective. In conclusion, current recommendations on testosterone treatment appear to be based on data primarily from non-randomized clinical studies and observational studies. The availability of reliable comparative data between the different preparations will assist in the process of individual decision-making to choose the most suitable formula