Pregnancy rate and outcome in Swedish women with Turner syndrome.

Pregnancies occurred in 57 (12%) of 482 Swedish women with Turner syndrome with a liveborn rate of 54% in 124 pregnancies. Spontaneous pregnancies occurred in 40%, mainly in women with 45,X/46,XX mosaicism, and oocyte donation in 53% where miscarriages were less frequent, odds ratio = 0.43 (95% confidence interval 0.17-1.04).

Absence of autoantibodies connected to autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type I and II and Addison's disease in girls and women with Turner syndrome.

BACKGROUND: A disturbance in the immune system has been described in Turner syndrome (45,X), with an association to low levels of IgG and IgM and decreased levels of T- and B-lymphocytes. Also different autoimmune diseases have been connected to Turner syndrome (45,X), thyroiditis being the most common. Other autoimmune diseases seen are inflammatory bowel disease, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, Addison's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis, vitiligo, alopecia, pernicious anaemia and hypoparathyroidism, but the association to Turner syndrome is not definite. Besides the typical features of Turner syndrome (short stature, failure to enter puberty spontaneously and infertility due to ovarian insufficiency) ear problems are common. Otitis media and a progressive sensorineural hearing disorder are commonly seen. In the normal population there are known inner ear disorders related to autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate patients with Turner syndrome regarding autoantibodies connected to the autoimmune disorders; autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type I and II and Addison's disease, to screen for overlapping profile of autoantibodies. Blood samples from 110 Turner patients (7-65 years) were investigated using in vitro transcription, translation and immunoprecipitation techniques regarding autoantibodies connected to autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type I and II and Addison's disease (21-hydroxylase, 17alpha-hydroxylase, side-chain cleavage enzyme, aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase). RESULTS: The autoantibodies investigated were not overrepresented among the Turner patients. CONCLUSION: The autoimmune disorders associated with Turner syndrome do not seem to be of the same origin as Addison's disease, the type I or II autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome.

Clinical and epidemiological description of aortic dissection in Turner's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Women with Turner's syndrome have an increased risk of congenital cardiac malformations, ischaemic heart disease, hypertension and stroke. Aortic dissection seems to occur with increased frequency. AIM: To describe in more detail aortic dissection as encountered in Turner's syndrome, giving attention to clinical, histological and epidemiological aspects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on a retrospective study, we describe the clinical, karyotypic, and epidemiological aspects of aortic dissection as encountered in cases of Turner's syndrome seen in Denmark and Sweden. RESULTS: The median age at onset of aortic dissection in 18 women was 35 years, ranging from 18 to 61 years. Fourteen of 18 women had a 45,X karyotype, while 2 patients had 45,X/45,XY, and 2 had the 45,X/46,X+r(X) complement, respectively. Echocardiography was performed in 10 of 18 patients before their acute illness, and showed signs of congenital cardiac disease, with either bifoliate aortic valves, dilation of the aortic root, or previous aortic coarctation evident in most patients. In 5 patients evidence of a bifoliate aortic valve was conclusive. Hypertension was present in 5 of 18 patients, while 10 of the patients died from aortic dissection, of so-called type A in 6, type B in 3, while in the final case the origin of dissection could not be determined. Biochemical analysis showed altered ratio between type I and type III collagen. Histology showed cystic medial necrosis in 3 of 7 cases. We estimated an incidence of dissection of 36 per 100,000 Turner's syndrome years, compared with an incidence of 6 per 100,000 in the general population, and a cumulated rate of incidence of 14, 73, 78, and 50 per 100,000 among 0-19, 20-29, 30-39, and 40+ year olds, respectively. CONCLUSION: Aortic dissection is extremely common in the setting of Turner's syndrome, and occurs early in life. Patients with Turner's syndrome should be offered a protocol for clinical follow-up similar to that provided for patients with Marfan syndrome, and each clinic should embrace a programme for follow-up.

Immunological parameters in girls with Turner syndrome.

Disturbances in the immune system has been described in Turner syndrome, with an association to low levels of IgG and IgM and decreased levels of T- and B-lymphocytes. Also different autoimmune diseases have been connected to Turner syndrome (45, X), thyroiditis being the most common. Besides the typical features of Turner syndrome (short stature, failure to enter puberty spontaneously and infertility due to ovarian insufficiency) ear problems are common (recurrent otitis media and progressive sensorineural hearing disorder). Levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and the four IgG subclasses as well as T- and B-lymphocyte subpopulations were investigated in 15 girls with Turners syndrome to examine whether an immunodeficiency may be the cause of their high incidence of otitis media. No major immunological deficiency was found that could explain the increased incidence of otitis media in the young Turner girls.