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Growth Curves of Chinese Children with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome: A Multicenter Registry Study
Xiu Zhao1, Zhe Su1, Shaoke Chen2
1Department of Endocrinology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen 518028, China.
Insights
Chinese children with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) show distinct growth patterns, with height varying by age and sex, and weight generally exceeding standards. Pubertal growth spurts appear absent in AIS patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Genetics and Human Development
- Growth and Development Studies
Background:
- Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) is a condition affecting sexual development.
- Understanding growth patterns in AIS is crucial for clinical management.
- Limited data exists on the growth trajectories of Chinese children with AIS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and describe the growth patterns of Chinese children diagnosed with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS).
- To compare the physical development of AIS patients with standard growth charts for the Chinese pediatric population.
- To explore potential regional and subtype-specific differences in growth among AIS patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study involving 118 untreated AIS patients from eight pediatric endocrine centers (2010-2019).
- Collected clinical data from a multicenter database for analysis.
- Compared physical assessment data (height, weight) against standard growth charts for Chinese children.
Main Results:
- AIS patients exhibited slower initial growth, followed by increased height before age 12. Post-puberty, height trajectories diverged based on sex.
- Weight was consistently above average for AIS children until age 11, with sex-specific patterns emerging later.
- Northern Chinese AIS patients had higher weight and target height but were younger than southern counterparts; CAIS and PAIS showed minimal growth differences.
Conclusions:
- Growth patterns in Chinese children with AIS are variable and do not typically include a pubertal growth spurt.
- While height is not significantly affected by region, weight shows regional influence.
- Complete AIS and Partial AIS patients demonstrate similar growth characteristics.
Abstract:
Objective: To provide new information about androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), we studied growth patterns in Chinese children with AIS. Subjects: Data are from 118 untreated AIS patients who were admitted to eight pediatric endocrine centers from January 2010 to December 2019. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, clinical data were collected from a multicenter database. We compared physical assessment data among AIS patients and standard growth charts for Chinese pediatric population. Results: 1. Children with AIS grew slightly less than the mean before 6 months of age, and then, height gradually increased before 12 years of age, from the median to +1 standard deviation (SD), according to the standard reference for Chinese pediatric population. After 12 years of age, height showed differently in profiles: The mean height in AIS patients gradually decreased from the mean to −1 SD, according to the standard for Chinese boys, and increased from the mean to +2 SD, according to the standard for Chinese girls. 2. The weights of children with AIS were greater than the mean standards of Chinese pediatric population from newborn to 11 years of age. From 12−16 years of age, the mean weight of children with AIS showed different profiles, from the mean to −1 SD, according to the standard for Chinese boys and from the mean to +1.5 SD, according to the standard for Chinese girls. 3. Weight standard deviation (WtSDS) and target height (THt) in northern Chinese AIS patients were significantly higher than those from the southern region (p = 0.035, 0.005, respectively). Age in northern Chinese AIS patients was significantly younger than those from the southern region (p = 0.034). No difference was found among birth weight (BW), birth length (BL), height standard deviation (HtSDS) and body mass index (BMI) in AIS patients from different regions (p > 0.05). 4. HtSDS and WtSDS in complete AIS (CAIS) patients were higher than those in partial AIS (PAIS) patients without significant difference (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Growth of children with AIS varied to different degrees. AIS patients seemed not to experience a puberty growth spurt. CAIS and PAIS patients show little difference in their growth. Regional differences have no effect on the height but influence the weight of AIS patients.
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