title: Assessment of adrenocortical function and autoantibodies in a baby born to a mother with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome Type 2.
abstract: We describe the case of a baby born to a mother with Addison's disease in the context of Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type 2. Adrenal cortex autoantibodies and steroid 21-hydroxylase autoantibodies were detectable in the sera of both mother and baby, suggesting the transplacental passage of these autoantibodies. Adrenal autoantibodies were present in the baby's serum at delivery, at 3, 6 and till 34 months of age but no signs of clinical or subclinical adrenal insufficiency were found in the baby during the observation period. These data suggest that the presence of adrenal autoantibodies in serum alone is not a sufficient cause for the development of autoimmune adrenalitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Unit of Endocrinology, University of Padova, Padova Hospital, Padova, Italy. corrado.betterle@unipd.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Betterle
authors.forename: C Dal
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Pra
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pedini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zanchetta
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Albergoni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Furmaniak
authors.forename: B Rees
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000224:Addison Disease; D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D000309:Adrenal Insufficiency; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D016884:Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies