45,X/46,XY mosaicism, also known as X0/XY mosaicism and mixed gonadal dysgenesis,
"45,X/46,XY including Y chromosome rearrangements". (PDF) Rarechromo.org is a mutation of sex development in humans associated with Allosome, sex chromosome

aneuploidy Aneuploidy is the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell, for example a human cell having 45 or 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. It does not include a difference of one or more complete sets of chromosomes. A cell with any ...

and

mosaicism Mosaicism or genetic mosaicism is a condition in multicellular organisms in which a single organism possesses more than one genetic line as the result of genetic mutation. This means that various genetic lines resulted from a single fertilized ...

of the

Y chromosome The Y chromosome is one of two sex chromosomes (allosomes) in therian mammals, including humans, and many other animals. The other is the X chromosome. Y is normally the sex-determining chromosome in many species, since it is the presence or abse ...

. This is called a mosaic

karyotype A karyotype is the general appearance of the complete set of metaphase chromosomes in the cells of a species or in an individual organism, mainly including their sizes, numbers, and shapes. Karyotyping is the process by which a karyotype is disce ...

because, like tiles in mosaic floors or walls, there is more than one type of cell. It is a fairly rare chromosomal disorder at birth, with an estimated incidence rate of about 1 in 15,000 live births. Mosaic loss of the Y chromosome in previously non-mosaic men grows increasingly common with age. The clinical manifestations are highly variable, ranging from partial virilisation and ambiguous genitalia at birth, to patients with completely male or female gonads. Most individuals with this

have apparently normal male genitalia, and a minority have female genitalia, with a significant number of individuals showing genital abnormalities or

intersex Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical bina ...

characteristics. A significantly higher than normal number of other developmental abnormalities are also found in individuals with X0/XY mosaicism. Psychomotor development is normal.

Signs and symptoms

Although similar in some ways to

true hermaphroditism True hermaphroditism, sometimes referred to as ovotesticular syndrome, is an intersex condition in which an individual is born with both ovarian and testicular tissue. Commonly, one or both gonad A gonad, sex gland, or reproductive gland i ...

, the conditions can be distinguished histologically and by

karyotyping A karyotype is the general appearance of the complete set of metaphase chromosomes in the cells of a species or in an individual organism, mainly including their sizes, numbers, and shapes. Karyotyping is the process by which a karyotype is disce ...

. The observable characteristics (

phenotype In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological proper ...

) of this condition are highly variable, ranging from

gonadal dysgenesis Gonadal dysgenesis is classified as any congenital developmental disorder of the reproductive system in the male or female. It is the atypical development of the gonads in an embryo, with reproductive tissue replaced with functionless, fibrous ti ...

in males, to Turner-like females and phenotypically normal males. The phenotypical expression may be ambiguous, male or female depending on the extent of the

. The most common presentation of 45,X/46,XY karyotype is phenotypically normal male, next being genital ambiguity. There is a range of chromosomal anomalies within 45,X/46,XY where the variations are very complex, and the actual result in living individuals is often not a simple picture. Most patients with this karyotype are known to have abnormal gonadal

histology Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at larger structures vis ...

and heights considerably below their genetic potential. High

gonadotropin Gonadotropins are glycoprotein hormones secreted by gonadotropic cells of the anterior pituitary of vertebrates. This family includes the mammalian hormones follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), the placental/ chorioni ...

levels have been described in both male and female patients, as well as low levels of

testosterone Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondar ...

in male patients. Dosage loss of SHOX gene is commonly associated with short stature.45,X/46,XY mixed gonadal dysgenesis
''Orfa.net''; August 2015. Psychomotor development is normal. As the gonads may not be symmetrical, the development of the

Müllerian duct Paramesonephric ducts (or Müllerian ducts) are paired ducts of the embryo that run down the lateral sides of the genital ridge and terminate at the sinus tubercle in the primitive urogenital sinus. In the female, they will develop to form the fal ...

and

Wolffian duct The mesonephric duct (also known as the Wolffian duct, archinephric duct, Leydig's duct or nephric duct) is a paired organ that forms during the embryonic development of humans and other mammals and gives rise to male reproductive organs. Stru ...

may be asymmetrical, too. Because of the presence of dysgenetic gonadal tissue and Y chromosome material, there is a high risk of the development of a

gonadoblastoma A gonadoblastoma is a complex neoplasm composed of a mixture of gonadal elements, such as large primordial germ cells, immature Sertoli cells or granulosa cells of the sex cord, and gonadal stromal cells. Gonadoblastomas are by definition benign, ...

Causes

In a normal situation, all the cells in an individual will have 46 chromosomes with one being an X and one a Y or with two Xs. However, sometimes during this complicated early copying process (

DNA replication In molecular biology, DNA replication is the biological process of producing two identical replicas of DNA from one original DNA molecule. DNA replication occurs in all living organisms acting as the most essential part for biological inheritanc ...

and

cell division Cell division is the process by which a parent cell (biology), cell divides into two daughter cells. Cell division usually occurs as part of a larger cell cycle in which the cell grows and replicates its chromosome(s) before dividing. In eukar ...

), one chromosome can be lost. In 45,X/46,XY, most or all of the Y chromosome is lost in one of the newly created cells. All the cells then made from this cell will lack the Y chromosome. All the cells created from the cells that have not lost the Y chromosome will be XY.45,X/46,XY Mosaicism: Report of 27 Cases
''Pediatrics'' Vol. 104 No. 2 August 1, 1999. pp. 304 -308 The 46,XY cells will continue to multiply at the same time as the 45,X cells multiply. The embryo, then the fetus and then the baby will have what is called a 45,X/46,XY constitution. This is called a mosaic karyotype because, like tiles in mosaic floors or walls, there is more than one type of cell. There are many chromosomal variations that cause the 45,X/46,XY karyotype, including malformation (isodicentricism) of the Y chromosomes, deletions of Y chromosome or

translocations In genetics, chromosome translocation is a phenomenon that results in unusual rearrangement of chromosomes. This includes balanced and unbalanced translocation, with two main types: reciprocal-, and Robertsonian translocation. Reciprocal translo ...

of Y chromosome segments. These rearrangements of the Y chromosome can lead to partial expression of the SRY gene which may lead to abnormal genitals and testosterone levels.

Diagnosis

Identification of 45,X/46,XY

has significant clinical implications due to known effects on growth, hormonal balance, gonadal development and histology. 45,X/46,XY is diagnosed by examining the chromosomes in a blood sample. The age of diagnosis varies depending on manifestations of disease prompting reason for

cytogenetic Cytogenetics is essentially a branch of genetics, but is also a part of cell biology/cytology (a subdivision of human anatomy), that is concerned with how the chromosomes relate to cell behaviour, particularly to their behaviour during mitosis an ...

testing. Many patients are diagnosed prenatally due to fetal factors (increased nuchal fold, or abnormal levels of serum), maternal age or abnormal ultrasounds, while others will be diagnosed postnatal due to external genital malformation. It is not uncommon for patients to be diagnosed later in life due to short stature or delayed puberty, or a combination of both. 45,X/46,XY mosaicism can be detected prenatally through

amniocentesis Amniocentesis is a medical procedure used primarily in the prenatal diagnosis of genetic conditions. It has other uses such as in the assessment of infection and fetal lung maturity. Prenatal diagnostic testing, which includes amniocentesis, is ne ...

however, it was determined that the proportion of 45,X cells in the

amniotic fluid The amniotic fluid is the protective liquid contained by the amniotic sac of a gravid amniote. This fluid serves as a cushion for the growing fetus, but also serves to facilitate the exchange of nutrients, water, and biochemical products betwee ...

cannot predict any phenotypic outcomes, often making prenatal genetic counselling difficult.

Management

References

External links