Body Composition, Bone Mineral Density, Insulin Sensitivity and Echocardiographic Measurements in Klinefelter Syndrome

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common sex-chromosome disorder with a prevalence of one in 660 men and is a frequent cause of hypogonadism and infertility. It is caused by the presence of extra X-chromosomes, the most common karyotype being 47,XXY. The phenotype is variable, but the most constant finding is small hyalinized testes, hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism, infertility, eunuchoid body proportion, increased height and learning disabilities. Klinefelter syndrome has been associated with increased prevalence of diabetes, osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases but the pathogenesis is unknown. Accordingly the aim of the study was to investigate measures of body composition, insulin sensitivity, bone mineral density, echocardiography, as well as biochemical markers of endocrine, metabolic and bone function in KS and an age-matched control group.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age above 18 years
• verified KS karyotype (KS patients)

Exclusion Criteria:

• untreated hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
• present or past malignant diseases
• clinical liver disease
• treatment with drugs knowing to interfere with glucose homeostasis, fat metabolism or bone modulation (e.g. glucocorticoids)