ESPE Abstracts

The zebrafish is established as an important model system for studying development and disease, and characterisation of the developmental and functional roles of steroids is crucial for its effective employment in this remit. Whilst oestrogens are known to be essential for female development in zebrafish, the roles of androgens in the development, maintenance and function of the male reproductive system remain unclear.In order to investigate these proces...

Cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme, encoded by the CYP11A1 gene, catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step of steroid hormone biosynthesis. Previous morpholino knockdown studies described the divergent functions of the two cyp11a paralogs in zebrafish. Cyp11a1 has been suggested to be required for early development, whereas cyp11a2 is a functional equivalent of human CYP11A1 and is essential for the initiation and maintenan...

Background: >There is a wide variation in the reported rate of acute adrenal insufficiency (AI) related adverse events (sick day episodes and adrenal crises) between centres.Objective: Evaluate the level of consensus on the criteria that should be considered ‘essential’ for defining and managing adverse events associated with acute AI in children.Methods: Three groups of ...

Introduction: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is associated with long-term health problems. However, little is known about co-morbidities and their onset in children and young persons (CYP).Objective: To establish the health status of CYP with CAH across the United Kingdom.Methods: A multi-centre prospective study recruited 102 patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency targeting...

Introduction: Glucocorticoid treatment remains a challenging aspect in the management of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Current strategies for monitoring treatment are suboptimal and rely largely on frequent blood tests, which are traumatising in children and young persons (CYP). Recent evidence indicates a crucial role of 11-oxygenatedC19 androgens in the pathogenesis of CAH.Aim: To explore the use of 11-oxygenat...

Introduction: Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires appropriate diagnosis and treatment. The most common cause of PAI is congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), but other well-established aetiologies include metabolic and autoimmune disorders, and physical damage. Mutations in more than 30 genes have now been associated with PAI, with considerable biochemical and phenotypic overlap. It is therefore importan...

Introduction: Despite existing guidelines there is no unified approach to glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Consequently, treatment varies in adults and children as well as across countries.Objective: We used data from the I-CAH Registry to identify geographical and temporal variations in the treatment with glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids of children and adul...