ESPE Abstracts

Background: Patients with genetic variants in the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway may present with early-onset, severe obesity and hyperphagia. Increasing awareness of genetic testing could improve diagnosis of rare genetic causes of obesity and identify patients who might benefit from targeted therapy; however, such testing has been limited. Moreover, the frequency of specific genetic variants in this population is currently unknown. The Rare Obesity A...

Introduction: The envelope protein of Human Endogenous Retrovirus type W (HERV-W-Env) has been shown to be associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis in adults patients. This protein is expressed in pancreas of T1D patients and it seems to correlate with macrophage infiltrations. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that HERV-W-Env inhibits insulin secretion and promotes hyperglycemia. Furthermore, HERV could be implicated in other auto-immune disorders. The ...

Introduction: Neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) affects about 15% of all neonates and about 50% of neonates born with risk factors, including maternal diabetes, large- or small for gestational age, or prematurity. Although it is known that hypoglycemia in congenital hyperinsulinism can lead to brain injury, it is still not clear to what extent transitional NH is tolerated during the first days of life without brain damage. Thus, treatment thresholds and management st...

Background: Non-idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP) is caused by acquired or congenital hypothalamic lesions visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or associated with various complex genetic and/or syndromic disorders without visible lesions on MRI. We investigated the different types and prevalences of non-isolated CPP phenotypes in a large group of consecutive patients with CPP.Methods: This observational cohort study included all patient...

Background: Recently, mutations in the maternally imprinted MKRN3 gene have been associated to familial idiopathic central precocious puberty (iPPC). The clinical phenotype and the frequency of these mutations are poorly described.Objective and hypotheses: Delineate the frequency of MKRN3 mutations in iPPC and perform a genotype–phenotype correlation in MKRN3 mutated patients.Method: 59 index cases with iPPC have been included...

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has become more common in treating malignant and nonmalignant diseases in children. However, HSCT is associated with several late effects that can impair growth, like insufficient growth hormone (GH) secretion, hypogonadism and growth plate damage. Growth hormone treatment (GHRx) is offered but limited data are available on its effect on adult height.Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of GH...

Puberty is defined by the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics and the maturation of reproductive function. It is driven by an increase in sexual steroid hormone synthesis under the control of the gonadotropic axis. The key event in puberty initiation is an increase in the pulsatile release of the GnRH by hypothalamic neurons, triggering the release of LH and FSH. This pubertal increase in GnRH secretion is associated with increases in glutamatergic inputs and decrea...

The use of recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) as safe vectors have allowed hundreds of gene therapy attempts to treat monogenic diseases not including bone genetic diseases (Gao G, Nat Rev Drug Dis 2019). To our knowledge, there has been few attempts to apply gene therapy to monogenic bone diseases, largely because most skeletal malformations are being developed during fetal life. Patients affected with acrodysostosis are known to aggravate their skeletal malformation...

XY individuals with Disorders/Differences of Sex development (DSD) are characterized by reduced androgenization caused, in some children, by gonadal dysgenesis or, more rarely, testis regression during early fetal development. The genetic etiology for most patients with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis and for all patients with testicular regression syndrome (TRS) is unknown. Identification of novel genes involved in DSD is crucial for providing an accurate clinical diagnosis, aiding ...

Background: The contribution of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and parental height (PH) to childhood short stature is difficult to determine in countries, including the UK, where birth length (BL) is not routinely measured, while accurate PH may become unavailable due to separation/divorce. A previous study (2008–2009) examined the feasibility of BL and PH measurement in the lightest 9% of babies born in a single maternity unit. Uptake was disappointing, with part...