ESPE Abstracts

Background: Characterization of testicular adrenal rest tumours (TART) are one of the major long-term complications in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) patients. Although several adrenal-like properties have been assigned to these benign lesions, the exact etiology has not been established yet.Objective and Hypotheses: The aim of this study was to analyze several (steroidogenic) characteristics of TART tissue which may be classified as adrenal cortex...

Background: Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is characterized by small for gestational age (SGA) birth, severe short stature and variable dysmorphic features. Children born SGA are at increased risk to develop adult-onset disease at a relatively young age. Growth hormone (GH)-treatment is a registered growth-promoting therapy for short children born SGA, including SRS. Data on metabolic health and long-term safety of GH-treatment in SRS are limited.Objectiv...

Introduction: The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) gene, located on chromosome 15q26.3, encodes the 1367 aa tyrosine kinase receptor IGF1R which is involved in many processes, including growth. Few heterozygous mutations and deletions of IGF1R leading to IGF-I resistance have been described in patients with intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly and variable learning difficulties. We report a not yet previous...

Background: Two LIM homeodomain transcription factors, Lhx3 and Lhx4, are critical in the development of the nervous system and pituitary gland in mice. Lhx4 null mice die shortly after birth and have abnormal pituitary gland development. Recently, the first human homozygous LHX4 mutation was described, resulting in congenital hypopituitarism and neonatal death. Heterozygous LHX4 variants have been described and are linked to hypopituitarism but have...

Case report: We describe a male with tall stature (final height 210.5cm), macrocephaly (63.5cm, +5.5SD), obesity (BMI 44.6 kg/m2) and mild learning difficulties. Birth weight was 4.6kg (+2.3SD). He had slightly delayed developmental milestones. He was referred at the age of 5 for tall stature (+6.2SD), with a head circumference on the 98th centile, growing at a rate of 10cm/yr. He had thick doughy skin, a mild squint, somewhat coarse features, large hands...

Background: Small birth size followed by accelerated weight gain in early life is associated with an increased risk for age-associated diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) in later life. The underlying causes for this are largely unknown. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a marker of biological age and short LTL is associated with increased CVD-risk. Subjects born small for gestational age (SGA) who remain short are treated with growth hormone (GH) to improve adult ...

Background: Subjects born preterm have an increased risk for ageing-associated diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) in later life but the underlying cause is largely unknown. Telomere length (TL) is a usable index for ageing, with shorter TL indicating older biological age. Furthermore, short TL is associated with CVD.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate TL in subjects born preterm compared to term and to assess if TL is associated with risk...

Introduction: Progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia (PPRD) is a rare genetic bone disorder characterised by the progressive degeneration of articular cartilage leading to pain, stiffness, joint enlargement and short stature. PPRD occurs due to a mutation in cellular communication network factor 6 (CCN6)/Wnt1-inducible signalling protein 3 (WISP3) gene, encoding a 354 amino acid signalling factor involved in BMP/WNT signalling and mitochondri...

Introduction: Heterozygous inactivating mutations in the maternal allele of the GNAS gene typically result in pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP), characterised by developmental delay, short stature, obesity, hormone resistance and bone abnormalities. GNAS variants were recently described in 1% of patients in the UK Genetics of Obesity cohort, resulting in reduced MC4R signalling. Here, we report another novel GNAS variant in a family wit...

Temple syndrome is due to loss of methylation in the imprinted locus 14q32 and is characterised by low birth weight, hypotonia, short stature, early puberty. Adult height is approx -2.0SD. Other features are small hands and feet, premature birth, feeding difficulties, delayed milestones, mild learning difficulty, variable obesity. We report monozygotic twins diagnosed with Temple syndrome aged 13 yr. Twin 1 received GH for SGA and short stature from age 9.5yrs when his height ...