ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: The human adrenal gland originates from the adrenogonadal primordium at around 4 weeks post conception (wpc) and undergoes marked developmental changes throughout the first half of pregnancy. Several key aspects of adrenal maturation are well-established, such as the formation of a large inner fetal zone (FZ) and synthesis of dehydroepiandrosterone, but many other processes contributing to adrenal gland development and function in humans are stil...

Introduction: Ovary development was once considered a largely passive process. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) approaches have allowed us to begin to characterise ovary development in previously unparalleled detail, revealing the process to be complex and, still, little understood. A challenge is synthesising and using these data to advance our understanding of clinical disease. Through a clinically-focused lens, we elucidate novel aspects of the transcriptional lands...

Background: Small for gestational age (SGA) without subsequent catch up growth is an indication for GH treatment in Europe, the US, and Korea but not in Australia. However, many SGA are likely to be included under the ‘short stature and slow growth’ (SSSG) indication. It is unknown to what extent children born SGA are included in the Australian indications or how they differ from non-SGA patients within each indication and gender.Objective and ...

Background: Hereditary Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus (HNDI) is an uncommon disorder due to a resistance to anti diuretic hormone (ADH) leading to a reduced urinary concentrating ability. The X-linked form is fully expressed in hemizygous male patients, but diabetes insipidus may also present in heterozygous females where it must be distinguished from autosomal and other secondary causes.Objective and hypotheses: We report a mother and daughter with HNDI...

Background: Transient hypoparathyroidism is a recognised cause of hypocalcaemia during the neonatal period and difficult to differentiate from permanent forms.Objective and hypotheses: We present the challenges of monitoring and managing neonates with hypocalcaemia and inappropriately low PTH.Method: Cases 1 and 2 had congenital heart disease (CHD) but were FISH negative for 22q11 deletion. Both were treated with supplemental doses...

Background: Normal thyroid function is necessary for the optimal growth promoting effects of GH. Changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis following GH have been reported in subjects initially thought to be euthyroid. A specific group of patients, children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), are thought to have a ‘vulnerable’ HPT axis.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the impact of paediatric GH therapy on thyroid hormone statu...

Background: The adrenal cortex undergoes constant cellular renewal and any effect from recombinant adeno-associated vectors (rAAV) targeting differentiated cells will be transient as extra-chromosomal DNA will be lost by dividing cells. A novel option is to use rAAV to express ectopic adrenocortical enzymes in a stable organ outside the adrenal gland. Our aim was to correct the biochemical phenotype in a mouse model for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) wit...

Background: Thyroglobulin (Tg), a protein synthesized uniquely in the thyroid gland, may be elevated in primary congenital hypothyroidism (CH) due to increased TSH drive, absent in true athyreosis and Tg deficiency, and very elevated in some types of dyshormonogenesis.Hypothesis: Serum Tg at the time of newborn screening may reflect the amount of thyroid tissue present in apparent athyreosis and thyroid ectopia, and henc...

Few treatments for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity achieve meaningful long-term weight-loss and are often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Thus, there is a critical need for a new generation of obesity medications that provide glycemic control with enhanced hypophagic response without nausea. Our group has developed and tested two new monomeric chimeric peptides against a novel target for obesity treatment concomitant with T2D in the form of dual agonism of the anorectic ...

Background: Normal TF is necessary for optimal growth. Changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis following GH therapy are reported. GH therapy has been suggested to centrally inhibit TSH production as well as peripherally increasing T4 to T3 conversion which increases negative feedback on TSH production. Hypothalamic dysfunction is a feature of PWS, therefore these patients may be at risk of developing central hypothyroidism associated with GH therapy.<p cla...