ESPE Abstracts

Background: Studies have shown that genetic variations in the FSH pathway (SNPs: FSHB −211G>T, FSHR −29G>A, and FSHR 2039A>G) affect peripubertal levels of serum FSH and age at pubertal onset in girls.Objective and hypotheses: Genetic variations in the FSH pathway reflect circulating levels of female reproductive hormones during the postnatal gonadotropin surge.Method: Blood samples were taken in girls of th...

Background: Minipuberty denotes a period 1–6 months postnatally in boys during which a transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is observed. This early hormone activation can be used diagnostically in patients suspected of pituitary deficiency and differences in sex development. However, its significance for prediction of reproductive function in healthy young men is unknown.Objective: To eval...

Introduction: Brain tumors are the most common solid neoplasm in children, and treatment often includes high-dose irradiation of the central nervous system (CNS). Although not universal, growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a very common endocrine late effect after CNS irradiation in childhood. The consequences of GHD in adults are many e.g., reduced bone mineral density, fatigue, decreased lean body mass and adiposity, which implies that adults with severe GHD ...

Background: There is increasing evidence from epidemiological studies that some man-made chemicals present in the environment can disrupt endocrine homeostasis in exposed humans. Exposure during foetal life to e.g. phthalates has been linked to adverse effects on testicular and ovarian development, thyroid homeostasis and growth in postnatal life. Exposure to phthalates fluctuates not only from day to day but also over time which poses a major challenge for ex...

Introduction: The molecular aetiology of familial glucocorticoid deficiency (FGD) is very heterogeneous. A recent report of a genetic variant in TXNRD2, the gene encoding thioredoxin reductase Type 2, in a South Asian kindred with FGD suggests that the maintenance of redox balance may be critical for adrenocortical function. We present the second report of an individual from another south Asian family harbouring a different pathological variant in <em...

Background: A mutation in EIF2S3 (NM_001415; Xp22.11) was previously associated with microcephaly and developmental delay in a single pedigree. EIF2S3 encodes the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit 3 (eIF2γ), the largest of three EIF2 subunits. EIF2 initiates protein synthesis by forming a ternary complex with GTP and initiator methionyl-tRNA which then binds to the 40S ribosomal subunit, enabling scanning of mRNA from the 5′ end to...

Background: Hyperthyroidism is a condition rarely found in children. In the majority of cases, it is a Grave's disease whose clinical expression is very similar to that observed in adults.Objective: describe the clinical, evolutionary and therapeutic epidemiological features in children with hyperthyroidism and especially Grave's disease.Materials and Methods: This is a ret...

Cushing’s disease (CD) is defined as hypercortisolism secondary to an adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secreting pituitary adenoma. It is rare in the pediatric age and early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent long-term complications. In the diagnostic workup, bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) of ACTH after corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation is the gold standard in the differential diagnosis of ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism. We re...

Introduction: Obesity is a recognised risk factor for raised intracranial pressure in the adult population but is still under-recognised in children and young people. The pathophysiology of raised intracranial pressure in relation to obesity remains unclear. The aim of our study is to investigate the association between idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and obesity in children and young people.Method: Patients d...

Background: Hyperinsulinism represents a group of clinically, genetically and morphologically heterogeneous disorders characterised by β-cell dysfunction in glucose homeostasis leading to excessive insulin secretion with profound and recurrent hypoglycaemia. In most countries it occurs in approximately 1/25,000 to 1/50,000 births. Mutations in at least 14 genes have been reported to cause congenital hyperinsulinism. In nearly half of the cases, cause rema...