ESPE Abstracts

Background: Articular cartilage is closely related to epiphyseal growth plate cartilage with one major discriminant: while epiphyseal growth plate cartilage is transformed into bone by endochondral ossification, epiphyseal growth plate cartilage remains stable in a healthy situation. In contrast in diseases like osteoarthritis articular cartilage acquires characteristics of epiphyseal growth plate cartilage. The underlying molecular pathophysiology is largely unknown.<p cl...

Background: In the past few years, new genes involved with familial predisposition to pituitary tumour development have been recognised, including AIP and SDHx. These factors are likely to underestimate the occurrence of familial pituitary tumour predisposition, commonly thought to account for 5% of all pituitary tumours. Furthermore, the clinical management of aggressive pituitary tumours is challenging, particularly when tumours exhibit resistance to standa...

Initially discovered in the 1970s, the C21 steroidal acids α-cortolic acid, β-cortolic acid, α-cortolonic acid and β-cortolonic acid present the terminal oxidative products of cortisol metabolism. Undergoing renal elimination, these cortoic acids have been assumed to represent up to 25% of total urinary cortisol metabolites. However, their analysis has been difficult, only few data has been published in adults, and this class of steroids has beco...

Background: Patients with a mutation in the thyroid hormone (TH) receptor TRα1 are characterized by growth retardation, delayed bone development, mild cognitive defects and constipation. They also have abnormal TH levels: low FT4, high T3, and low rT3 levels, suggesting an altered peripheral TH metabolism by deiodinases. The type 3 deiodinase (D3) inactivates TH by catalyzing the degradation of T3. D3 is importantly expressed in...

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, one of the most frequent autosome recessive disorders, is caused by defects in steroidogenic enzymes involved in the cortisol biosynthesis. Approximately 95% of cases are caused by a deficiency of the 21-hydroxylase enzyme. Its deficiency leads to androgen excess, consequently, to virilization and rapid somatic growth with accelerated skeletal maturation. Mutations in CYP21A2 are responsible for different forms of 21-hydroxylase defi...

Background: Recently, the first patients with resistance to thyroid hormone (RTHα) due to inactivating mutations in TRα1 have been identified. These patients are characterized by growth retardation, delayed bone development, mild cognitive defects, delayed motor development and abnormal thyroid function tests.Objective and hypotheses: We hypothesized that the phenotype of a TRα mutation depends on its location, e.g. if it is present only i...

Bile acids (BA) are C24 steroids synthesized from cholesterol in liver. Originally, they were mainly considered to function as emulsifiers supporting resorption of lipophilic food compounds and excretion of metabolic products. Recently, their additional biological and endocrine functions in the regulation of metabolism have aroused interest of researchers. In contrast to BA in blood, it is surprising that hardly any data exist on BA in the most accessible human biof...

Background: Recently, T3 receptor alpha (TRα) mutations have been identified in a number of patients with varying degrees of growth impairment, delayed development, constipation, increases in serum T3 and decreases in T4 and rT3.Objective: To determine the spectrum of clinical and functional consequences of novel TRα mutations.Method: Clinical assessment and biochemical, imaging...

Background: 125 patients between the ages of 6 and 12 years old were studiet, 100 of them were girls and 25 were boys. All of them were on medication with TSH. They were all residents in urban areas belonging to middle/upper strata of society.Objective and hypotheses: Changing it for the ingestion of nutriments. Physical exercise during at least 5 days a week. Medical treatment consisting of ferrous fumarat and folic acid.Method: D...

Introduction: It is well known that thyroid disease (TD) is more prevalent in patients with Down Syndrome (DS). Among the dysfunctions are congenital hypothyroidism (CH), subclinical hypothyroidism (SC-H), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and Graves’ disease (GD).The evaluation of the occurrence of these diseases in patients with DS according to age is still poorly reported.Objective: Verify the prevalence of TD in children and adolescents with DS ...