ESPE Abstracts

Background: Recently, patients with severe obesity have been described due to functional leptin deficiency. This new entity is characterized by high immunoreactive levels of circulating leptin (Lep), but a reduced bioactivity of the hormone due to defective receptor binding (N Engl J Med 2015;372:48–54). Since these patients can be successfully treated with human recombinant leptin (metreleptin), a diagnostic tool to detect functional leptin deficiency is needed.<p cl...

Background: Adipose tissue is an important endocrine organ. Its secretion profile is robustly changed in the context of obesity fueling the development of comorbidities such as insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus type 2, and atherosclerosis. We have recently shown that the adipose tissue expression of the death ligand TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand TRAIL and its receptors is upregulated in obesity.Objective and Hypotheses: In this project, we in...

Background: Obesity is tightly associated with adipose tissue inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) has been identified as a key player in this inflammatory process and has been linked to the development of obesity-associated insulin resistance. Our group studies the involvement of TNF superfamily members in obesity-induced alterations in adipose tissue.Objective and hypotheses: Here, we aimed to identify the effects of the TNF superfamil...

Background: microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small (18–25 nucleotides), non-coding RNA molecules. They play an important role in the regulation of gene expression by either suppressing translation of genes or inducing their mRNA degradation. Several miRNA species are expressed in adipose tissue and involved in adipocyte function.Objective and hypotheses: Obesity leads to the infiltration of macrophages into adipose tissue causing local inflammation...

Obesity in adolescents is associated with increased risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and long-term complications in adulthood. Data regarding the effects of anti-obesity medications on glycaemic outcomes in adolescents are sparse. STEP TEENS (NCT04102189), a phase 3a, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial in adolescents 12 to <18 years of age with obesity demonstrated that once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg provided a greater percentage red...

Background: Leptin, primarily secreted by adipocytes, is a pivotal signal of the body's energy status and exhibits pleiotropic effects. Homozygous mutations in the leptin gene which result in defective synthesis, release or bioactivity, cause intense hyperphagia and early-onset severe obesity, along with multiple metabolic, hormonal, and immunological abnormalities. In vitro and animal model studies suggest that leptin plays a role in linear growth. So far...

Objective: Merge and standardize the scarce data on molecular and phenotypic findings of mutations in the human leptin receptor (LEPR) gene causing a rare form of severe early-onset obesity.Methods: We summarized functional and phenotypic traits of LEPR mutations reported in the literature in a structured and comprehensive manner. Additional data was obtained from 6 subjects of our outpatient clinic not reported so far. Functionality of mutations was ass...

Background: Severe early-onset obesity (SEOO) in children is more frequently observed in subjects with genetic disorders of which those of leptin pathway can be analyzed biochemically and genetically.Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate anthropometrics and leptin parameters, specifically searching for bio-inactive leptin, in children with SEOO.Methods: Study cohort includes children ...

Background: Depending on age, needs and preferences in insulin therapy strongly differ between children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D).Objective and hypotheses: To analyse trends in insulin regimen and type of insulin used over the last two decades in three age-groups of pediatric patients with T1D from Germany/Austria.Method: 63 967 subjects (<18 year of age) with T1D documented between 1995 and 2014 from the &#145...

Background: Studies in animal models revealed that brown and white adipocytes derive from different progenitor cells. Molecular characteristics of these cells have not been investigated in detail in humans.Objective and hypotheses: To identify novel markers of human brown adipocyte progenitor cells.Method: Progenitor cells from human paired deep neck and subcutaneous adipose tissue samples were obtained from n=12 subjects ...