ESPE Abstracts

Background: Skeletal maturation is the most reliable indicator of biological age in children and adolescents. The evaluation of hand and wrist X-Ray according to Tanner-Whitehouse (TW3) or Greulich-Pyle (GP) are the most commonly used methods for biological age assessment. Automated bone age assessment has recently become increasingly popular, however a large independent study comparing automated and manual evaluation of bone age is still missing. The aim of this study was to ...

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is an extremely rare condition (estimated incidence 1:4–8 million), caused by mutations in LMNA gene, which leads to premature aging. Median life expectancy is shortened to 13 years due to vascular complications such as stroke or myocardial infarction. We present below the history of a child born with a pathogenic LMNA variant c.433G>A (p.Glu145Lys). A male patient was referred due to failure to thrive and low growth velocit...

Background: Sclerostin is secreted by the osteocyte and inhibits bone formation by osteoblasts and is thus a negative regulator of bone formation. In adults, sclerostin levels increase after weight loss, which may be prevented by exercise training. The effect of weight loss on sclerostin in children is unknown.Objective and hypotheses: To compare sclerostin levels in children before and after a 10 weeks stay at a weight loss camp (WLC).<p class="abst...

Background: The influence of intrauterine life on long term health is supported by a wealth of epidemiological and experimental studies. A low oxygen and/or nutrient supply to the fetus, resulting in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), may affect gonadal development of the offspring, with a potential impact on fertility. Data derived from animal models of placental insufficiency are very limited.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the effects of...

Background: Current guidelines suggest to test obese subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the presence of type 2 diabetes. This strategy, however, misses most cases of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).Objective and hypotheses: To investigate whether combining risk factors improves predictability of IGT in OGTT.Method: In this observational study of 145 overweight children, aged 2.5&...

Background: Children with obesity show differences in brain structure, executive function and appetitive traits when compared to lean peers. Results of imaging studies, however, have been contradictory.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate whether childhood obesity is associated with differences in brain structure and whether differences associate with executive function and appetitive traits.Method: A cross-sectional case-contr...

Background: Preterm survivors are found to exhibit deficits in several neurodevelopmental domains. It is unknown whether this could be explained by antenatal glucocorticoid treatment.Objective and Hypotheses: We studied whether antenatal glucocorticoid treatment is associated with behaviour and IQ in young adults born preterm. In addition, we studied whether these associations could be modified by the R23K and N363S polymorphisms in the glucocorticoid re...

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: Congenital hyperinsulinism of infancy represents a group of heterogeneous disorders characterized by over-secretion of insulin from pancreatic β cells causing severe hypoglycemia. Genetically, congenital hyperinsulinism is caused by defects in key genes regulating insulin secretion (ABCC8, KCNJ11, GLUD1, GCK, HADH, SLC16A1, UCP2, HNF4A, and non-constantly HNF1A). The aim of our pr...