ESPE Abstracts

Background: In minipuberty, the male hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is transiently activated triggering a surge in reproductive hormones causing growth of the genitalia. Longitudinal individual growth of the infant penis during minipuberty and associations to the HPG axis and IGF-I have not been thoroughly assessed.Aim: To describe the development of penile length and width as well as their relation to serum c...

Background: The anogenital distance (AGD) is a well-known measure in rodents used to distinguish male and female pubs. Likewise, AGD display sex-specific differences in humans. It is considered a postnatal readout of early androgen exposure in fetal life. Thus, in postnatal life AGD is longer in boys than in girls, reduced in infants born with cryptorchidism and hypospadias as well as in boys exposed to anti-androgenic agents in fetal life. However, little is ...

Background: Growth in infancy is considered primarily to be regulated by nutrition and insulin, whereas less is known about the influence of IGF-I, reproductive hormones and other factors of importance. Recently, paternally inherited genetic defects of DLK1 (Delta-like 1 homolog) were found in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) with a metabolic phenotype. In addition, low maternal serum DLK1 concentrations were significantly lower in pregnant women wh...

Background: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by granulosa cells in small follicles prior to gonadotropin dependent growth and serum levels reflect the number of small antral follicles. There are currently no longitudinal data of individual AMH levels from infancy to adolescence.Aim: To evaluate whether AMH in infancy and childhood is associated with AMH levels and ovarian morphology peripubertal and in adole...

Background: The male Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis is transiently active during the first months of life with surging serum concentrations of reproductive hormones. This period, termed minipuberty, promotes masculinization, including testicular, and penile growth, as well as further testicular descent in males. It appears to be essential for priming specific cell types, i.e. Sertoli-, Leydig-, and germ cells, including subsequent growth and maturat...

Background: Minipuberty denotes a transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) hormone axis in infancy. This activation provides an opportunity to examine the gonadal function in infants suspected of hypogonadism before the axis is silenced during childhood. However, female minipuberty remains poorly elucidated. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate dynamic changes in luteinizing hormone (LH), follic...