ESPE Abstracts

Background: EPIGROW was a prospective European epidemio-genetic study in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS).Objectives: To identify (1) differences in frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in growth related genes between ISS children and controls, and (2) associations between growth characteristics, IGF status and SNPs in these genes.Methods: Sequence data from EPIGROW was used to determine the difference ...

Background: The diagnosis of Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) involves the use of GH stimulation tests that require day case admission, multiple blood sampling and are associated with significant adverse effects.Aim: To assess the utility of gene expression (GE) profiling and candidate SNP analysis for the diagnosis of and classification of GHD.Method: Pre-pubertal treatment-naïve children with GHD (n=98) were enrolled from the...

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the promotor and 5’UTR of the transcriptional factor, ZBTB38, are associated with adult height and idiopathic short stature although their precise auxological effects have not previously been described. In addition, the molecular mechanisms through which ZBTB38 affects growth have not been fully elucidated but potential downstream mediators are suggested to include MCM10 or IGF2.Objectives: <...

Background: The relationship of pre-treatment gene expression (GE) to long-term growth response in GHD is unknown. Prediction of long-term response to r-hGH therapy would allow better decision making about start and maintenance doses and hence cost:benefit.Objective and hypotheses: To assess the relationship of baseline GE to response to r-hGH over 5 years of therapy in GHD children.Method: Pre-pubertal children with GHD (n</em...

Introduction: Growth promoting effects of GH occur in parallel with its impact on insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism; underlying biological networks that link these actions are not defined. Our objective was to identify gene expression (GE) networks linking growth with metabolic responses in GH-treated children with GHD.Methods/design: Pre-pubertal children with GH Deficiency GHD (n=125) were enrolled from the PREDICT short-term (NCT002561...

Background: Many studies have associated being born small for gestational age (SGA) [and by implication having suboptimal fetal growth (SFG)] to childhood cardiometabolic risk markers. However, not all growth-restricted pregnancies result in SGA. In the Manchester BabyGRO study, we focussed on pregnancies at risk of SFG with most babies born AGA, and using transcriptomic and metabolomic data we have identified pathways related to higher child systolic blood pr...

Treating short stature in children born small for gestational age (SGA) requires daily growth hormone (GH) injections that are burdensome for patients and caregivers. Results from REAL5 (ongoing randomised, multinational, open-label, controlled, dose-finding phase 2 trial; NCT03878446) indicate that somapacitan (0.24 mg/kg/week) has an efficacy, safety, and tolerability profile similar to daily GH (0.067 mg/kg/day) after 52 weeks of treatment in children born SGA. Predicting G...

Background: &grave;(LAGHs) are under investigation to treat SGA. Results from the REAL5 phase 2 trial (randomised, multinational, open-label; NCT03878446) indicate that the LAGH somapacitan has similar efficacy, safety, and tolerability profile as daily GH1. Predicting GH therapy response is critical to improve clinical management of short stature. Here, we compare the prediction of growth response in SGA children treated with daily GH or somapacitan based on ...

Growth response to daily GH treatment can be predicted using pre-treatment gene expression profiles.1 Once-weekly GH treatment potentially reduces the burden of daily injections2 and thus may be a major advancement in care for patients with GHD, vs standard, daily GH treatment. Here we investigate the prediction of first-year growth response based on pre-treatment blood transcriptome in children with GHD undergoing treatment with daily or once-weekly GH. ...

Background: Cardiometabolic (CM) risk is linked to being small for gestational age (SGA, birthweight <-2SDS). Fetal growth restriction (FGR) may not result in SGA. We focused on potential CM risk in children born following pregnancies at higher risk for FGR.Aims: To identify associations between fetal and childhood weight trajectory quartiles and CM risk markers. 2.To define molecular pathways potentially associated w...