ESPE Abstracts

The source of hyperandrogenism can be adrenal, gonadal, mixed or exogenous. The reason of excessive androgen secretion for age can be primarily gonadal/adrenal or it could be secondary to trophic stimulation (LH, hCG, ACTH, insulin, IGFs). Clinical signs of hyperandrogenism in children include virilization (clitoral hyperplasia, labial fusion, even unclear sex in a newborn), premature pubarche, premature penile growth, accelerated linear growth, increased musculature, acne and...

Background: Among other cytokines, the hepatokine fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and the myokine irisin have been considered potential biomarkers for insulin sensitivity (IS). In adult studies, both of them have been found elevated in insulin resistant states.Objective and hypotheses: Our aim was to study whether serum FGF21 and irisin associate with markers of insulin sensitivity (IS) and serum lipids in 12-year-old children....

Background: In some studies, prepubertal children born small for gestational age (SGA) have had a higher prevalence of premature pubarche and higher serum DHEAS concentrations than children born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). The overall metabolic risk associated with birth weight is U-shaped, but it is not known if children born large for gestational age (LGA) have elevated serum DHEAS levels.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study was t...

Background: Osteocalcin (OC) is an osteoblast derived marker of bone turnover, but it has also been linked to glucose metabolism. Specifically, the undercarboxylated form of OC has been proposed to act as a hormone that links bone to glucose homeostasis.Objective and hypotheses: Our aim was to study whether serum total OC associates with insulin sensitivity in 12-year-old children.Subjects and methods: A total of 192 children (109 ...

Background: Elevated concentrations of interleukin 1 – receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) have been found in adult subjects with the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes as a marker of inflammation.Objective and hypotheses: Our aim was to study whether serum IL-1Ra associates with markers of reduced insulin sensitivity (IS) and dyslipidemia in 12-year-old children.Method: A total of 192 children (109 girls) were studied at the mea...

Background and aim: Children with premature adrenarche (PA) have often tall stature, advanced bone maturation, and a tendency to be overweight. It has been speculated that PA may lead to unfavourable outcome, including obesity-related metabolic disturbances, but the data on long-term outcome of PA are insufficient. The aim of this work was to describe adult body composition in young females with a history of PA.Subjects and design: This prospective case-...

Background: Premature adrenarche (PA) has been linked with early pubertal development, but only few longitudinal studies on PA girls and boys born appropriate for gestational age (AGA) have been reported.Objective: Our objective was to study growth and pubertal development in PA children, and to explore which factors in prepuberty predict early menarche in girls.Methods: PA (n=43, 36 girls) and control children (n...

Objective: The influence of androgens and estrogens on growth is complex, and understanding their relative roles is important for optimizing the treatment of children with various disorders of growth and puberty.Design: We examined the proportional roles of androgens and estrogens in the regulation of pubertal growth in boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). The study compared 6-month low-dose intramuscular testoste...

Background: Maternal preeclampsia has been associated with increased risk for later metabolic disturbances in the offspring.Objective: We investigated whether maternal preeclampsia influences insulin sensitivity (IS) and low-grade inflammation in young adulthood and whether unfavourable metabolic features in childhood predict low IS at 20 years of age.Methods: Forty-seven 20-year-o...