ESPE Abstracts

Background: GH is secreted in a pulsatile manner. The resulting GH peaks are known to be associated with growth, whereas the trough levels between the peaks are thought to be associated with metabolism in different tissues. GH trough levels were identified as a metabolically active signal in rats in the 1980th leading to differences in fat patterning with central obesity. Obese children are known to have low bone mass and bone mass is reduced in short children.<p class="ab...

Background: We have recently reported a BMI-SDS increase in girls with Turner syndrome (TS) treated with growth hormone (GH) (1).Objective and hypothesis: We hypothesise that puberty induction in TS is associated with weight gain.Method: We analysed the weight changes (BMI-SDS) of 888 girls with TS in the Pfizer International Growth Database (KIGS). Overweight was defined by a BMI >90th percentile and obesity by a BMI >97th...

The hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG) is activated in healthy girls during infancy; the socalled minipuberty occurring 2–3 months postnatally. Minipuberty is followed by a relative quiescent period during childhood, during which gonadotropins and gonadal steroids circulates at extremely low concentrations.At the onset of puberty the HPG axis is reactivated. Evaluation of ovarian function is clinical relevant in girls with pubertal disorders (...

Background: Intermittent breast budding (girls entering stage B2 and then subsequently regressing to B1) in healthy girls is a frequent phenomenon observed by most clinicians. However, little is known of normal progression of female puberty, and the phenomenon of transient breast development has, to our knowledge, never been studied in details.Objective and hypotheses: We present and validate the female Puberty Nomogram indicating age specific SD<...

Background: Tall stature may be associated with psychological distress in some girls, and height reduction by oestrogen therapy has been described, but remains controversial. Possible side effects of ethinyl oestradiol therapy need to be balanced against a possible beneficial effect on adult height. In our centre natural 17-β oestradiol, which has a better safety profile, is used to reduce final height.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the pheno...

Background: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) with poor growth during the first years of life often remain with short stature during childhood and as adults.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the effects of gender and gestational age (GA) on outcomes of GH treatment in very young children born SGA.Method: 620 short SGA children on GH treatment enrolled in KIGS (The Pfizer International Growth Database) were analysed:...

Introduction: Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common sex-chromosome disorder and cause of infertility and hypogonadism in males. However, KS remains an underdiagnosed condition with the majority of expected cases escaping clinical diagnosis and follow-up. Generally, the mid-puberty endocrine profile associated with KS is characterized by elevated levels of gonadotropins due to diminished testosterone feedback.Objective:</st...

Context: Puberty timing is highly heritable. Recent genome-wide association studies, comparing timing of menarche in girls to timing of voice-break and facial hair in boys, revealed a largely overlapping genetic architecture of female and male pubertal timing. However, it is also known that genetic heterogeneity between sexes exists for some loci.Objectives: We hypothesized that self-reported relative parental pubertal t...

Background/aim: Osteoporosis is a known complication in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), but whether the bones are affected in children and adolescents with T1DM remains controversial. The study aim was to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents with T1DM and identify risk factors associated to lower BMD.Method: In a single-center cohort of children and adolescents with T1DM, BMD was examined by dual-energy X-ray absor...

Background: The disturbance of the GH-IGF-axis in type 1 diabetes (T1DM) with low circulating IGF-I, GH hypersecretion, and hyperinsulinemia, which may be associated with high tissue IGF-I, have implications on long-term vascular complications.Objective and hypotheses: To establish disease, sex and age related serum IGF-I reference values for children with T1DM and test the hypothesis that IGF-I SDS is lower in T1DM than in healthy controls and negativel...