ESPE Abstracts

Background: Data on metabolic effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) therapy are still controversial.Objective and hypotheses: To longitudinally evaluate the effect of GnRHa therapy on BMI, glycaemic metabolism and lipid profile in children affected by idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP).Method: This longitudinal retrospective study included data from 42 children (7.70±0.80 years, 2 males) affected b...

Background: Gonadotropin releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) are effective in improving adult height in children with precocious onset of puberty, rapid progression, and good growth potential. In last years, however, some transient metabolic complications have been described during the treatment without the reassurance of long-term data yet. The aim of our study is to clarify if body mass index (BMI) at diagnosis of idiopathic central precocious puberty (iCPP) c...

Background: Isolated persistence of Müllerian ducts in an otherwise normally virilised 46,XY newborn, a condition known as PMDS, is a disorder of sex development (DSD) due to a defect limited to AMH-dependent Müllerian duct regression.Objective and hypothesis: We report the case of a patient with PMDS and extremely low serum AMH in whom no mutations were detected in the AMH gene coding sequences. A single base deletion identified in th...

Background: Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a common autosomal dominant disorder of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) metabolism characterised by elevated levels of plasma LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), accelerated atherosclerosis and premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the Gulf Co-operation Council states, CVD is often diagnosed at a younger age and is the leading cause of mortality. As such, early genetic diagnosis and treatment of FH is important for ri...

Background: The pathophysiological link between the stress axis and mental health disorders is well established. However, the impact of inborn errors of steroidogenesis on the brain remains elusive. We analysed the brain transcriptome of adult zebrafish with impaired steroidogenesis to study the role of steroid hormones in the development of mental and psychiatric disorders.Methods: Adult brains from two established zebr...

Background: Patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) require life-long glucocorticoid (GC) replacement and have high prevalence of metabolic disease. Our previous work using a zebrafish model of 21OHD (cyp21a2-/-) showed that cortisol-deficient adults were fertile and had normal external sex characteristics, however, they had large body size and increased subcutaneous and visceral fat deposition compared to wild-types. Unlike human 21OHD, they ...

Background: The adrenal cortex undergoes constant cellular renewal and any effect from recombinant adeno-associated vectors (rAAV) targeting differentiated cells will be transient as extra-chromosomal DNA will be lost by dividing cells. A novel option is to use rAAV to express ectopic adrenocortical enzymes in a stable organ outside the adrenal gland. Our aim was to correct the biochemical phenotype in a mouse model for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) wit...

Background: Approximately 15 million children are born preterm worldwide yearly.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate spontaneous growth during the first 8 years of life.Hypotheses: Preterm born children have spontaneous recovery of weight and height in the first 8 years of life.Method: Measurements at birth, 6, 12 and 24 months of corrected age and at recall [6.4±0.5 years (5.2–8.0)]. Weight, lengt...

Introduction: Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder caused by the lack of expression of genes on the paternally inherited chromosome 15q11.2-q13 region. Clinical picture of PWS changes across life stages. PWS is characterized by endocrine abnormalities, such as growth hormone (GH) deficiency, obesity, central adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, and complex behavioural and intellectual difficulties. The recombinant human growt...

Background: Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common neonatal endocrinologic disorder and one of the most preventable causes of mental retardation and neurological alterations in children. The incidence of CH lies between 1 in 2000-3000 newborns. The replacement therapy with levothyroxine (LT4) should be started immediately since studies show that a rapid normalization of TSH and fT4 optimizes the neurodevelopmental outcome. Infants with Down syndrome...