ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Lockdown measures following the COVID-19 pandemic are shown to have greatly affected lifestyle behaviours and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children. The impact on children with severe obesity has not yet been described. Aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on eating behaviours, physical activity (PA), screen time, and HRQoL of children (including adolescents) with severe obesity....

Background: The majority of children diagnosed with idiopathic isolated growth hormone deficiency (IIGHD) show a normal growth hormone (GH) secretion (assessed by GH stimulation tests) when retested at near adult height (NAH). It appears plausible that if normal stimulated GH secretion is observed in mid-puberty, continuing recombinant human GH (rhGH) treatment may only have a minor effect on NAH. The effect on NAH has never been investigated in a prospective ...

Introduction: Ghrelin binds to its receptor GHSR1A, encoded by GHSR, on somatotrophs of the pituitary. Growth hormone (GH) secretion is enhanced by ghrelin binding as well as the receptor’s constitutive activity. Results from in vitro experiments, knock-out mice, and GWAS suggest that heterozygous loss-of-function of GHSR may be associated with short stature, but observations in case studies are equivocal. We aimed to better ch...

Background: Male preterm infants are at increased risk of neonatal mortality when compared to their female counterparts. The mechanisms explaining this male disadvantage are not fully elucidated yet.Objective and hypotheses: To compare glucocorticoid metabolite excretion in urine obtained at day 10 between male and female infants born with a very low birth weight (VLBW; i.e. <1500 g). We hypothesized that male preterm infants have impaired adrenocort...

Background: Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumors (SLCT) account only for 1% of all ovarian neoplasia, occur more commonly in the second or third decade of life and seldom secrete tumor markers. The experience in adolescence is limited.Objective and hypothesis: To report the hormonal and biological profile of a SCLT in a young adolescent. Ovarian tumor markers as well as FDG-PET scanning might be helpful in diagnosing ovarian malignancy in case of normal ultrasound...

Background: Current guidelines suggest to test obese subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the presence of type 2 diabetes. This strategy, however, misses most cases of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).Objective and hypotheses: To investigate whether combining risk factors improves predictability of IGT in OGTT.Method: In this observational study of 145 overweight children, aged 2.5&...

Background: Several studies in adults have provided evidence for opioid-induced hypofunction of the hypothalamo-pituitary–adrenal and GH–IGF1 axis after chronic (oral and intrathecal) administration. This so-called opioid endocrinopathy has not been reported in children.Objective and hypotheses: We report the occurrence of delayed growth with low serum IGF1 levels and recurrent hypoglycemia due to central hypocorticism in a toddler after a pres...

Childhood obesity is a chronic disease with detrimental effects on health and wellbeing. Treatment was traditionally focused on reducing caloric intake and increasing energy expenditure. However, considering the global increase in prevalence in obesity, especially in the paediatric age range, this approach is insufficient and transition to new initiatives is needed. Obesity is a complex disease resulting from the interaction of multiple underlying factors, including personal c...

Background: Being born small for gestational age (SGA) has been associated with a reduction in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and more problem behaviour. Growth hormone (GH) treatment, which leads to a significant improvement in adult height (AH), improves HRQoL and decreases problem behavior in SGA children. However, such results are very limited in SGA adults who were treated with GH during childhood.Objective:...

Introduction: Boys born small for gestational age (SGA) often have undermasculinized genitalia. Little is known about the pubertal development and gonadal function on a longer-term in this specific group of males.Aims: To determine the (pubertal) development and long-term urological and endocrine outcome of undermasculinized boys born SGA compared to undervirilized boys born appropriate for gestational age (AGA).<p c...