ESPE Abstracts

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to genes encoding the FSHβ subunit and FSH receptor (FSHB/FSHR) affect FSH production (FSHB c.-211G>T) and receptor sensitivity/expression in vitro (FSHR c.2039A>G & FSHR c.-29G>A). FSHR c.2039A>G, but not FSHR c.-29G>A, is associated with increased FSH levels in adult women, while there are conflicting results on F...

Background: Studies have shown that genetic variations in the FSH pathway (SNPs: FSHB −211G>T, FSHR −29G>A, and FSHR 2039A>G) affect peripubertal levels of serum FSH and age at pubertal onset in girls.Objective and hypotheses: Genetic variations in the FSH pathway reflect circulating levels of female reproductive hormones during the postnatal gonadotropin surge.Method: Blood samples were taken in girls of th...

Introduction: CHARGE syndrome is a rare constellation of congenital malformations caused by mutations in CHD7 gene. The acronym stands for coloboma, heart defect, choanal atresia, retarded growth and development, genital hypoplasia, ear abnormalities, and/or hearing loss. Endocrine disorders associated with this syndrome include hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, ...

Background and Aims: Turner Syndrome (TS), 45X0, is the most common chromosomal pathology affecting females, occurring in 1:2500 to 1:5000 female infants. The typical phenotype includes short stature, gonadal dysgenesis leading to sexual infantilism, low-set ears, low rear hairlin, mamary hypertelorism, neck webbing, gothic palate, irregular rotation of the elbows, shield chest, shortening of the 4th metacarpal, low hairline, shortening of lower extremities, renal disorders a...

Introduction: Early-onset severe obesity (before five years of age) without intellectual deficit, dysmorphisms, or malformations raises the hypothesis of monogenic obesity. The leptin receptor (Lepr) pathway is essential for food intake regulation, energy expenditure, and body weight. Mutations in leptin and the Lepr have been shown to cause early-onset severe obesity in mice and humans.Objective: To report the clinical ...

Background: Sexual maturation is closely linked to growth, suggesting common pathways between the reproductive development and the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I (GH/IGF-I) axis. IGF-I bioavailability is regulated by Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2) and Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2). A large genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified PAPP-A, PAPP-A2 and STC2 to represent loci strongly a...

Background: Age at onset of puberty exhibits a remarkable variation mirroring nutritional, environmental, socioeconomic and genetic factors. While large genome-wide association studies identified more than hundred genetic loci associated with age at menarche in girls, knowledge on loci associated with age at pubertal onset in boys is sparse. FSHB/FSHR genetic variants have been shown to affect pubertal timing in girls and reproductive parameters in men.<p class="a...

Background: Pubertal gynaecomastia is thought to be a clinical sign of an oestrogen-androgen imbalance, affecting up to 60% of boys. In most cases no underlying endocrinopathy can be identified. In boys, Anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by immature Sertoli cells and circulating level decreases as testosterone increases during pubertal maturation. In a previous cross sectional study we found significant lower levels of AMH in boys with pubertal gynaecomastia (Mieri...

Case presentation: A 7 year old boy was presented to us with height acceleration, symmetric breast development equivalent to Tanner stage B2 and sparse dark hair in the pubic region (PH2). Testicular volume equaled to 2ml, while external genitalia showed no clear signs of androgen effect. The patient’s biological father is a transgender woman who started a medical gender transition before the patient’s birth. She has been continuously receiving tra...

Background: Lipodystrophy syndromes comprise a large group of extremely rare diseases characterized by loss or dysfunction of adipose tissue. Due to their extreme rarity and variability, research in the field of lipodystrophy is difficult for single centres warranting larger co-operations.Methods: Therefore, the European Consortium of Lipodystrophies decided to found an international registry in 2016. This registry is ba...