ESPE Abstracts

Background: Obesity is tightly associated with adipose tissue inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) has been identified as a key player in this inflammatory process and has been linked to the development of obesity-associated insulin resistance. Our group studies the involvement of TNF superfamily members in obesity-induced alterations in adipose tissue.Objective and hypotheses: Here, we aimed to identify the effects of the TNF superfamil...

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism of infancy represents a group of heterogeneous disorders characterized by over-secretion of insulin from pancreatic β cells causing severe hypoglycemia. Genetically, congenital hyperinsulinism is caused by defects in key genes regulating insulin secretion (ABCC8, KCNJ11, GLUD1, GCK, HADH, SLC16A1, UCP2, HNF4A, and non-constantly HNF1A). The aim of our pr...

Background: The renal cysts and diabetes (RCAD) syndrome caused by defects in the HNF1B is characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical features. While heterozygous point mutations are relatively rare, we focused on gross deletions of the HNF1B that are determined by multiplex ligation probe-dependent amplification (MLPA). Rather importantly, the deletions most often extend beyond the single HNF1B, thus more deleted genes may participate in the clin...

Background: Two siblings of non-consanguineous parents presented with FGD, demonstrated by ACTH resistance with glucocorticoid but not mineralocorticoid deficiency. The proband presented at 21 months, unresponsive with hypoglycaemia (BGL 1.5 mmol/l). Endocrine evaluation subsequent to resuscitation indicated adrenal insufficiency with elevated ACTH. Hydrocortisone therapy was commenced. A sibling, 4 years younger than the proband had a short Synacthen test (SST) performed on d...

Background: Terminal Xp-deletion causes a variant of Turner syndrome (TS). Several studies described the associated phenotype: gonadal function is generally preserved and short stature is the major clinical feature.Case presentation: We present a family with vertical transmission of TS affecting six women in four subsequent generations. SNP-array indicates that the chromosomal aberration in this family includes terminal Xp-deletion and terminal Xq-duplic...

Background: microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small (18–25 nucleotides), non-coding RNA molecules. They play an important role in the regulation of gene expression by either suppressing translation of genes or inducing their mRNA degradation. Several miRNA species are expressed in adipose tissue and involved in adipocyte function.Objective and hypotheses: Obesity leads to the infiltration of macrophages into adipose tissue causing local inflammation...

Background: Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a common cause of persistent hypoglycaemia in the neonatal and infant period. It is most commonly caused by mutations in one of the KATP channel subunits, either SUR1 encoded by the gene ABCC8 or Kir6.2 encoded by the gene KCNJ11. Patients carrying mutations in the ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes simultaneously have not been reported yet.Objective and hypotheses: Our aim was to describe the clinical pheno...

Background: Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a heterogeneous genetically determined condition that is characterised by unregulated secretion of insulin from pancreatic β-cells. The most common and severe cases are caused by mutations in the ABCC8 gene encoding the SUR1 subunit of the KATP channel subunit. To assess the pathogenic effect of novel ABCC8 mutations we performed in-vitro functional studies.Objective and hy...

Background: Neonatal hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia (HH) has recently been recognized as a consequence of mutations in HNF1A, which also cause maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) later in life.Aims: To report phenotypic and genetic investigations of two patients with functional characterisation of identified mutations in HNF1A.Case reports: Two unrelated patients presented with HH requiring i.v. glucose a...

Background and Aim: Adult height predictions by the manual Bayley and Pinneau (BP) method in tall boys have shown large confidence intervals up to a bone age of 15 years. The adult height (AH) BoneXpert prediction method, which is based on an automated bone age reading, has not been evaluated in tall adolescents. We therefore compared the bias between the manual BP method and the BoneXpert (BE) method in tall male Flemish adolescents.Pat...