ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: The hypothalamic melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway plays a vital role in energy balance. Genetic defects in the MC4R pathway may result in severe early onset obesity.Objective: The TEMPO registry (NCT03479437) aims to identify and enroll approximately 1000 participants with rare genetic forms of obesity that are potentially related to key genes, upstream or downstream, of the MC4R. In addition, the TEMPO registry will evaluate the burd...

Background: POMC deficiency is an extremely rare monogenetic obesity syndrome generally characterized by early onset hyperphagia, red hair and adrenal insufficiency. So far treatment of obesity and hyperphagia with MSH substitution failed, either due to ineffectiveness or side effects of available MC4R agonists.Objective and hypotheses: We hypothesized that the new MC-4R agonist setmelanotide might be a treatment option in POMC deficient patients.<p ...

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: Children with obesity show differences in brain structure, executive function and appetitive traits when compared to lean peers. Results of imaging studies, however, have been contradictory.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate whether childhood obesity is associated with differences in brain structure and whether differences associate with executive function and appetitive traits.Method: A cross-sectional case-contr...

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...

Background: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is characterised by progressive muscle weakness, resulting from loss of anterior horn cells in the spinal cord and the brain stem nuclei. Survival motor neuron levels (SMN) are reduced due to mutations in the SMN1 gene. SMN function has been implicated in poor bone health. SMA is classified according to age of onset and clinical course accordingly: type 0 (prenatal), type 1 (onset <6 months, severe, never sit unsupported), type 2 (...

Background: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma has an incidence of 15.2 per 100 000 in adolescents. The clinical challenge is identifying nodules requiring further intervention. Current modalities, in isolation, have poor ability to reliably differentiate benign from malignant nodules.Objective and hypotheses: To derive and validate a predictive score that integrates clinical, laboratory, radiological and cytopathological parameters to define malignancy ri...

Objectives: GH deficiency (GHD) and small for gestational age (SGA) status are associated with cardiovascular risks. We therefore investigated antiatherogenic effects of GH.Methods: Subfractions of LDL and HDL, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured at baseline, after 8 and 52 weeks of GH treatment in 51 short children born SGA (n=33) or with GHD (n=18).<p cla...