ESPE Abstracts

Background: Paediatric pituitary adenomas are rare and mostly benign disorders which may secrete pituitary hormones. Prolactinomas account for half of all pituitary adenomas (PROLA), followed by non-secreting adenomas (20–40%; incidentalomas), adrenocorticotropic-hormone secreting adenomas (10–30%; ACTHA) and growth-hormone-secreting adenomas (5–15%; GHA).Methods: In this single-centre retrospective analysis clinical, biochemical and radio...

Background and Methods: PCOS is common in adolescents and imparts a significant health and economic burden. Yet, our understanding of its complex pathogenesis is lacking. Proteomic analyses would be a valuable tool to deepen our knowledge of the biological pathways which underpin PCOS, and to identify novel biomarkers to diagnose and monitor this common condition. Therefore, we undertook a deep phenotyping discovery proteomic profiling (nano-2D-LC-QTOF MSe) on...

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is common, affecting up to one-fifth of females. PCOS is associated with significant comorbidity including metabolic dysfunction, pro-inflammation and mood disorders. Despite this, it is poorly understood, and diagnosis and management remain challenging in adolescents. Proteomics enables the better understanding of disease mechanisms and facilitates the identification of novel biomarkers.<st...

Background and Methods: PCOS is common and associated with significant comorbidity. However, its pathogenesis is complex and poorly understood. We have developed new methods for deep phenotyping discovery proteomic profiling of urine, aiming to identify disease mechanisms, drug targets and novel non-invasive biomarkers for PCOS in adolescents. Here, we present the baseline proteomic data from our prospective, longitudinal study (n=40). We undertook proteomic analysis ...

Introduction: The human adrenal gland originates from the adrenogonadal primordium at around 4 weeks post conception (wpc) and undergoes marked developmental changes throughout the first half of pregnancy. Several key aspects of adrenal maturation are well-established, such as the formation of a large inner fetal zone (FZ) and synthesis of dehydroepiandrosterone, but many other processes contributing to adrenal gland development and function in humans are stil...

Background: Congenital Hyperinsulinism International (CHI) is an international non-profit organization focused on improving the lives of patients and families living with hyperinsulinism (HI). Despite many advances in the care of patients with HI, long term neurologic outcomes have not significantly improved, highlighting the need for CHI’s goals for robust and rapidly translatable research. We describe the development of a collaborative research network...

Introduction: Peripheral precocious puberty is a non-gonadotropin-dependent early pubertal development. Exogenous intake of sex steroids, gonadal or adrenal pathologies, ectopic hCG-secreting lesions play a role in the etiology. Adrenal tumors is a rare cause of heterosexual precocious puberty.Case: An eight-year-old female patient was admitted with the complaints of genital hair growth and breast enlargement. The patien...

Background: When a baby presents with atypical genitalia, the most important diagnosis to consider is 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD, CAH, 46,XX). However, primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) can also occur in 46,XY children with differences in sex development (DSD), although this is less common. Known causes of 46,XY DSD-PAI include high blocks in steroidogenesis (STAR, CYP11A1); steroidogenic enzyme defects (HSD3B2, CYP17A1</...

Three patients from two unrelated families in Malta; one consanguineous (siblings: Patient 1, male and Patient 2, female) and one non-consanguineous (Patient 3, male), manifested hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with delayed puberty, intellectual disability, scoliosis, and ataxia with cerebellar hypoplasia on MRI. GnRH tests revealed low peak LH and FSH concentrations in the patients: Patient 1; LH 2.3 IU/L, FSH 4.4 IU/L (14.3y), Patient 2; LH 3.6 IU/L, FSH 6.4 IU/L (12.5y), Pati...

Monogenic forms of diabetes have specific treatments that differ from the standard care provided for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, making the appropriate diagnosis essential. Misclassification of all diabetes types may occur and healthcare providers should be aware of this possibility. A systematic approach to subjects who are newly diagnosed with diabetes can assist classification of common forms of diabetes and identify those in whom molecular investigation would be advantageo...