ESPE Abstracts

Background: In the past decades Brazil has experienced a nutritional transition process characterised by a significant reduction in malnutrition and progressive increase in overweight and obesity. Nutritional education and precocious interventions are useful strategies to combat excess weight in childhood and adolescence. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were more than 40 million children overweight in the world in 2011. In Brazil, the prevalence of exce...

Background: Alterations of pre- and early postnatal growth can have long lasting impact on adult height, body composition and metabolic health throughout life. In monozygotic twins discordant for prenatal growth due to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), we previously demonstrated lower cord blood IGF-I concentrations and earlier pubertal maturation, indicative of prenatal programming of endocrine systems, to be linked to reduced final height of the form...

Background: The GH/IGF-I axis is involved in metabolic control and studies suggest that IGF-I deficiency and subsequent changes in IGF-I signaling in brown adipose tissue (BAT) modifies its thermogenic capacity. Food restriction reduces thermogenic capacity in BAT, while leptin stimulates thermogenesis through uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) induction. Leptin and IGF-I maintain important crosstalk in different tissues, but whether these two hormones interact to r...

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consists of a pattern of persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts together with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. In the general population autistic traits can be found more frequently in males than females. This male predominance indicates that high androgen levels may prenatally have influence on development of autistic traits.<p c...

Background: Low birth-weight (bw) and unfavourable intrauterine conditions are associated with a subsequent impact on the endocrine system. However, very little is known about the impact on thyroid function.Objective and hypotheses: We observed genetically identical twins with intra-twin bw-differences from birth until adolescence to objectify the impact of a lower bw on development and health in later life.Method: Bw-difference of...

Background: Low birth weight (bw) and unfavourable intrauterine conditions are associated with a subsequent impact on the endocrine system. However, very little is known about the impact on thyroid function.Objective and hypotheses: In a longitudinal study we observed genetically identical twins with intra-twin bw-differences from birth until adolescence to objectify the impact of a lower bw on development and health in later life....

Background: Low birth weight, unfavourable intrauterine conditions, and post-natal catch-up growth are associated with a subsequent impact on growth and pubertal development. Start of puberty is genetically determined but might be altered due to environmental influences.Objective and hypotheses: In a longitudinal study we observed genetically identical twins with intra-twin birth-weight (bw) differences from birth until puberty.Met...

Background: Low birth weight, unfavourable intrauterine conditions, and post-natal catch-up growth are associated with a subsequent impact on growth, pubertal development, and metabolic disturbances later in life. Although the start of puberty is genetically determined it might be altered due to environmental influences.Objectives: In a longitudinal study (birth to final height) we observed growth and pubertal development of genetically identical twins b...

Background: Adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aFABP) regulates intracellular transport of fatty acids and seems to be involved in the pathogenesis of the Metabolic Syndrome. aFABP overproduction leads to increased cholesterol and triglyceride accumulation and to higher expression of pro-inflammatory genes. In adults aFABP seems to promote insulin resistance and atherosclerosis, and aFABP levels are significantly higher in obese compared to lean subjects. Fat mass, lipid ma...

Background: The hCG stimulation test is a valuable method for assessing androgen production but there is a need to explore its utility in assessing androgen responsiveness and long-term prognosis.Objective and hypothesis: Our aim was to explore the effect of hCG stimulation on the peripheral transcriptome in boys undergoing investigation for DSD.Method: Thirteen boys undergoing investigation for 46,XY DSD received i.m. hCG 1500 U o...