ESPE Abstracts

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve and aortic dilation are common in Turner Syndrome (TS). Aortic dissection is a well recognised cause of cardiovascular death, with an estimated incidence of 1.4 per 100 patients with TS. The biophysical properties of the aorta, including pulse wave velocity (PWV), characteristic impedance (Zc), input impedance (Zi), elastic pressure-strain modulus (Ep), and beta index (β-index), have not been well studied in TS. PWV is considered the most...

Background: It has been previously reported that with current management, 9/10 children with craniopharyngioma will survive 10 years. Though most suffer both chronic neuroendocrine and cognitive impairments from disease and/or treatment, few prospective cognitive assessments have been reported which might separate the contributions of each.Objective and hypotheses: i) To prospectively evaluate the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction, before and after a c...

Background: The Dutch HYPOthalamic and PITuitary gene (HYPOPIT) study investigates the genetic and non-genetic causes of isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) and combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD). Former projects within the HYPOPIT study showed that only a small minority of the Dutch IGHD and CPHD cases could be explained by mutations in GH1, GHRHR, HMGA2 and CDK6 in IGHD patients and PROP1, HESX1, POU1F1, LHX3</...

Background: The main cause of secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI) in children is prolonged treatment with exogenous corticosteroids. plasma cortisol (PC) levels after administration of ACTH is the most used indicator of adrenal function in clinical practice. However, salivary cortisol (SC) levels is emerging as an alternative technique in the diagnosis of adrenal pathology, especially useful in the paediatric population because it is a simple noninvasive test.<p class="a...

Background: Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS) covers a large spectrum of phenotypes, with the common denominator being insufficient virilisation of the external genitalia in an XY child with normal testosterone (T) production. Genetic diagnosis of PAIS is based on the identification of an androgen receptor (AR) gene mutation.Aim: The aim of this work was to determine whether the PAIS-like phenotype is associated with other gene mutations.</p...

Background: The clinical diagnosis of partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS) should be systematically considered for all 46,XY newborns/infants with undervirilisation contrasting with normal/elevated plasma testosterone levels. Confirmation of PAIS is based on the identification of an androgen receptor (AR) gene mutation.Aim: This work was undertaken to determine whether the minor forms of undervirilisation such as isolated hypospadias, isolated ...

Background: Congenital leptin deficiency (CLD) is characterized by severe early-onset obesity due to hyperphagia and impaired satiety. The impact of obesity in obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) was originally reported as mechanical, but recent data suggest that adipokines may influence central ventilation. We highlight that treatment with recombinant human leptin (RHL) in CLD with OSAHS improves ventilation before weight loss.Case prese...

Background: Prolonged poor dietary habits can result in hypothalamic inflammation and gliosis with more recent studies suggest that other brain areas may also be affected. Western or high fat diet intake has been associated with increased cognitive impairment and aberrant feeding behavior, with males and females being differentially affected. The hippocampus participates in both of these functions. Saturated free fatty acids can induce astrocyte inflammation and this could pot...

Background: The correlation between obesity and depression is well established. Tryptophan (Trp) is an essential amino acid that acts as substrate for serotonin and melatonin biosynthesis, both know to play a role in satiety, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, low plasma Trp levels have been associated with obesity.Objective: To investigate the effects of Trp supplementation as a conjunctive therapy to conventional life-style intervention on weight lo...

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Accelerated catch-up in weight during infancy in subjects born term has been associated with increased risk for NAFLD in adulthood, but this association has not been studied in subjects born preterm.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the associations of birth weight, gain in weight for length and accelerated catch-up in weight in the...