ESPE Abstracts

Background: Insulin/IGF1 signaling plays a critical role in central glucose bioavailability and lipid metabolism. An increase in glucose disposal can generate reducing agents through the pentose-phosphate pathway necessary for the synthesis of free fatty acids (FFA). Disturbances in lipid synthesis are related to the appearance of insulin resistance and diabetes. The insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) deficient mice (IRS2−/−) is an excellent model to st...

Background: DMRT transcription factors are highly conserved regulators of metazoan sexual development. The role of DMRT1 in human primary sex-determination is unclear. Chromosome 9p deletions that remove one copy of DMRT1 are associated with 46,XY feminization and gonadal dysgenesis. While they suggest that DMRT1 is haploinsufficient for testicular development, these deletions usually remove other genes, including DMRT2 and DMRT3. Also, most 9p deletions cause incomplete gonad...

Background: Severe deficiency of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11βHSD2) triggers activation of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) by cortisol and causing apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) syndrome characterized mostly by low-renin arterial hypertension and hypokalemia. In 2003, we studied a patient with AME (3 years-old) having two homozygous mutation, D223N (rs121917833) and a SNP C>T in intron 3 (rs376023420) (Carvajal et al. JCEM 2003).<p cla...

Background: Very tall people attract a lot of attention and represent a clinically and genetically heterogenous group of individuals. Identifying the genetic etiology can provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating linear growth.Methods and Results: We studied a three-generation pedigree with several isolated (non-syndromic) tall members by whole exome sequencing; the tallest man had a height of 2...

Background: The diagnosis of GH deficiency (GHD) in children and adolescents is classically established when GH concentrations fail to reach an arbitrary cut-off level (usually 7–10 μg/l) after at least two provocative tests (PT).Objective and hypotheses: Aim of the study was to define optimal GH cut-offs to different PT in children and adolescent with short stature.Method: This was a retrospective study in 437 subjects w...

Background: Adrenocortical Carcinoma (ACC) represents 0.16% of all pediatric neoplasm in children, 0-14.9 years, diagnosed between 1984-2010 according to Swedish Childhood Cancer Registry. ACC is most frequent in girls below 4 years of age.Case: A physically active 14 years old girl was referred due to growth velocity 0 cm over the last year. Her history revealed substantial weight gain (photos), pubertal arrest prem...

Introduction: Aromatase deficiency is a rare cause of autosomal recessive 46, XX disorders of sex development (DSD) due to CYP19A1 gene mutations. The affected patients cannot have a normal estrogen biosynthesis. It is characterized by low serum estrogen, increased gonadotropins, and ovarian cysts. Herein, we report a new case with aromatase deficiency.Case Report: A 1-month-old girl was referred due to cliterom...

Background: It is well known that growth hormone (GH) brings about several effects, involving bone, body composition, lipids and glucose homeostasis. However, the complex interplay between these parameters is rather poorly studied in children with childhood-onset-GH deficiency (CO-GHD).Objective and hypotheses: To investigate lipids, adipokines (leptin- adiponectin- resistin) and glucose homeostasis and their relationship with bone and body composition i...

Background: Pubertal gynaecomastia (PG) is considered a clinical sign of an oestrogen–androgen imbalance at the breast tissue level although little evidence exists. PG occurs in 40–60% of adolescent Caucasian boys, and in most cases however, no underlying endocrinopathy can be identified. Very few longitudinal studies on PG exist.Objective and method: As a part of the longitudinal COPENHAGEN Puberty Study we followed 110 healthy Danish boys (ag...

Introduction: The diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is currently based on clinical, auxological, biochemical, and neuro-radiological investigation. Provocative tests of GH secretion using physiological/pharmacological stimuli are required to confirm GHD. The clonidine test (CT) is widely used to assess GH secretory status. In this retrospective study we analyzed the reliability of CT and the effect of puberty in a large number of children with short stature who had ...