ESPE Abstracts

Background: Noonan Syndrome (NS) can overlap clinically and biochemically with growth hormone insensitivity [GHI; short stature (SS), low IGF-I and normal/elevated GH levels]. Mutations in multiple genes regulating RAS/MAPK pathway have been identified in NS including LZTR1 variants. Function of LZTR1 is poorly understood and its role in growth retardation is unknown.Objectives: To functionally characte...

Background: Previously we showed that pubertal children born small for gestational age (SGA) with a poor adult height (AH) expectation can benefit from treatment with GH 1 mg/m2 per day (~0.033 mg/kg per day) in combination with 2 years of GnRH analogue (GnRHa) and even more so with a double GH dose. GnRHa treatment is thought to have negative effects on body composition and blood pressure. Long-term effects and GH-dose effects on metabolic health in children treate...

Introduction: Vosoritide increases growth in children with achondroplasia aged 5–18 years (Savarirayan et al, Genet Med, 2021). We recently reported results from a phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (111-206) in young children with achondroplasia aged 3 months–5 years Here we present results from an open-label extension study (111-208) spanning up to 4 years of treatment in the children aged 2-5 years at study star...

Background: Craniopharyngioma is a non-malignant embryonic tumour in the pituitary-hypothalamic area, associated with hypothalamic obesity. Dysfunctional parasympathetic nervous system activity has been proposed as one mechanism underlying alterations in energy metabolism. Arterial spin labelling (ASL) is a non-invasive MRI technique that quantifies brain tissue perfusion as a proxy for functional activity. Here, we measure cerebral perfusion in patients with ...

Background: The need to understand the relationship between bone, muscle, and fat within the bone-muscle unit has recently gained great prominence. Although high resolution (HR) MRI is a non-invasive imaging modality that can provide this information, there is limited expertise in children and young people.Objectives: To establish MRI-based normative data for bone, bone marrow adiposity and muscle adiposity in children a...

Background: While GH therapy forms the mainstay of growth promoting treatment for Turner syndrome (TS), adjunctive use of oxandrolone and optimal timing of pubertal induction remain controversial. The previously published interim analysis of this randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that oxandrolone and pubertal induction at 14y vs 12y significantly increased final height. However, these effects were not additive.Objective: To up...

Background: AHDS is a devastating disease caused by defects in the thyroid hormone (TH) transporter MCT8. Endocrine expression is heralded by systemic hyperthyroidism with elevated serum T3, mildly increased TSH and decreased T4. However, the brain is hypothyroid, causing severe psychomotor retardation. Therapeutic attempts with PTU+levothyroxine or the T3-analogue DITPA could normalize TH derangements but without any neurological improvement. ...

Background: Cis-gender females are known to mount stronger immune responses to invading pathogens or vaccines than cis-gender males. However, this is also associated with increased risk of autoimmunity. Little is known about the immunophenotypes of transgender individuals on gender-affirming hormonal treatment, despite growing evidence that hormones influence the immune system. Via the process of class-switch recombination (CSR), B-cell immunoglobulin isotype ...

Background: Spatial navigation is an essential human skill that helps individuals track their changes in position and orientation by integrating self-motion cues. Meta-analyses indicate that males, on average, perform better than females on a number of spatial tasks. Sex steroids, mainly androgens, modulate the remodeling of synapses in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, a limbic brain area with critical influence on spatial and contextual memory. Androgen...

Introduction: Very short stature is a common presenting complain that gives rise to numerous investigations. FBN1 heterozygous mutations cause acromelic dysplasia syndromes. The phenotypic spectrum of these growth disorders is broad, ranging from short stature with short extremities, stiff joints, skin thickening with tracheal stenosis and cardiac valvulopathy to nearly isolated short stature. Here, we report on a girl with disproportionate short stat...