ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of conditions that occur simultaneously, involving excess body fat, arterial hypertension, impaired glucose metabolism and dyslipidemia. Establishing effective preventive measures and therapies requires an understanding of the relationship between childhood obesity and the early development of MetS components.Objective: The aim of this study was to identify and explore t...

Background: In Europe, Increlex® (mecasermin) is approved for treatment of growth failure in children with severe primary insulin-like growth factor-1 deficiency (SPIGFD). We present 10-year data (up to October 2018) from the European Increlex® Growth Forum Database (EU-IGFD) registry (NCT00903110) on the frequency, predictive factors, and the potential impact of hypoglycaemia on efficacy outcomes....

In the early 2000’s, our lab began its efforts to characterize the large-scale functional organization of endocrine cell types within the mammalian pituitary gland. These studies were driven by a long-standing paradox of pituitary function: endocrine cell populations are capable of mounting massive hormone pulses in vivo (e.g. a 1,000-fold increase in GH levels in young mature males), while the same cells isolated from their tissue context respond weakly...

Background: Self-limited delayed puberty (DP) is an extreme variant of normal pubertal timing and it often clusters in families. Although it is highly heritable and is the most common cause of delayed puberty, little is known about the genetic control. GnRH neuronal biology has been implicated as a key element in the pathogenesis of DP. By focusing on genes involved in GnRH neuron development, migration and function we may understand more about the genetic bas...

This prospective population study focuses on metabolic differences between adolescent patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and age/BMI matched non-PCOS controls recruited by the Centre for Adolescent Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care of the First Department of Paediatrics, at the ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children’s Hospital, in Athens, Greece. Bioimpendance is an established non-interventional method for the determination of the body compositio...

Background: Bone age studies require X-ray of the left hand and wrist to assess skeletal maturity. The Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) scoring method provides an objective framework for calculating bone age and specifies exact placement of the hand. In our service we have noted a number of poor quality films, caused by difficulty with hand placement, e.g. scrunching of the fingers. This compromises the ability to score accurately and in a proportion necessitates re-X-ray, with time,...

Background: Pediatric osteoporosis is a condition which can stem from genetic causes (Primary osteoporosis), from systemic diseases or from the chronic use of drugs that alter bone metabolism (secondary osteoporosis). Obesity affects bone health in several ways, including bone remodeling, proinflammatory cytokine production and bone marrow microenvironment alteration. We describe the case of a boy who presented spontaneous vertebral fractures.<p class="abs...

Background: Bone age (BA) is commonly used in pediatrics to define skeletal maturity for medical and non-medical purposes. Normal range is represented by 2 standard deviations (SDs) above and below the mean. A BA greater than &pm;2 SDs from the chronological age (CA) is considered abnormal. BA in achondroplasia (ACH) has not been fully characterized; calculation is challenging given difficulties in comparing x-rays with standard radiographs if using the Greuli...

Background: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) exhibit wide variations in the activity of growth hormone (GH)/insulin–like growth factor–I (IGF-I) axis and this heterogeneity may result in supra physiological concentrations of IGF-I during GH treatment. The long-term effects of elevated IGF-I levels has been a matter of concern. We explored the variations in total IGF-I and bioactive IGF-I and the associations with growth and glucose metab...

Background: The iNCGS Registry monitored long-term safety and effectiveness of NutropinAq® (Somatropin injection) for paediatric growth disorders.Objective: To report year-1 effectiveness and safety data from the iNCGS registry (NCT00455728).Methods: Open-label, non-interventional, post-marketing surveillance study, in seven European countries from October 2005–December 2016. Measurements included height Standa...