ESPE Abstracts

Background: Inherited amino-acid metabolism disorders (IAAMDs) require lifelong restriction of natural dietary proteins. Nutritional amino-acid mixtures (AMM) free of the poorly metabolised amino-acids by the enzyme block, improve nutrition. An adequate protein intake is crucial to ensure normal body development, notably during puberty. We aimed to: 1/ describe growth and puberty in IAAMDs 2/ investigate associations linking height, IGF1 and IGFBP3 with AAM an...

Background: Central diabetes insipidus may result from mutations in the preproAVP gene, most often heterozygous and occurring de novo or inherited in an autosomal dominant mode; in these cases, intracellular accumulation of the misfolded product of the mutated allele slowly destroys the AVP-producing neurons, so that the onset of symptoms may be delayed for up to 28 years by which time the posterior pituitary hyperintense signal is no longer visible on magnetic resonance imagi...

Context: Clinical findings characterizing PWS are muscular hypotonia, abnormal body composition, developmental delay, behavioral problems, hyperphagia with obesity when food intake is not restricted and short stature. Endocrine problems are described, like hypogonadism, hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency and growth hormone (GH) deficiency. Hypothalamic dysfunction may be responsible for many features of PWS. Randomized controlled studies showed that GH t...

Background/ Aim: Over the past 6 years, the IGF1/ IGFBP3 generation test (IGFGT) has been used in Belgium in a standardized form to identify children with severe primary IGF1 deficiency (SPIGFD). In this study, the discordance of the IGF1 and IGFBP3 responses during an IGFGT and the prevalence of SPIGFD were analyzed in a cohort of children with short stature (height SDS < - 2) and presenting with low (below lower reference limit) serum IGF1 level and norma...

Background: For young adults with type 1 diabetes, transition from a paediatric setting to an adult care setting is a vulnerable period with risks for gaps in care. These emerging adults need to develop skills for managing their diabetes yet it is often challenging to cover all anticipatory guidance topics related to type 1 diabetes. In the context of a structured transition clinic, we hypothesized that by leveraging teens’ facility with technology and marketing/design we...

Background/Aims: Cryptorchidism or undescended testis is a prevalent congenital urogenital condition affecting male newborns with an incidence rate ranging from 1.0 to 4.6%. Mouse models have implicated INSL3 and its receptor RXFP2 (formerly known as GREAT or LGR8) in the development of the condition. RXFP2 acts as a G protein-coupled receptor that triggers the generation of cAMP by binding INSL3. But despite the established role in testicular descent, so far ...

Background: Long-term outcome studies on bilateral testicular regression (BTR) are currently lacking, hampering counseling of patients and parents. Although a vascular origin was initially reported, recent studies revealed a genetic origin in a subset of patients (i.e. DHX37 gene variants). How this relates to patient outcomes remains unclear.Methods: Thirty-five patients with BTR were recruited in eight Belgian centers ...

XY individuals with Disorders/Differences of Sex development (DSD) are characterized by reduced androgenization caused, in some children, by gonadal dysgenesis or, more rarely, testis regression during early fetal development. The genetic etiology for most patients with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis and for all patients with testicular regression syndrome (TRS) is unknown. Identification of novel genes involved in DSD is crucial for providing an accurate clinical diagnosis, aiding ...

Background: Glucose monitoring is vital in children with persistent hypoglycaemia to reduce the risk of adverse neuro-behavioural outcomes1. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems provide real-time glucose levels however; information on its usefulness in monitoring glucose levels in this cohort is limited2, 3.Objective: To ascertain the effectiveness of CGM and to evaluate parents’ experie...

Background: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a multicellular neurovascular unit (NVU) that allows selective passage of necessary molecules into the central nervous system (CNS) while limiting the entry of neurotoxins and most drugs. A cross talk with pericytes and neural cells mediates the acquisition of tight junctions (TJs) in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), which limit the paracellular passage of solutes, thereby regulating CNS homeostasis. H...