ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Gain-of-function mutations in KISS1 and KISS1R genes and loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding the makorin RING-finger protein 3 (MKRN3) expressed only in the paternal allele are the most common genetic reasons of familial central precocious puberty (CPP).Aim: We report a case of familial CPP and a pathogen variant in the MKRN3 gene.<stron...

Triple A syndrome (AAAS) is a rare, incurable, recessive disorder, characterised by achalasia, alacrima, adrenal failure and a neurodegenerative phenotype. The AAAS gene encodes ALADIN, is a nuclear pore complex (NPC) protein necessary for nuclear import of DNA protective molecules, important for redox homeostasis. ALADIN’s role is not fully characterised: its discovery at the centrosome and the endoplasmic reticulum suggests a role outside the NPC. To date, the ...

Puberty is a physical, hormonal and psychosocial transition from childhood to adolescence. Precocious puberty (PP) is the beginning of secondary sexual characteristics before eight years of age in girls. The most common type is known as “central precocious puberty (CPP)”. CPP occurs due to early activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis. Although the real trigger for idiopathic CPP is unknown, it has been proposed that it may be caused by the interact...

Background: A mutation in EIF2S3 (NM_001415; Xp22.11) was previously associated with microcephaly and developmental delay in a single pedigree. EIF2S3 encodes the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit 3 (eIF2γ), the largest of three EIF2 subunits. EIF2 initiates protein synthesis by forming a ternary complex with GTP and initiator methionyl-tRNA which then binds to the 40S ribosomal subunit, enabling scanning of mRNA from the 5′ end to...

Background: Studies aimed at elucidating the pathophysiology of obesity consistently describe it as a highly heterogeneous disorder at both clinical and molecular level. Despite rare monogenic forms and several regions of susceptibility have been defined, the genetic causes underlying the disease remain largely unknown.Objective and hypotheses: We aimed to identify novel genetic abnormalities in a cohort of Spanish children with severe non-syndromic earl...

Background: Hyponatremia is defined as a serum sodium level below 135 mEq/l. It is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Hyponatremia has many causes and can be classified as acute/chronic or hypo/hypo/euvolemic. The main rule in fluid and electrolyte disorders (and especially in hyponatremia) is excluding hypothyroidism and hypocortisolism and then making the correct diagnosis. Hypothyroidism and hypocorticolism can also cause euvolemic chronic hyponatremia but t...

Background: Dyshormonogenic hypothyroidism is classically a monogenic disease with recessive inheritance. Thyroid dysgenesis showed a multigenic origin in a mouse model of double-heterozygous deletions of Nkx2.1/Pax8 transcription factor genes, suggesting a possible polygenic nature of certain cases of human hypothyroidism.Objective and Hypotheses: To investigate genetic traits of polygenic involvement in dyshormonogenic hypothyroidism,...

Background: Lipid profiles of type 1 diabetic children are influenced by age, sex, BMI- and HbA1c-values. There is a discrepancy between increased cholesterol levels and the management required. Thus, 26% of patients have dyslipidemia but only 0.4% of them receive lipid lowering medication.Objective and hypothesis: To facilitate child-specific and diabetes-related cholesterol control, we developed a monitoring algorithm derived from population-based refe...

Background: The bone mass deficit in pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) is associated with low total body lean mass and suppression of bone turnover.Objective and hypotheses: We examined at diagnosis whether the sarcopenia is associated with leg muscle hypofunction, changes in tibia muscle–bone indices as well as overt bone strength loss (vertebral fractures, VF).Method: 70% children with CD were studied within 2 weeks of dia...

Background: Exposure to non-persistent pesticides may have an effect on prenatal growth and later risk of adiposity. Prenatal pesticide exposure has been found to be associated with lower birth weight and higher body fat percentage calculated from skinfolds at age 6–11 years. Body composition measured by using DXA in children prenatally exposed to pesticides has not previously been reported.Objective and hypotheses: To study the effects of prenatal ...