ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: The influence of sex chromosomes and sex hormones on early human brain development is still poorly understood. Expression of Y chromosome genes may influence aspects of brain maturation in the 46,XY fetus, but the contribution of different Y genes is unknown. Furthermore, a marked increase in testicular testosterone biosynthesis/release from the testis occurs at around 8 weeks post conception (wpc) in the 46,XY fetus, but it is unclear whether te...

Objectives: Menarche is defined as the first menstrual bleeding in females, and the age of onset varies and depends on a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The LIN28B gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs314276, rs7759938 and rs314280 appear to be associated with cases of premature and early menarche. International databases report that the presence of a G allele of rs314280SNP shifts menarche 1.2 months earlier, a C allele...

In Italy, treatment of children with CP is not centralized. We collected data of 117 patients (pts) (M/F 56/41) with CP diagnosed after 01/01/2000, followed-up in 14 centres of paediatric endocrinology belonging to the I.S.P.E.D. Five centres provided data on more than 10 pts (range 12-19), while the remaining on 1-9. 46 pts were diagnosed between 2000-2010 and 71 afterwards. Follow-up was 7.5±4.1 yrs.Results. Histology was adamanti...

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 male Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis is transiently active during the first months of life with surging serum concentrations of reproductive hormones. This period, termed minipuberty, promotes masculinization, including testicular, and penile growth, as well as further testicular descent in males. It appears to be essential for priming specific cell types, i.e. Sertoli-, Leydig-, and germ cells, including subsequent growth and maturat...

Background: In 2020, the average glycaemic index of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Southeast Asia (SEA) countries were reported to be at around 83mmol/mol. In many low-middle-income countries (LMICs) in SEA, insufficient infrastructure, lack of universal health coverage and professional knowledge are factors that affect T1D outcomes that adversely affect mortality and morbidity. Action4diabetes (A4D) currently provides comprehensive partnership programmes with defin...

Background: The presentation of early-onset Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (EO-POI), most often with primary amenorrhea, is at one end of a spectrum spanning 40 years. The aetiology of POI is frequently unclear but next generation sequencing of varied age groups has identified several associated genetic variants. Whether girls with EO-POI are more likely to have a genetic aetiology than those with later presentations remains unknown.<stro...

Introduction: Growth hormone (GH) treatment is essential for growth in children with GH deficiency. Also short children born small for gestational age (SGA), and children with syndromes like Turner Syndrome (TS), Noonan Syndrome (NS) and Silver Russel Syndrome (SRS) can benefit from GH treatment. For children with needle anxiety GH delivered by a jet device can be a solution for the daily subcutaneous treatment for many years. In 2021, a global recall of the o...

Background: The initiation of puberty is dependent upon an augmentation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion from the hypothalamus. Development of the GnRH neuroendocrine network in embryonic life depends on coordinated migration of neurons from the vomeronasal organ in the nose to the forebrain. We have previously demonstrated that dysregulation in GnRH neuronal migration leads to delayed pubertal onset. Late puberty affects up to 2% of the ...

Background: The first three children reported to have biallelic mutations in RNPC3 presented with growth hormone (GH) deficiency and pituitary hypoplasia (MIM#618860). RNPC3 codes for a minor spliceosome protein required for U11/U12 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein formation and splicing of U12-type introns. The underlying mechanism causing GH deficiency in these patients is not fully understood. Moreover, whether the association of further ho...