ESPE Abstracts

Background: SOX2 is an early developmental transcription factor implicated in pituitary development; heterozygous SOX2 mutations have been reported in patients with a severe ocular phenotype and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HH) with/without associated abnormalities. SOX2 physically interacts with β-catenin, a member of the Wnt-signalling pathway, via its carboxyl-terminus and it represses in vitroβ-catenin mediated activation.<p class="abstex...

Background: Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is genetically mediated in up to 30% of cases. Many genes associated with POI have roles in early ovary developmental processes, including meiosis.Objectives: We investigated the genetic mechanism underlying early-onset POI in three young women presenting with absent puberty: two sisters from a consanguineous pedigree and a third unrelated proband.<st...

Background: The COVID-19 crisis required paediatric endocrinologists to rapidly adopt telehealth into their clinical practice. Accurate auxology is a cornerstone of paediatric endocrinology care and is needed to monitor growth and guide medication changes. Remote consultations depend upon parent-reported measurements. However, home height measurements are often inaccurate.Aim: We designed a quality improvement study with...

Background: Congenital hypopituitarism (CH), involving deficiencies in one or more anterior pituitary hormones, is rarely observed in combination with severe joint contractures, termed arthrogryposis. Schaaf-Yang syndrome (SHFYNG), which has phenotypic overlap with Prader-Willi syndrome, may be associated with arthrogryposis. L1 syndrome, a group of X-linked disorders including hydrocephalus and spasticity of the lower limbs, may also present with generalized contractures in r...

Three patients from two unrelated families in Malta; one consanguineous (siblings: Patient 1, male and Patient 2, female) and one non-consanguineous (Patient 3, male), manifested hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with delayed puberty, intellectual disability, scoliosis, and ataxia with cerebellar hypoplasia on MRI. GnRH tests revealed low peak LH and FSH concentrations in the patients: Patient 1; LH 2.3 IU/L, FSH 4.4 IU/L (14.3y), Patient 2; LH 3.6 IU/L, FSH 6.4 IU/L (12.5y), Pati...

Introduction: The European Registries for Rare Endocrine Conditions (EuRRECa) project aims to support the needs of the endocrine and bone community by facilitating the collaboration between patients, health care professionals and researchers across Europe and beyond. It is a project funded by the European Union’s health programme and is the affiliated registry of the European Reference Network for Rare Endocrine Conditions (Endo-ERN). It consists of two r...

Introduction: Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires appropriate diagnosis and treatment. The most common cause of PAI is congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), but other well-established aetiologies include metabolic and autoimmune disorders, and physical damage. Mutations in more than 30 genes have now been associated with PAI, with considerable biochemical and phenotypic overlap. It is therefore importan...

Congenital hypopituitarism (CH) is a highly variable disorder affecting 1:3000 - 1:4000 live births, and is characterized by deficiencies in one or more of the 7 pituitary hormones, with growth hormone (GH) being the most frequently-occurring deficiency. It may be associated with a range of syndromic features including visual impairment, midline brain abnormalities and facial clefting. The development of the pituitary gland is closely associated with that of the forebrain and ...

Whole exome sequencing performed on a male patient with a unique complex phenotype revealed a novel de novo missense variant in FASN (c.6395C>T, p.A2132V), encoding Fatty Acid Synthase. The patient presented with panhypopituitarism (GH, TSH, LH, FSH and ACTH deficiencies), short stature, sensorineural deafness, hypoparathyroidism, retinal dystrophy, and developmental delay. He was 127 cm tall at the age of 21 and failed to respond to GH treatment [IGF-1 ge...

Introduction: The UK 100,000 Genomes Project (100KGP) recently investigated the genetic basis of rare disease using whole genome sequencing. The genetic aetiology of most rare paediatric endocrine disease remains unexplained.Methods: Children with genetically unexplained rare endocrine disease attending a subspecialist paediatric endocrinology clinic underwent whole genome sequencing as part of the 100KGP. Parental DNA w...