ESPE Abstracts

Background: Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the aggrecan gene (ACAN) cause autosomal dominant short stature with advanced bone age, early-onset osteoarthritis and intervertebral disc disease (SSOAOD; OMIM#165800). ACAN mutations is a relatively common finding in idiopathic short stature (ISS) and has been reported to be the cause of growth failure in approximately 2% of children with ISS. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms by ...

Background: Milk supplementation increases serum IGF-I concentrations in healthy children and the effect is attributed to elevation of insulin and/or direct effects of milk proteins. Low serum IGF-I concentrations are common among children with short stature and may be associated with GH deficiency but poor nutrition/malabsorption may also contribute. Effects of nutritional supplementation on serum IGF-I is poorly studied in short children.Aim: To invest...

Background: The diagnosis of severe primary IGF-I deficiency (IGFD) in children with normal growth hormone (GH) peak in stimulation tests (stimGH) should be confirmed by IGF-I increase <15.0 ng/ml during generation test (IGF-GT), however the significance of IGF-GT has been questioned by some researchers.Objective and hypotheses: Evaluation of the significance of IGF-GT in children with normal stim GH and IGFD, with respect to efficacy of growth-promo...

For decades, the dominant conceptual framework for understanding short and tall stature was centered on the GH-IGF-I axis. However, recent findings in basic molecular and cellular biology and in clinical genetics have uncovered a vast array of other regulatory systems that control skeletal growth and an accompanying vast array of genetic defects outside the GH-IGF-I axis that can cause disorders of linear growth. As a result, the traditional view of short or tall stature that ...

Introduction: Recombinant Growth Hormone (GH) has changed the lives of many patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). GH treatment has beneficial effects on body composition, physical performance, cognition, psychomotor development, respiratory function and quality of life of patients with PWS. Due to the narrow therapeutic range, GH treatment is subject to strict limits. Clinicians measure serum immunoreactive Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 ('total IGF-I&#...

Background: Patients affected by pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1b (PHPI-b) develop resistance to PTH leading to hypocalcemia and hyperphosphoremia, which is often associated with resistance to TSH. PHP-Ib is associated with methylation changes at one or several differentially methylated regions (DMRs) within the GNAS complex locus, located at 20q13.2–13.3. This locus gives rise to several different transcripts (NESP55, XL, A/B), with varying patterns of imprinted expressi...

Background: Multiple daily injections of insulin for children and young people with diabetes can be very daunting and, some have a phobia of needles. As a result, for some individuals, the use of an i-port device can be life-changing and help with their diabetes management. The i-port is an injection port that enables diabetes patients to administer their insulin without having to puncture their skin multiple times in a day. In most cases, the i-port can stay ...

Tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome Type I (TRPS I) is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder clinically characterized by craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities, associated with cone-shaped epiphyses, brachydactyly and short stature. Although patients with TRPS I present various degrees of short stature, there are only four reports of growth hormone deficiency in patients with TRPS I. We present the case of TRPS I and partial GH deficiency. A 15-year-old female was referred ...

Background: Recently we described a family with several members having intrauterine and postnatal growth failure as well as signs of Silver–Russell syndrome (SRS) who carried a heterozygote nonsense mutation of IGF2. The patients had low IGF-II serum levels, but normal IGF-I serum levels.Objective and hypotheses: We aimed to estimate the diagnostic value of the IGF-II, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 measurements in the assessment of children with SRS.<p clas...

Background: In recent years more and more genetic defects along the GHRH–GH–IGF-I axis have been reported. Those mutations of the IGF-I receptor (R) are a rare abnormality of whom only the heterozygotes progenies survive.Objective and hypotheses: To determine the birth length, weight and brain size using head circumference and find out whether these correlate with the type of mutation.Method: Collection of data of 65 neon...