ESPE Abstracts

Background: The pituitary set-point for TSH synthesis and secretion is known to be an individual parameter with a strong genetic influence. Type II iodothyronine deiodinase is a pituitary enzyme involved in local deiodination of T4 and negative feed-back loop for TSH secretion. Defects in DIO2 have not been reported in humans; however, Dio2 knockout mouse has pituitary resistance to T4 with elevated TSH, T4 and TSH/T4 ratio, with nor...

Longitudinal growth is driven by endochondral ossification at the growth plate, where chondrocytes undergo a well-organized cellular differentiation process from stem-like progenitors to rapidly-proliferating transit-amplifying cells and to hypertrophic chondrocytes. Numerous recent studies have demonstrated that epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in human development and childhood growth. For example, Brachydactyly mental retardation syndrome (BDMR) is caused by hap...

Introduction: The proopiomelanocortin is a polypeptide of many biologically active peptides involved in many key functions which have not yet been clarified. The mutation in the gene encoding this polypeptide is associated with a clinical trials characterized by early-onset obesity, terciary adrenal insufficiency, and alteration of pigmentation. Eight cases with known genetic mutation have been published.Case report: Newborn male 27 days old from North A...

Introduction: Small-for-gestionational-age newborns (SGA-NB) may present subsequent comorbidities affecting their metabolism, growth, and development. Analysis of changes in serum proteome profile expression in SGA-NB may provide physiopathological information and help to identify postnatal biomarkers.Aim: To compare serum proteome profiles in SGA vs AGA newborns, stratified by gestational age.Study population and method: The study...

Background: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) newborn infants (NB) may present long-term comorbidities influencing their metabolism, growth and/or development. Although their serum proteome is unknown, altered expression of the proteome profile may provide information on their physiopathology and lead to the discovery of biomarkers for postnatal complications.Aim: To detect changes in the serum proteome in SGA-NB vs adequate-for-gestational-age (AGA) newbo...

Background: We have recently reported a BMI-SDS increase in girls with Turner syndrome (TS) treated with growth hormone (GH) (1).Objective and hypothesis: We hypothesise that puberty induction in TS is associated with weight gain.Method: We analysed the weight changes (BMI-SDS) of 888 girls with TS in the Pfizer International Growth Database (KIGS). Overweight was defined by a BMI >90th percentile and obesity by a BMI >97th...

Background: Hypothalamic obesity (HyOb) is a disease characterized by weight gain resistant to lifestyle changes and dietary restriction. The main clinical findings are hyperfagia and decline of satiety, high levels of insulin and an increase of adipogenesis. The major problem for these patients is that conventional treatments, either medical or surgical are not succesful and have variable results.Objective and hypotheses: We aim to describe the natural ...

Background: Imprinted genes are known to regulate fetal growth and a ‘parental conflict’ model predicts that paternally and maternally expressed imprinted genes promote and inhibit fetal growth, respectively. GNAS is a complex imprinted locus with multiple oppositely imprinted gene products. Maternal, but not paternal, G(s)alpha mutations lead to obesity in pseudohypoparathyroidism type IA (PHPIA). However, the disorder rarely causes severe obesity in infancy as pred...

Introduction: The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) enables the parathyroid glands and other CaSR-expressing cells involved in calcium homeostasis to sense alterations in calcium serum concentrations. Mutations in the CASR gene may produce gain or loss in its activity. Activating mutations cause a hypocalcaemic syndrome of varying severity, as autosomal-dominant hypocalcaemia or Bartter’s syndrome.Case report: We describe a 6 months infa...

Background: Mutations in SHOX or its regulatory regions have been detected in ~70% of Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) and ~2.5% of idiopathic short stature (ISS) cases, suggesting the implication of other genes or loci. Recent studies have identified NPR2 defects in ISS patients.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate if NPR2 mutations can account for a proportion of the cases referred for LWD and ISS in whom no SHOX/PAR1 mutation was detected.<...