ESPE Abstracts

Fertility and puberty onset are controlled within the brain by a neural network that drives the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from hypothalamic neuroendocrine neurons. During postnatal development, various permissive signals must be integrated for the initiation of sexual maturation but the molecular events that orchestrate the timely activation of the GnRH neurons remain a major unsolved biological mystery. Increasing evidences point out Micro-RNAs (miRNA...

Background: Recent studies have shown a rising trend in pediatric obesity. However, studies dealing with the ultimate metabolic consequences of pediatric obesity and the means of accurately predicting these consequences are limited.Objective and hypotheses: To study the utility of WHtR as a marker of insulin resistance. To validate the presently used cutoffs (≧0.5) and validate its utility in populations studies.Method: 96 c...

Background: Deficiency of microsomal membrane enzyme 5α reductase 2 impairs the DHT production and differentiation of external genitalia, seminal vesicles and prostate in males. The present study describes the Genotype-Phenotype in inter-familial and intra-familial patients with same mutation of SRD5A2 gene.Methods: All patients underwent detailed clinical evaluation, hormonal profile, karyotyping and molecular analysis of SRD5A2 g...

Resistance to thyroid hormone mediated by defective TRβ (RTHβ) or TRα(RTHα).Separate genes (THRA, THRB) undergo alternate splicing, generating nuclear receptors (TRα1, TRβ1, TRβ2) with distinct tissue distributions, which mediate thyroid hormone action; the function of a non-hormone binding protein (α 2), derived from the THRA locus, is unknown.RTHβ a dominantl...

Introduction: Over-production of androgens is linked to prostate cancer (PCa) in men and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women. CYP17A1 produces dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the precursor for androgens, via its 17,20 lyase activity. CYP17A1 lyase activity is regulated by the amount of P450 reductase for electron transfer; the presence of cytochrome b5; and protein phosphorylation. High androgen levels were linked to the phosphorylation of CYP17A1 protein...

Background: Thyroid hormone disrupting chemicals (THDCs) which are present in the environment, food and everyday consumer products, interfere with thyroid hormone signaling, possibly by interacting with thyroid hormone receptors (THRs). This alters the thyroid hormone homeostasis and affects various functions regulated by the thyroid hormone e.g. macronutrient metabolism, cardiovascular function, and normal brain development. Therefore, there is a necessity for detection and m...

Background: Mutations in GH1 gene cause isolated growth hormone deficiency. Several disease-causing mutations from patients with IGHD have been reported. These mutations have been shown to (a) produce shorter isoforms of GH that does not bind to growth hormone receptor, (b) cause diminished secretion of GH or (c) result in misfolded GH protein. Large sequencing studies from the non-clinical population show several hundred genetic variations in GH1 gene. Role of common polymorp...

Background: Thyroid hormones act via receptors (TRα; TRβ) encoded by separate genes (THRA, THRB). Mutations in THRA are a recently-recognised cause of Resistance to Thyroid Hormone alpha (RTHα), a disorder with tissue-specific hypothyroidism but near-normal thyroid function tests.Aim: We describe the youngest recorded case of RTHa, in a 2yr old boy with disproportionate short stature, ...

Introduction: International guidelines for management of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) advise active screening for vertebral fractures (VF), complications of which include pain, scoliosis and impact on ambulation. Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) is a technique of visualising thoracic and lumbar vertebrae with a lateral view on dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to identify VF. This is at reduced cost and radiation exposure when compared to spinal ...

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a common disorder of steroid production mainly caused by a mutated CYP21A2 gene, causing 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD). CAH due to 21OHD requires lifelong mineralocorticoid (MC) and glucocorticoid (GC) therapy. But, from the location of the enzyme block in the steroid production and increase of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) which stimulates the melanocortin type 2 receptor (MC2R) in the adrenal, excessive adrenal androgen produc...