ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Oral/enteral caloric intake (KOE) insufficiency may accompany human newborn (NWB) respiratory derangements. We detected axillary temperature(TEMP) relations to NWB blood serum Insulin-like Growth Factor-II(IG2)-blood serum Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-3(IB3) ratios(IG2/IB3R). Here we evaluate the TEMP-independent relevance of birth gestational age(GA) and KOE to relationships of O2 supplementation in respiratory gases(O2S) with IG2/...

Background: Nutritional excess of vitamin A, a precursor for retinoic acid (RA), causes premature epiphyseal fusion, craniosynostosis, as well as light-dependent retinopathy. Similarly, homozygous loss-of-function mutations in one of the major RA-metabolizing enzymes CYP26B1 causes advanced bone age, premature epiphyseal fusion, and craniosynostosis. We studied a patient with markedly accelerated skeletal and dental development, retinal scarring, and autism-spectrum disease.</...

Background: Hyperinsulinism/hyperammonaemia (HI/HA) syndrome is associated with postprandial hypoglycaemia and mild hyperammonemia. There is increased insulin release following protein ingestion, which is amenable to diaxozide therapy. While developmental delay and normoglycaemic seizures can also occur, hepatomegaly has not been reported. We report a child with HI/HA and hepatomegaly, mild learning difficulty and obesity, who was initially mistaken to have glycogen storage di...

Background: Mouse studies have demonstrated the necessity of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) for normal proliferation of Rathke’s pouch (RP) precursors. However, the possible function of SHH in pituitary cell specification remains to be assessed. Additionally, evidence suggests that SHH may be relevant in human adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP), a histologically benign, but clinically aggressive childhood tumour associated with high morbidity.Objective ...

Objective: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic imprinting disorder resulting from the expression loss of genes on the paternally inherited chromosome 15q11-13. Early-onset life-thriving obesity represents the PWS clinical hallmarks. The noncoding RNA gene SNORD116 within the minimal PWS genetic lesion plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of the syndrome. Despite advancements in understanding the genetic basis for PWS, the pathophysiology of obes...

Introduction: Since 2000 understanding of biology of sex development increased tremendously thanks to genetic research. This lead to new classification for persons with disorders/differences of sex development (DSD) based on genetics, and guidelines from the UK recommend revising medical care for persons with DSD by setting up interdisciplinary DSD teams. In Switzerland, persons with DSD asked for better care, stimulating the Swiss National Ethics Commission in 2012 to recomme...

Background: The European Programme on Cooperation of Science and Technology (COST) funds the formation of networking activities. These are especially favorable for research around rare diseases, because experts and scientists maybe at different centres and an international collaboration is needed.In November of 2013 the COST Action DSDnet was started. Currently 18 different European countries are participating and countries from all continents have voice...

Background: Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) is caused by impaired function of GnRH neurons, which clinically manifests by incomplete or absent puberty and infertility. The phenotype may be broader with other developmental anomalies such as anosmia, which is known as Kallmann syndrome. To date, there are more than 40 genes in which mutations underlie CHH. Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is characterized by facial dysmorphia, psychomotor delay, ...

Background: DMXL2 haploinsufficiency in humans was recently shown to cause the polyendocrine-polyneuropathia syndrome including a GnRH deficiency (OMIM #616113). The neuronal deletion of Dmxl2 in mice (Nes::Cre;Dmxl2loxp/wt) caused infertility and gonadotropic deficiency (Plos Biology 9 e1001952, 2014). Dmxl2 encodes rabconnectin-3α (rbcn-3α), which participates in the control of the V-ATPase activity an...

Introduction: DSDs encompass a heterogenous group of conditions associated with multiple medical and psychosocial challenges. There is a paucity of data from patients from relatively low resource settings, where difficulties faced and their management may differ based on the different socio-cultural background. Objectives: To describe the underlying condition, presentation, medico-social issues, problems and challenges, and their management in a cohort o...