ESPE Abstracts

Background: Patients with rare monogenic obesity caused by biallelic variants of genes such as proopiomelanocortin (POMC; including variants in PCSK1) or leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency, experience hyperphagia (a pathologic, insatiable hunger) and early-onset, severe obesity. This suggests potential increased risk over time of obesity-related comorbidities, including metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions associated with increased risk of cardiovascular...

Introduction: The prevalence of pediatric type 2 diabetes (T2D) increased over the last 2 decades, related to the rise in obesity. Meanwhile, treatment options for T2D have evolved considerably. Therefore, we analyzed changes in treatment approaches for pediatric T2D over two decades.Material and Methods: Patients with T2D from 321 pediatric diabetes centers (Austria 24, Switzerland 2, Luxemburg 1, Germany 290) were reco...

Background: Current reference values for leptin in childhood and adolescence are presented separately for girls and boys, and as a function of age without considering the variability of fat mass. This complicates the interpretation of measured serum leptin concentrations since fat mass is the major determinant of circulating leptin concentrations. To fill this gap, we aimed at pooling existing data (age, BMI, sex, tanner stage (TS), serum leptin concentrations...

Background: Disorders of sex development (DSD) are often due to disruption of the genetic programs that regulate gonad development. Some genes have been identified in these developmental pathways such as DAX-1, SOX-9, GATA-4 and others. The GATA-4 gene, located on chromosome 8p23.1, encodes GATA-binding protein 4 (GATA-4), a transcription factor that is essential for cardiac and gonadal development and sexual differentiation. Congenital heart disease (CHD) and...

Introduction: X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH) is characterized by a mineralization disorder in the growth plate and cortical and trabecular bones, resulting in bone deformities with anthropometric changes and potential alterations in body composition.Objective: To evaluate the body composition of 12 children and adolescents with XLH compared to healthy controls by anthropometric and densitometry data.<p class...

Background: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ionotropic glutamate receptors that are widely expressed in the CNS where they play an important role in neurotransmission and cell viability and serve as drug targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.Objective and hypotheses: Much less is known about the role of pancreatic NMDARs. Since neurons and pancreatic islets have many features in common, we hypothesiz...

Background: Partial Androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS) is a rare condition which is associated with a variable phenotype. To date, there are limited data reporting long-term endocrine outcome for this condition.Aims: To determine the outcomes and clinical characteristics for 46, XY males with PAIS, using information from the International DSD (I-DSD) Registry and its clinical users.Methods: The I-DSD Registry and its users were...

Background: It is well known that boys are heavier than girls at birth. Causes of this difference are thought to originate from the Y chromosome and as a result of androgen action. Although some studies showed that sex dimorphism in size at birth is dependent of fetal androgens, one study reported that it is not generated by action of androgens.Objective and hypotheses: To determine birth weight (BW) of children in different aetiologies of disorder of se...

Background: Differences in sexual development (DSD) are rare diagnoses, which affect the chromosomal, anatomical or gonadal sex differentiation. Although comprehensive counseling of patients and parents/carers is necessary to ensure a positive coping with the diagnosis and a well-informed decision-making, standardised programmes are lacking. Empower-DSD is a government-funded project, which developed an age-adapted multidisciplinary education programme to impr...

Background: Within the government-funded project Empower-DSD, modular training programmes for children and young adults aged 6-24 years with the diagnoses CAH, Turner-syndrome, Klinefelter-syndrome or XX-/XY-DSD (including MRKH) and their relatives were developed to improve diagnosis-specific knowledge, skills and empowerment. Overall, 105 trainings were offered between August 2020 and September 2022 in 5 centres with DSD expertise in Germany.<p class="abs...