ESPE Abstracts

Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) is a group of seven transcription factors, including p65 (RelA), c-Rel, RelB, p50/p105 (NF-κB1), and p52/p100 (NF-κB2). Upon activation by a wide variety of stimuli, NF-κB translocates to the nucleus, where it modulates the expression of target genes involved in cell growth, survival, and death.Previous evidence indicates that NF-κB regulates bone growth and development. Mice deficient in both the N...

Background: There is much activity in Africa in Paediatric Endocrinology. The international societies, ESPE, and ISPAD helped significantly in the development of paediatric endocrinology training. Considerable research is being done at the PETCA in Kenya, PETWCA in Lagos and elsewhere, but too few of the studies are published. Owing to the pressure of clinical work in Africa most endocrinologists have difficulty in completing their research.Objective and...

Congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) is the most common cause of persistent hypoglycemia in infants and children. In the past 20+ years there have been tremendous advances in the understanding of the molecular genetics of HI, including the discovery of the mechanisms responsible for a focal form of the disease that can cured surgically. However, treatment options for non-focal HI continue to be limited, with only one drug currently approved for this indication. As a result of delay...

Introduction: Achondroplasia is the most common of the skeletal dysplasias and short stature with severe anatomic disproportion. Bone endochondrial growth is affected. The entity was described by Depaul in 1851 and the name which comes from the Greek word chondros (cartilage) and plasis (formation) was given by Parrot. It is an autosomal dominant monogenic disease with complete penetrance. Incidence is 1/25000 to 1/40000 of live births. It is caused by a mutat...

Background: Isolated aldosterone synthase deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by pathogenic variants in CYP11B2. To date, more than forty different pathogenic variants in the CYP11B2 gene causing isolated aldosterone synthase deficiency have been identified. We report on a novel pathogenic CYP11B2 variant.Case report: The second child (male) of consanguineous, healthy parents, presented shortly after...

Introduction: Sulfation is required for the metabolism of numerous compounds, including proteoglycans, steroid hormones, neurotransmitters, toxic chemicals, and drugs like acetaminophen. The sulfate transporter SLC13A1 is responsible for the intestinal absorption and the renal reabsorption of inorganic sulfate, but loss-of-function mutations in this gene have never been described in man. Here, we describe a male with a biallelic loss-of-function variant, i.e.,...

Background: Congenital Hypopituitarism (CH) is a rare heterogeneous genetic disorder characterized by the deficiency of pituitary hormones. CH can be associated with extra pituitary phenotypes such as midline craniofacial malformations. To date, a minority of patients carry pathogenic variants in more than 30 genes, and thus more than 80% of cases remain unresolved.Objective: To identify de novo pathogenic variants in no...

Background: Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are at risk of developing an unfavorable cardiovascular risk (CVR) profile. Data on the CVR profile in pediatric CAH patients are scarce.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the CVR profile of pediatric CAH patients.Method: A cross-sectional study in CAH patients (8–16 years) was performed (n=27). Blood was taken to evaluate several circulating CVR marker...

Background: Nutritional rickets (NR) is the most common growing bone disease, and vitamin D deficiency (VDD) may predispose to other diseases (diabetes mellitus, cancer, and multiple sclerosis). Maternal VDD and exclusive breastfeeding without supplementation are the most frecuent causes of NR in the neonate. VDD is still a problem in Europe. There are few reports of maternal hypovitaminosis D and rickets in bottle-fed infants during early infancy. We report a case of Nutritio...

Introduction: Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires appropriate diagnosis and treatment. The most common cause of PAI is congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), but other well-established aetiologies include metabolic and autoimmune disorders, and physical damage. Mutations in more than 30 genes have now been associated with PAI, with considerable biochemical and phenotypic overlap. It is therefore importan...