ESPE Abstracts

Background: POMC deficiency is an extremely rare monogenetic obesity syndrome generally characterized by early onset hyperphagia, red hair and adrenal insufficiency. So far treatment of obesity and hyperphagia with MSH substitution failed, either due to ineffectiveness or side effects of available MC4R agonists.Objective and hypotheses: We hypothesized that the new MC-4R agonist setmelanotide might be a treatment option in POMC deficient patients.<p ...

Background: Obesity has been associated with perturbations of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Scalp hair cortisol has been recognized as a reliable index of long-term cortisol concentrations.Objective and hypotheses: Aim of this study was to compare indices of HPA axis and SNS activities, such as, respectively, the salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase diurnal patterns, and their relations i...

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is characterized by cortisol deficiency and hyperandrogenism. Both hyperandrogenism and treatment with supraphysiological doses of glucocorticoids may cause unfavorable changes in the cardiovascular risk profile of CAH patients. Data on the cardiac function in CAH patients is scarce.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the cardiac function in pediatric CAH patients.Method: The cardi...

Background: Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) is an uncommon cause of growth failure and rickets. In Haiti, diagnostic evaluation and management is challenged by limited access to comprehensive diagnostic tools.Case presentation: An 8-year-old Haitian girl was evaluated at an academic referral center for bony deformations and bone pain, progressive over the previous six years. Her 2.5 year-old sister presented similar symptoms, associated with dental caries a...

Background: Genetic females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) from severe 21-hydroxylase deficiency may be declared at birth as cryptorchid boys. Neonatal salt wasting leads to early reassignment but in its absence, the condition may go unrecognized.Case presentation: A term newborn with non-palpable gonads but a penile urethra was declared as boy. At 4.8 years, the child presented with sexual precocity. Height was +2.3 S.D., penil...

Background: Phthalate exposure results in endocrine disruption by inhibiting steroidogenesis, inducing focal dysgenesis and disrupting germ cell development in the rat fetal testis. Whilst phthalate exposure does not reduce testosterone production by the human fetal testis, its effects on germ cells and induction of dysgenetic areas in the developing human testis are less well described.Objective and Hypotheses: To determine the effects of phthalate expo...

Background: Gender dysphoria is characterised by an incongruency between the perceived gender identity and the biological sex. The cause of gender dysphoria is unclear and environmental as well as genetic factors may be important. It is well known that during sexual differentiation sex steroids control not only the differentiation of the internal and external genitalia but also the sexual differentiation of the brain. Structural as well as functional differences have been show...

Background: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is characterised by progressive muscle weakness, resulting from loss of anterior horn cells in the spinal cord and the brain stem nuclei. Survival motor neuron levels (SMN) are reduced due to mutations in the SMN1 gene. SMN function has been implicated in poor bone health. SMA is classified according to age of onset and clinical course accordingly: type 0 (prenatal), type 1 (onset <6 months, severe, never sit unsupported), type 2 (...

Background: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN1) is characterized by the combined occurrence of tumours in several endocrine tissues such as parathyroid tumours, pituitary tumours (usually prolactinomas) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. MEN1 is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by germline mutations in the tumour suppressor gene MEN1. First-degree relatives of a germline MEN1 mutation carrier have a 50% risk of the mutation. Intensive surveillance of g...

Background: H2O2 produced in large quantities in the thyroid may play a role in the pathogenesis of thyroid nodules and cancer. In vitro, moderate amounts of H2O2 are able to cause similar DNA damage compared to irradiation and even to induce RET/PTC rearrangements.Objective and hypotheses: We compared the defence mechanisms against H2O2 and irradiation in human thyrocytes, T-cell...