ESPE Abstracts

Background: Early genetic diagnosis in patients with disorders of sex development (DSDs) can facilitate clinical management, predict recurrence risks, and augment general knowledge. Novel techniques such as SNP microarrays, GWAS, and exome sequencing have identified mutations in the coding regions of genes linked to DSDs. In some instances, variants in non-coding regions have been associated with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis, e.g. deletions upstream of SOX9 (PLoS One 2011...

Background: Oligo-ovulatory androgen excess in women (polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by NIH definition) is a major cause of subfertility and relates to hepatic steatosis, independently of obesity.Objective: To test whether early treatment of PCOS affects subsequent ovulation rate.Method: Adolescent girls with hyperinsulinemic androgen excess – a subgroup of PCOS – (mean age 16 year; BMI 23.7 kg/m2) randomly r...

Background: Prenatal growth restraint associates with risk for later diabetes particularly if such restraint is followed by postnatal formula-feeding (FOF) rather than breast-feeding (BRF). Circulating incretins can influence the neonatal programming of hypothalamic setpoints for appetite and energy expenditure, and are thus candidate mediators of the long-term effects exerted by early nutrition.Objective, hypotheses and method: We have tested this conce...

Background: A recent report (JCI, 2014) described a new homozygous NR5A1/SF-1 mutation in a patient with XY DSD and spleen agenesis. To date, no other data have confirmed this association, raising the hypothesis of fortuity.Case presentation and method: We had the opportunity to study an adolescent girl referred for virilisation during puberty. She presented voice deepening and clitoral hypertrophy. Biological investigations showed high plasma testostero...

Background: Infants born small-for-gestational age (SGA) who develop postnatal weight catch-up are at risk for insulin resistance, central adiposity and cardiovascular disease in later life, even in the absence of overweight.Objective and hypotheses: In young (age 3–6 years) non-obese SGA children, we assessed arterial health by intima-media thickness (IMT) and abdominal fat distribution (subcutaneous, visceral, pre-peritoneal and hepatic components...

Background: Hyperinsulinemic androgen excess is the most common cause of hirsutism, acne, seborrhea and menstrual irregularity in adolescent girls. The ovarian androgen excess originates most often from an absolute or relative excess of fat (in adipose tissue and in organs such as the liver) and from the ensuing elevations in insulinaemia and gonadotropin secretion. There is no approved therapy for androgen excess in adolescent girls. The prime recommendation is to reduce body...

Background: Treatment of congenital primary hypothyroidism (CPHT) fluctuates between two opposite risks for the neuro-cognitive development in a critical window during the neonatal period, under- and over-treatment.Objective: To investigate the relevance of current international recommendations of 10–15 μg/kg per day for L-thyroxine (lT4) doses in CPHT.Method: fT4 and TSH were measured...

Background: Telomere length at birth is a major determinant of telomere length at later ages, up into senescence. However, the prenatal setting of telomere length is poorly understood. Individuals born large are at lower risk for later-life disorders, such as diabetes, than those born small, a feature of their longer health span being a higher lean mass that provides more muscle strength and is already present in infancy.Objective and hypotheses: To asse...

Introduction: The growth process in children depends on GH/IGF-1. Ghrelin is stimulator of GH synthesis. Ghrelin also stimulates the orexigenic center peptides responsible for appetite. It is synthesized in the stomach, thus its secretion may be alter by gastrointestinal tract deseases. Recently, high titers of antibodies against some neuropeptides (including anti-ghrelin) have been found in indyviduals with certain microflora components, e.g. Helicobacter pyl...

Background: Sclerostin is secreted by the osteocyte and inhibits bone formation by osteoblasts and is thus a negative regulator of bone formation. In adults, sclerostin levels increase after weight loss, which may be prevented by exercise training. The effect of weight loss on sclerostin in children is unknown.Objective and hypotheses: To compare sclerostin levels in children before and after a 10 weeks stay at a weight loss camp (WLC).<p class="abst...