ESPE Abstracts

Background: Obesity is one of the major risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, and its global prevalence has increased exponentially in the last decades. Excessive weight gained during early childhood increases long-term risk; however, reversing this condition during early-life reduces risk, improving children’s quality of life.Objective and hypotheses: We hypothesized that a lifestyle intervention in obese prepubertal children woul...

Background: The correlation between obesity and depression is well established. Tryptophan (Trp) is an essential amino acid that acts as substrate for serotonin and melatonin biosynthesis, both know to play a role in satiety, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, low plasma Trp levels have been associated with obesity.Objective: To investigate the effects of Trp supplementation as a conjunctive therapy to conventional life-style intervention on weight lo...

Background: Central hypothyroidism is rare in children. It is often part of multiple pituitary hormone deficiency but can occur in isolation. Isolated central hypothyroidism may be due to mutations in TSHB, TRHR or IGSF1, involved in TRH signalling. We present an adolescent with a novel truncating variant of IGSF1, resulting in delayed puberty, central hypothyroidism and macroorchidism.Case presentation: A 15-year-old ma...

Introduction: Coffin-Siris Syndrome (CSS) is a rare multisystem genetic disorder which arises from genetic abnormalities within genes encoding for the SWI/SNF complex (ARID1A, ARID1B, DPF2, SMARCA4, SMARCB1, SMARCA2, SMARCE1). Endocrinopathies have been associated with CSS, including idiopathic short stature, hyperinsulinism, obesity, growth hormone deficiency, and cryptorchidism. Here, we describe the endocrine features of a series of children with S...

Background: Diazoxide and octreotide are first and second-line of treatment for HH respectively. Long-acting somatostatin analogue (Lanreotide, LA) has been used in adults with neuroendocrine conditions through its effect on somatostatin receptors 2 (SSTR2) and 5 (SSTR5).Objective and hypotheses: (i) To evaluate the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of LA therapy in children with HH. (ii) To determine somatostatin receptor expression on pancreatic al...

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is cause of severe hypoglycaemia. Octreotide (somatostatin analogue), given as four times daily s.c. injections or via a pump, is used as second line treatment in diazoxide unresponsive CHI patients.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of our study was to evaluate the use of a long acting somatostatin analogue (Lanreotide) in patients with CHI.Method: Diffuse CHI patients above three years ...

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) causes severe hypoglycaemia in children. Diazoxide and daily octreotide injections are first and second-line of treatment for CHI respectively. Diazoxide can cause severe hypertrichosis resulting in parental anxiety and compliance issues.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of Lanreotide therapy in CHI patients.Method: Patients >6 months of ...

The gut microbiome has recently emerged as a major contributor to obesity and metabolic disease. Specifically, Bifidobacterium animalis sups. lactis (BAL) has shown promise for obesity treatment in human subjects, improving body composition and metabolic health. Moreover, tryptophan metabolism, a crucial regulator of satiety mechanisms and anxiety, is a main target of BAL. Given that clinical manifestations of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) include hyperphagia, ...

Background: BRAF is a component of the RAS/MAPK signalling pathway; germline mutations in components of this pathway are associated with congenital abnormalities such as Cardio-Facio-Cutaneous (CFC), Noonan and Costello Syndromes. These syndromes, known as RASopathies, are characterised by variably penetrant central nervous system, cardiac and facial abnormalities. Importantly, short stature and delayed puberty have been associated with these syndromes, as have featur...

Background: Noonan syndrome (NS) is caused by variants in multiple genes regulating the RAS/MAPK signalling cascade. NS can present with growth failure associated with growth hormone insensitivity (GHI; low IGF-I and normal/elevated GH levels). Variants in LZTR1 lead to NS, although the interaction of LZTR1 with the RAS/MAPK and the GH-IGF-1 pathways remain to be elucidated.Objectives: To gain insights into the ...