ESPE Abstracts

Background: In the optimal care of children with DSD, it is considered good practice to work within a multidisciplinary team (MDT) and engage in opportunities for professional development.Method: To explore the current models of MDT practice and the extent of professional development in specialist DSD centres, an international survey of 124 paediatric endocrinologists, identified through DSDnet and the I-DSD Registry, was performed in 2014.<p class="...

Background: The approach to investigating a newborn with a suspected DSD is likely to vary between centres and may be influenced by local availability.Method: To explore the current diagnostic practice and needs, an international survey of 124 paediatric endocrinologists, identified through DSDnet and the I-DSD Registry, was performed in 2014.Results: A total of 77/124 (62%) clinicians, in 74 centres, from 38/42 (91%) countries res...

Background: Adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) develop an adverse metabolic and cardiovascular risk profile. Both over- and undertreatment with glucocorticoids are associated with these adverse metabolic effects. There is limited data available of changes in cardiovascular parameters during lifetime.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate unfavorable changes in cardiovascu...

Introduction: The aim of the project “DSDCare” is to implement standardized care for people with DSD following national and international guidelines and to evaluate structural, process and outcome quality of care at 10 specialized centres in Germany from May 2020 till June 2023. Transition from paediatric to adult care is a crucial phase in chronic and rare conditions. In DSD, “loss to follow-up” is usually not associated with acute com...

Background: Reaching a definitive diagnosis in individuals with XY DSD is challenging and the time taken to reach a diagnosis is an important clinical benchmark that has not been sufficiently explored in this group of conditions.Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic process with a focus on the time to diagnosis in children with XY DSD reported via the e-reporting platform (e-REC) of the European Registries for Rare Endoc...

Currently, the majority of patients with DSD do not have a molecular diagnosis. Although high throughput sequencing is having an impact on the clinical diagnosis of DSD the accurate interpretation genomic datasets of the identification of new gene mutations causing DSD is challenging. This is due to emerging evidence that DSD may be caused by mutations in many different genes and the prevalence of mutations in a single gene may be very low. As larger number of DSD patients are...

Background: In a large fraction of patients with clinically presumed Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, no mutation of the Androgen Receptor gene can be detected. However, established Sanger sequencing techniques of the AR gene are often limited to the coding region.Objective and Hypotheses: To set up a next generation sequencing (NGS) approach of the entire AR locus (including UTRs, exons, introns, up- and downstream regions) for a comprehensive ...

Introduction: Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is a 46,XY difference of sex development (DSD) classically caused by mutations in the X-chromosomal androgen receptor (AR) gene. Nevertheless, in over 50% of individuals with clinical AIS no AR coding gene mutation can be found. We previously established an assay (apolipoprotein D (APOD) assay) that measures androgen dependent AR-activity in genital skin fibroblasts (GFs). Using this assay we identified a gro...

Purpose: X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is the most common hereditary cause of hypophosphatemic rickets. Elevated circulating levels of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) caused by mutations in the PHEX gene lead to renal phosphate wasting and rickets. Conventional treatment with phosphate salts and active vitamin D is associated with nephrocalcinosis in XLH patients. Mice on a high phosphate diet develop proximal tubular injury. Detailed analysis on kidney ...

The European Reference Networks (ERNs) have been installed by the European Union to promote the patients’ rights in cross-border health care in 2017. They are accredited networks of health care providers offering transparency and dissemination of expertise to make an individual choice for best care. The ERN for rare endocrine conditions (Endo-ERN) is the largest ERN and has the aim to bridge care from infancy to senescence. Therefore, it has an adult and a paediatric cha...