ESPE Abstracts

Background: Pregnancy associated plasma protein (PAPP)-A2 is an insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein (BP) protease that regulates IGF-1 availability, affecting postnatal growth. We have recently reported the first mutations in human PAPP-A2 causing short stature and changes in bone size and mineral density. However, the IGF system is involved in diverse physiological functions and to date it is unknown how mutations in PAPP-A2, which significantly reduce f...

Maternal nutrition can have significant long-term consequences on energy homeostasis in the offspring. However, whether resveratrol, with antioxidant and anti-obesity actions, can improve the impact of poor maternal nutrition on offspring metabolism remains largely unknown. We hypothesized that resveratrol intake by dams would protect the offspring against the harmful effects of a maternal high fat diet (HFD). We also determined if resveratrol’s effects are diet and sex d...

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 2 plays a fundamental role in prenatal growth and development. The IGF2 gene is imprinted, with the paternally inherited copy being active and the maternal copy being silenced in most tissues. During development, the expression of IGF2 is sexually dimorphic in some tissues and this is thought to be involved in the development of some sexually dimorphic features. For example, IGF2 expression is reported to be higher in the male brain co...

We report mosaic triploidy 69XXY/46XX in ovotesticular DSD which poses significant diagnostic and management questions.Case: A baby born to non-consanguineous parents after a normal pregnancy, presented with atypical genitalia including significant clitoromegaly, a urethral opening in the anterior perineum and a normal vaginal opening. Bilateral masses were noted in the labio-scrotal folds. Pelvic ultrasound identified a normal uterus however the gonads ...

Background: The majority of drug developments in type 1 diabetes (T1D) are aimed at preventing decline of beta cell function (BCF), as this has been associated with better glycaemic control and fewer long-term complications. Traditionally, BCF is evaluated by the C-peptide response to the labour-intensive mixed-meal-tolerance-test (MMTT), but there’s a need for a more practical alternative. We developed a new method to measure C-peptide in ‘dried blood spots’ (D...

Background: Neonatal over-nutrition (NON) can increase the propensity to become overweight and develop associated metabolic disturbances in later life. Moreover, some of these long-term effects are sexually dimorphic.Objective and hypotheses: We aimed to determine how NON affects body weight (BW), body composition and triglyceride (TG) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) levels. We hypothesized that the effects would be both age and sex dependant.<...

Background: Alterations in endocrine functions and low-grade systemic inflammation represent fundamental characteristics of obesity. These biological systems have been repeatedly linked to fatigue symptoms.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between fatigue symptoms and metabolic/inflammatory markers in a sample of non-diabetic obese children.Method: The study was conducted in 41 obese (med...

Background: In spite of many studies demonstrating efficiency of recombinant growth hormone (rGH) on adult height in children born small for gestational age (SGA), great variability of response exists between treated patients. Predictive factors have been already studied such as age at start of treatment, rGH dose,…, but few data are available regarding the predictive values of pretherapeutic data on growth response.Objective and hypotheses: The ma...

Background: Circadian disorganization of feeding behavior evoked by high fat diet (HFD) intake is suggested to be involved in the resulting weight gain and development of associated metabolic alterations and hypothalamic inflammation.Hypothesis: We hypothesized that this circadian alteration might be a consequence of rapid de-synchronization of different gene clusters relevant for metabolic control.Methods: We analyzed the circadia...

Introduction: Obesity is known to associate with chronic systemic inflammation. However, hypothalamic inflammation also occurs in response to high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and is proposed to participate in central insulin/leptin resistance and the perpetuation of weight gain and systemic affectation. The weight gain and central responses to HFD differ between males and females. As hypothalamic glial cells are implicated in the central inflammatory response we hypothesize...