ESPE Abstracts

Background: Since the late 1960’s, pubertal breast staging has been based on Tanner’s classification. Appearance of glandular breast tissue may be difficult to distinguish by palpation from the surrounding subcutaneous fat tissue, especially in obese girls. To our knowledge, validation of the clinical assessment of pubertal stages by MRI quantification of glandular breast tissue has never been performed.Objective and hypotheses: i) To report no...

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to genes encoding the FSHβ subunit and FSH receptor (FSHB/FSHR) affect FSH production (FSHB c.-211G>T) and receptor sensitivity/expression in vitro (FSHR c.2039A>G & FSHR c.-29G>A). FSHR c.2039A>G, but not FSHR c.-29G>A, is associated with increased FSH levels in adult women, while there are conflicting results on F...

Background: Studies have shown that genetic variations in the FSH pathway (SNPs: FSHB −211G>T, FSHR −29G>A, and FSHR 2039A>G) affect peripubertal levels of serum FSH and age at pubertal onset in girls.Objective and hypotheses: Genetic variations in the FSH pathway reflect circulating levels of female reproductive hormones during the postnatal gonadotropin surge.Method: Blood samples were taken in girls of th...

Introduction: Multinodular goiter is an extremely rare condition in neonates and can account for tracheal airway compression.Case report: A newborn girl presented immediately after birth with an inspiratory and expiratory stridor and a visible swelling in the neck. She was born term after an uneventful pregnancy with a birth weight of 3.26 kg. The mother had no known thyroid disease and had not used antithyroid or goitrogenic medication. She had a normal...

Introduction: Vertebral fractures (VFs) are a common and severe finding in secondary and primary osteoporosis. VFs in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) are an important factor of morbidity and mortality and their presence serves as supportive evidence to initiate bisphosphonate (BP) therapy. In children, VFs have the potential to reshape and regain their original configuration. Vertebral reshaping is regarded a desired effect of BP therapy in children...

Background: Periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) is a brain malformation caused by dysregulation of neuronal migration during cerebral development, resulting in nodular neuronal structures in the ventricular surface. Associated ectopy of the posterior pituitary has been reported in literature and is usually associated with deficiencies of the anterior pituitary. The occasion of an isolated central diabetes insipidus due to absence of the posterior pituita...

Introduction: Heritable conditions causing aldosterone deficiency (hypoaldosteronism) or target-organ resistance (pseudohypoaldosteronism, PHA) can lead to life-threatening salt-wasting crises in early life. Prompt evaluation and correct interpretation of aldosterone and renin are crucial to guide differential diagnosis and further testing. Here we report on the similarities and differences of two neonates presenting with salt-wasting: Patient (P1) due to PHA ...

Background: Sexual maturation is closely linked to growth, suggesting common pathways between the reproductive development and the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I (GH/IGF-I) axis. IGF-I bioavailability is regulated by Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2) and Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2). A large genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified PAPP-A, PAPP-A2 and STC2 to represent loci strongly a...

Background: Biallelic mutations of the CYP11B2 aldosterone synthase gene cause deficiency of aldosterone synthesis. Patients exhibit isolated deficiency of aldosterone biosynthesis, increased plasma renin activity, increased steroid precursors desoxycorticosterone, corticosterone, as well as 18-hydroxy-desoxycorticosterone, and show salt wasting and poor growth. The aldosterone synthase enzyme has 18-hydroxylase (corticosterone methyloxidase type I, CMO I) and 18-oxidase (CMO ...

Background: Age at onset of puberty exhibits a remarkable variation mirroring nutritional, environmental, socioeconomic and genetic factors. While large genome-wide association studies identified more than hundred genetic loci associated with age at menarche in girls, knowledge on loci associated with age at pubertal onset in boys is sparse. FSHB/FSHR genetic variants have been shown to affect pubertal timing in girls and reproductive parameters in men.<p class="a...