ESPE Abstracts

Fertility and puberty onset are controlled within the brain by a neural network that drives the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from hypothalamic neuroendocrine neurons. During postnatal development, various permissive signals must be integrated for the initiation of sexual maturation but the molecular events that orchestrate the timely activation of the GnRH neurons remain a major unsolved biological mystery. Increasing evidences point out Micro-RNAs (miRNA...

Background: Hypophosphatemic rickets (HR) are rare, inheritable disorders caused by excessive renal phosphate wasting. Despite a generalized mineralization defect, patients with HR are reported with a lower risk of fracture.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of bone -geometry, -microarchitecture and volumetric BMD (vBMD) on the estimated bone strength in adult patients with HR using high-resolution peripheral quant...

Background: Obesity in females is often associated with metabolic complications and hyperandrogenism. However, the source of androgens is not entirely clear.Objectives and hypotheses: Our objective was to find out if adipose tissue (AT) is a site of steroid production during childhood and adolescence, and if this source could add to hyperandrogenism in obese females.Methods: Parametrial and inguinal adipose tissue was collected and...

Background: Childhood obesity is a global health problem and co-morbidities develop already during childhood and adolescence. Male obesity impacts negatively on reproductive function. Testosterone is decreased, sperm quality reduced, and the physical and molecular structure of germ cells altered in obese males. However, less is known about the role of prepubertal obesity on future reproductive function. We therefore explored Leydig cell function and reproductive potential in a...

Background/aim: Hyperparathyroidism (HPHT) is a common feature in patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) especially when treated with vitamin D analogues and phosphate supplements. Although the exact mechanism is not clear, it is assumed that phosphate supplements taken chronically stimulate parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. We prospectively assessed the effect of a novel pathogenetic treatment anti-FGF23 (burosumab) on PTH levels in children with XL...

Background: The prevalence of childhood type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is increasing and the age at presentation is falling. Late presentation with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is more common in younger children who are at increased risk of cerebral oedema.Objective and hypotheses: To describe the clinical presentation of new onset T1DM to our centre and report time to diagnosis, incidence of DKA, requirement for intensive care and complications.<p c...

Background: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by small growing ovarian follicles. It inhibits both FSH induced maturation of follicles as well as aromatase activity. Genetic variation of AMH signalling is associated with age at menopause and circulating oestradiol levels, i.e. AMH rs10407022 T>G (intragenic) and AMHR2 rs11170547 C>T (putative enhancer).Objective and hypotheses: This present study aims to investigate ...

Background: Normal thyroid function is necessary for the optimal growth promoting effects of GH. Changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis following GH have been reported in subjects initially thought to be euthyroid. A specific group of patients, children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), are thought to have a ‘vulnerable’ HPT axis.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the impact of paediatric GH therapy on thyroid hormone statu...

Context: Puberty timing is highly heritable. Recent genome-wide association studies, comparing timing of menarche in girls to timing of voice-break and facial hair in boys, revealed a largely overlapping genetic architecture of female and male pubertal timing. However, it is also known that genetic heterogeneity between sexes exists for some loci.Objectives: We hypothesized that self-reported relative parental pubertal t...

Introduction: Cryptorchidism has usually been managed using a surgical approach, with little attention to the underlying pathophysiology.Objectives: To assess gonadal function before treatment in prepubertal boys with cryptorchidism.Methods: In a cross-sectional study we reviewed all clinical charts of patients encoded with the diagnosis of cryptorchidism in the database of a paediatric tertiary hospital, between 2000 and 2017. Inc...