ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Ovary development was once considered a largely passive process. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) approaches have allowed us to begin to characterise ovary development in previously unparalleled detail, revealing the process to be complex and, still, little understood. A challenge is synthesising and using these data to advance our understanding of clinical disease. Through a clinically-focused lens, we elucidate novel aspects of the transcriptional lands...

Background: KiSS-1 and its product, kisspeptin is necessary for puberty onset and proper adult gonadal function due to its stimulatory effect on the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Although the pathophysiological importance of KiSS-1 and kisspeptin is well known, the developmental patterns of expression of KiSS-1 genes and serum level of kisspeptin have not been explored to date.Objective and hypotheses: We report herein the expressio...

Defects in the specification, migration and/or function of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons gonadotropin-releasing hormone result in Kallmann Syndrome (KS), a rare genetic disorder characterized by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia (lack of sense of smell). To identify new molecular causes of KS, we performed a systematic genetic interrogation via whole exome sequencing of KS families. Autosomal dominant loss-of-function mutations in TCF12, a transcription...

Background & Aim: Vitamin D-dependent rickets type 1 A (VDDR1A) is an autosomal recessive condition caused by mutation in CYP27B1, which encodes 1 α-hydroxylase enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25 (OH)2D). We are reporting 4 cases of VDDR1A due to CYP27B1 mutation initially misdiagnosed as vitamin D deficient and hypophosphatemic rickets.<p class="abstext...

Background: The process of sexual differentiation is critical for reproduction in nearly all metazoan. Defects in any of the genes involved in either testicular or ovarian development can result in disorders of sex development (DSD). CBX2/M33 is a chromatin modifier that plays an important role in sexual development and its disorders, highlighted by the fact that M33-deficient mice have male-to-female sex reversal and loss-of-function of CBX2 causes 46, XY DSD...

Background: Current data from genome wide association studies (GWAS) explains 24.6% of the variation in adult height from 3290 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)1. Data on the genetic control of growth velocity during childhood is more limited and no previous studies have linked childhood growth to changes in the transcriptome (gene expression) or epigenome (DNA methylation). Here we present a systems biology approach to understand mid-child...

Background/Introduction: Whole exome sequencing (WES) revolutionized clinical genetics in patients with differences of sex development (DSD). However, our ability to interpret WES data is limited by our incomplete understanding of the mechanisms involved in DSD. Thus, we created a methodology that scores potential candidates based on single cells transcriptomics of human male gonadal cells and applied it to WES data from a cohort of genetically male (46,XY) DS...

Objective: Merge and standardize the scarce data on molecular and phenotypic findings of mutations in the human leptin receptor (LEPR) gene causing a rare form of severe early-onset obesity.Methods: We summarized functional and phenotypic traits of LEPR mutations reported in the literature in a structured and comprehensive manner. Additional data was obtained from 6 subjects of our outpatient clinic not reported so far. Functionality of mutations was ass...

Background: Phthalate exposure results in endocrine disruption by inhibiting steroidogenesis, inducing focal dysgenesis and disrupting germ cell development in the rat fetal testis. Whilst phthalate exposure does not reduce testosterone production by the human fetal testis, its effects on germ cells and induction of dysgenetic areas in the developing human testis are less well described.Objective and Hypotheses: To determine the effects of phthalate expo...

Background: Nutrient deprivation during early development has been associated with the predisposition to metabolic disorders in numerous epidemiological studies. Experiments with rodents also indicate a developmental plasticity of neuropsychological characteristics following alterations of early postnatal nutrition.Objective: Considering its interaction with metabolism and regulation of appetite and behavior, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may represen...