ESPE Abstracts

Background: Wolfram Syndrome (WS) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by early-onset diabetes and optic atrophy as well as a variable spectrum of other clinical features. It is caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene. There is currently limited published literature on pubertal progression and gonadal function in WS.Aims: To review the gonadal function and pubertal progression of a cohort of adoles...

Background: FPLD2 results from autosomal dominant mutations in the LMNA gene. The physical appearance develops through adolescence where subcutaneous fat deposits of the limbs, trunk, buttocks and legs do not develop resulting in a muscular appearance. The metabolic phenotype includes elevations in triglyceride concentrations and hepatosteatosis with resultant insulin resistance. Co-morbidities that may manifest during young adulthood include early-onset diabe...

We report a term male with diazoxide-unresponsive congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) (spontaneous conception, non-consanguineous, no family history). The patient did not have macroglossia, exomphalos or lateralised overgrowth (cardinal Beckwith-Wiedemann spectrum (BWSp) features) (1). There was no polyhydramnios, macrosomia, facial naevus simplex, ear creases/pits, diastasis recti or nephromegaly/hepatomegaly (suggestive BWSp features) (1).A targeted massi...

Background: A mutation in EIF2S3 (NM_001415; Xp22.11) was previously associated with microcephaly and developmental delay in a single pedigree. EIF2S3 encodes the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit 3 (eIF2γ), the largest of three EIF2 subunits. EIF2 initiates protein synthesis by forming a ternary complex with GTP and initiator methionyl-tRNA which then binds to the 40S ribosomal subunit, enabling scanning of mRNA from the 5′ end to...

Introduction: There are few longitudinal male cohort studies with serial assessments of growth and puberty.Objective: To describe the design and implementation of a longitudinal cohort study of Russian boys evaluated annually for growth, development and puberty.Design/methods: We assembled a multi-disciplinary team of U.S. and Russian researchers to design and conduct a longitudinal boys’ cohort study in Chapaevsk, Russia with...

Background: Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a monogenic disorder associated with diabetes mellitus (DM), optic atrophy, diabetes insipidus (DI), neurological deterioration and deafness. Growth has been poorly characterised in case series.Objective and hypotheses: To determine growth and prevalence of endocrine disorders, qualify therapies and metabolic outcome for DM, and relationship of cranial MRI findings to clinical findings in children and young people (CY...

Background: We are not aware of other longitudinal cohort studies of boys with annual assessments of pubertal development and long term follow-up to adulthood to evaluate semen quality.Objective: To describe semen quality and investigate its predictors in a longitudinal cohort study of Russian boys followed from prepuberty until adulthood.Design and methods: From 2003 to 2005, 516 prepubertal 8–9-year-old boys were enrolled (8...

Background: We are not aware of other longitudinal cohort studies of boys with prepubertal assessment of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and annual long term follow-up of growth and puberty to evaluate semen quality.Objective: To describe semen quality and explore associations of prepubertal serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds and pubertal measures with semen parameters in an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of Russian boy...

Background: DICER1, a ribonuclease, cleaves non-coding small RNA precursors to generate mature microRNAs (miRNAs), of ~21 nucleotides in length. MiRNAs alter gene expression post-transcriptionally by directly binding to mRNA transcripts and subsequently down-regulating gene expression. It is estimated that expression of ~30–70% of all mammalian protein-coding genes are regulated in this manner.Method: Sequencing of DICER1 in various tumors, accompan...

The human adrenal cortex produces a wide range of steroids that includes aldosterone, cortisol and a variety of 19 carbon (C19) steroids; the most studied being DHEA. In humans, adrenarche is the endocrine developmental process manifested by an increased adrenal output of DHEA. This phenomenon corresponds with the expansion of the zona reticularis of the adrenal gland. However, the physiological mechanisms that trigger adrenarche remain elusive. Our research focuses...