ESPE Abstracts

Background: Insulin Tolerance tests (ITT) have long been considered the gold standard for dynamic function testing of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Sub-optimal cortisol responses during an ITT in children may be found in children during ITT without a previous clinical suspicion of Adrenal insufficiency (AI). It is not clear what the clinical significance of this is and whether all of these children require formal synacthen testing.<p class=...

Background: The integration of technology in health care has led to improved medical care and better compliance, especially in chronic diseases such as diabetes. Despite these advances, compliance has always been an issue in caring for adolescents with diabetes. Text messaging has become a popular way to communicate with peers especially for teens. Multiple studies support the theory that texting is an easy and affordable resource that health care providers can utilise to educ...

Introduction: Obesity is a significant public health concern affecting children and young people (CYP) worldwide. The impact of obesity on CYP is multi-faceted and can have a significant effect on their lives. They are at risk of being stigmatized and discriminated against, leading to poor academic performance and social functioning. It is crucial to assess the impact of obesity on the lives of CYP through tools such as Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) q...

Background: Craniopharyngioma is a benign tumour that develops in the sellar and surrounding parasellar regions, including the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland responsible for the production and regulation of neuropeptides. Oxytocin is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that has been identified as a key modulator of appetite drive and social cognition. Here, we present a case of parent-observed improvements in neurobehavioural dysfunction following administration...

Background: Mounting evidence points to an association between increased glucocorticoid (GC) action and weight gain. However, the response to GCs is not only determined by GC serum concentrations, but also by individual differences in tissue-specific sensitivity, influenced by genetic and acquired (e.g. disease-related) factors. The extent to which differences in GC sensitivity may influence development of (abdominal) obesity, or vice versa, is poorly understo...

Background: Pituitary adenomas secreting GH rarely present in childhood. We report the clinical features, management and outcome of the 5 cases referred to a tertiary Paediatric Endocrine/Neurosurgical service over a 20-year period.Patients: **4 Male:1 Female - all aged 15 years at referral. Tanner puberty stages G3-5; B3. Clinical follow-up data range 2 months – 8 years.Clinical features at presentation: Headache, n=...

Background: SOX2 is an early developmental transcription factor implicated in pituitary development; heterozygous SOX2 mutations have been reported in patients with a severe ocular phenotype and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HH) with/without associated abnormalities. SOX2 physically interacts with β-catenin, a member of the Wnt-signalling pathway, via its carboxyl-terminus and it represses in vitroβ-catenin mediated activation.<p class="abstex...

Introduction: Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome Temporarily associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) was first reported by our hospital in the UK. Vitamin D3(25(OH)D) has important roles in cardiac function, immunomodulation, and inflammation. It therefore may be an important biomarker for severity in PIMS-TS, however 25(OH)D status and treatment guidance in PIMS-TS are lacking. We report serum 25(OH)D levels on admission and associations wit...

Background: Children and young people living with severe obesity experience a range of complications of excess weight (CEW), however the prevalence of complications is not well defined. We have evaluated baseline clinical characteristics and CEW of patients seen in two multi-disciplinary tier-3 paediatric weight management services in different regions of the UK.Methods: All new patients (n=185) aged 2-17 years ...

Background: Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1), encoded by the gene NR5A1, is a member of the orphan nuclear receptor superfamily and important regulator of gonadal and adrenal function. Variations in SF1 lead to a spectrum of conditions including 46,XY DSD, hypospadias, adrenal insufficiency, male factor infertility, and primary ovarian insufficiency. Inheritance patterns can be complicated (e.g. de novo dominant, sex-limited dominant, and autosomal recessive). In...