ESPE Abstracts

Context: The early activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis during infancy can be used in the evaluation of infants suspected of disorders of sex development (DSD). However, few data exists on sex-specific reference ranges for these hormones during early life.Objective: To evaluate sex-differences in reproductive hormone concentrations in serum from healthy infants in order to define sex-specific cut-off values and to apply these in infants ...

Background: That mortality is not increased in rhGH-treated patients when adjusting for birth characteristics was recently published (1). When applying a developed mortality model of the general population, the observed and expected deaths in rhGH-treated IGHD, ISS and SGA patients (n=3847) where 21 and 21.99, respectively. The model includes gender, age, calendar year, gestational age (GA), birth lengthSDS (BLSDS), birth weightSDS (BW...

Background: Screening for autoimmune thyroid disease in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes lacks consensus. Optimal screening methods should benefit the patients and reduce costs to healthcare.Objective and hypotheses: To, at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, determine the predictive value of thyroid autoantibodies, thyroid function, islet autoantibodies, and HLA-DQ for autoimmune thyroid disease.Method: At diagnosis of type...

Background: A common polymorphism in the growth hormone receptor gene (d3-GHR) was found to be associated with pre- and postnatal growth and GH-induced growth. D3-GHR was associated with glucose metabolism in adults with GHD and acromegaly, but this has not previously been explored in children.Objective and hypotheses: We examined the impact of the GHR-exon-3 deletion on glucose metabolism and anthropometrics in short SGA children before and following 1 ...

Background: In adult women, serum levels of AMH reflect both the number of small growing follicles and remaining primordial follicles. AMH levels range 15 fold between healthy girls. Interpretation of AMH is contentious due to minor intra-individual changes around time of pubertal onset despite continuous loss of primordial follicles.Objective and Hypotheses: To describe ovarian morphology (volume, follicles) in healthy girls and adolescents in relation ...

Background: There is wide heterogeneity in responses to GH treatment in children born small for gestational age (SGA).Objective and Hypotheses: The aim was to explore the impact of genetic markers on glucose metabolism and growth during first year high-dose GH treatment in SGA children.Method: In North European Small for Gestational Age Study (NESGAS) patients received high-dose GH (67 μg/kg per day) the first year. 97 patient...

Background: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), have been associated with insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in non-pregnant adults. By contrast, recent pilot studies of pregnant women found negative associations between phthalates and blood glucose, and a lack of association with BPA. No studies have examined gestational IR or secretion in relation to EDC exposure.Objective: To confirm these re...

Background: Minipuberty denotes a transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) hormone axis in infancy. This activation provides an opportunity to examine the gonadal function in infants suspected of hypogonadism before the axis is silenced during childhood. However, female minipuberty remains poorly elucidated. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate dynamic changes in luteinizing hormone (LH), follic...

Background: Minipuberty denotes a period 1–6 months postnatally in boys during which a transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is observed. This early hormone activation can be used diagnostically in patients suspected of pituitary deficiency and differences in sex development. However, its significance for prediction of reproductive function in healthy young men is unknown.Objective: To eval...

Background: Growth during infancy is a continuation of the rapid fetal growth and its regulation is complex and multifactorial. It is well-established that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its regulators (e.g. IGF binding proteins (IGFBP-3) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2)) are important for prenatal and postnatal growth; however, their significance for growth during infancy is not fully explored.Aims: The aim...