ESPE Abstracts

Background: The influence of intrauterine life on long term health is supported by a wealth of epidemiological and experimental studies. A low oxygen and/or nutrient supply to the fetus, resulting in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), may affect gonadal development of the offspring, with a potential impact on fertility. Data derived from animal models of placental insufficiency are very limited.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the effects of...

Background: NR5A1 mutations in 46,XY patients lead to various degrees of disorders of sex development (DSD). Familial cases have been described where the mother (heterozygous for the mutation) presented primary ovarian failure. Little is known about testicular function at puberty but most patients have biological markers of gonadal dysgenesis, raising fears of infertility.Objective and hypotheses: To describe a familial form of DSD due to NR5A1 mutation ...

Background: Cantù syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by congenital hypertrichosis, neonatal macrosomia, a distinct osteochondrodysplasia, and cardiomegaly. Other findings described are vascular abnormalities, pulmonary hypertension, generalized edema, mild learning disability and behavioral problems. Cantù syndrome is related to an heterozygous pathogenic variant in ABCC9 or KCNJ8, which can be inherited in an autosominal dominant manner or d...

Background: SHORT syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic multisystem disorder determined by PIK3R1 gene mutations, which normally plays a role in cell signalling. SHORT is an acronym for short stature, hyperextensibility of joints and/or hernia, ocular depression, Rieger anomaly and teething delay. It is a rare condition; its prevalence is unknown with only few affected individuals and families reported worldwide.Case report: We report a case of 4 yea...

Background: Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is an X-linked disease characterized by impaired β-oxidation of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA) and in the most severe cases by inflammatory demyelination in the brain, adrenocortical insufficiency (AI), and death. Seven phenotypes were described, with a higher prevalence of the cerebral forms.Case report: We report two cases of ALD with different evolution, in February 2014. First case, an 11 years old boy...

Background: Terminal Xp-deletion causes a variant of Turner syndrome (TS). Several studies described the associated phenotype: gonadal function is generally preserved and short stature is the major clinical feature.Case presentation: We present a family with vertical transmission of TS affecting six women in four subsequent generations. SNP-array indicates that the chromosomal aberration in this family includes terminal Xp-deletion and terminal Xq-duplic...

Background: POMC plays a major role in central body weight regulation. Recently we have shown that a POMC hypermethylation variant is significantly associated with obesity in children and adolescents (Kuehnen et al. PLoS Genetics 2012).Objective and hypotheses: Here we report about our extended studies to elucidate the mechanism behind the occurrence of the POMC hypermethylation variant in obese individuals.<p clas...

Background: Patients with childhood-onset GH deficiency (GHD) are usually retested in late adolescence or young adulthood, after achievement of final height, to verify whether they need to continue GH treatment. Most of the patients found to have idiopathic GHD when tested as children have normal GH responses when retested in the early or late adolescence. Indeed, the 2007 Consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of GHD adults recommended that idiopathic GHD patien...

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterised by impaired cortisol synthesis. An enzymatic defect in 11-beta-hydroxylase is the second most common variant of CAH and accounts for approximately 5–8% of cases. Patients present with features of androgen excess and approximately two thirds of patients also have high blood pressure (HBP), which is initially responsive to glucocorticoid replacement, but may become a c...

Background: GH revolutionised treatment of children with GH deficiency, conditioning an improvement in height outcome but also an increase of lean body mass and reduction of fat mass.Objective and hypotheses: The authors aimed to evaluate the growth and weight response in children with GH deficiency and identify potential factors affecting the outcome of these patients.Method: The growth and weight data of 58 children (33 boys and ...