ESPE Abstracts

Background/objectives: Individuals born small-for-gestational age (SGA), especially those who experience postnatal catch-up growth, are at increased risk for developing endocrine-metabolic abnormalities before puberty. In adults, brown adipose tissue (BAT) has been associated with protection against metabolic disorders, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia. Here, we assessed for the first time whether BAT activation differs between prepubertal children born SGA o...

Background: Children born small-for-gestational age (SGA), especially those who experience spontaneous postnatal catch-up growth, are at increased risk for developing insulin resistance, central adiposity and cardiovascular abnormalities later in life. By age 3-6 years, SGA children have a broader aortic and carotid intima media thickness (aIMT and cIMT) which are markers of preclinical atherosclerosis.Objective: To assess longitudinally – at age 12...

Background: Prenatal growth restraint associates with increased oxidative stress – as judged by mitochondrial dysfunction – in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia or diabetes, but it is uncertain whether this is also the case in uncomplicated pregnancies.Objective and hypotheses: To assess the link between fetal growth restraint and placental mitochondrial dysfunction, as reflected by changes in mitochondrial DNA content and superoxide dism...

Background: Progranulin (PGRN) displays pleiotropic biological functions including on early embryogenesis, cell proliferation, lysosomal or neuronal functioning and wound repair, and has been proposed as a biomarker for metabolic diseases. Increased PGRN levels have been reported in type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and in preeclampsia associated to placental dysfunction. However, the ontogeny of PGRN concentrations and the potential value of P...

Background: Puberty is reported to be impaired in children with Sickle cell Anemia (SCA). Studies about this topic are rare in Sub-Saharan regionObjective and hypotheses: Assessment of pubertal development of children with SCA compared to healthy children in Mother and Child Center, CHANTAL BIYA Foundation.Method: We matched a group of 64 children with SCA (26 males, 38 females) with 94 healthy controls aged of 8–17 years old....

Purpose: Low areal bone mineral density (aBMD) is a well-known consequence of anorexia nervosa (AN). However, the impact of reduced energy expenditure on bone metabolism is unknown. This study assessed the effects of energy deficiency on bone remodelling and its potential interactions with glucose homeostasis and adipose tissue-derived hormones in AN, a clinical model for reduced energy expenditure.Methods: 50 women with AN and 50 age-matched controls (m...

Background: The surgical reconstruction of hypospadias is usually performed during the first 2 years of life but little objective data is available to determine its optimal timing. Whereas the no-early surgery option in DSD management is rising, the results of late genital surgery should be evaluated before advocating this attitude.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the outcome of hypospadias surgery according to age and to determine if some complicat...

Background: Hypospadias affects approximately 1/200 newborn males. Based on the testicular dysgenesis syndrome hypothesis, some may be suspected of having persistent testicular dysfunction later in life. Few clinical data currently support this hypothesis.Methods: Cross-sectional assessment of hypospadias cases (n = 193) and controls (n = 50), aged 16-21 years, recruited at Ghent University Hospital and...

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) followed by a rapid postnatal catch-up in weight predisposes individuals to a central distribution of body fat, which is reverted by metformin. Growth-and-differentiation-factor-15 (GDF15) plays an important role in the regulation of energy homeostasis, reducing food intake and lowering body weight. We aimed to assess whether GDF15 concentrations are raised by long-term metformin treatment in LBW/catch-up girls with precociou...

Background: Epigenetic alterations due to maternal obesity may contribute to an increased metabolic risk in the offspring. IRS1 has a critical role in insulin signalling and its methylation has been previously associated with body fat distribution and glucose metabolism in human adipose tissue. The relationship between IRS1 methylation in birth tissues and obesity parameters in the offspring is unknown.Objective: To iden...