ESPE Abstracts

Background: Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) affects 1% of women and is associated with significant medical consequences. In approximately 10% of cases, POI presents early with absent puberty or primary amenorrhoea. A genetic cause for POI can be found in up to 30% of women. Identified genes often relate to the complex biological processes occurring in fetal life which underpin normal ovary development and function in later adulthood.Objective: We aim...

Background: Inherited amino-acid metabolism disorders (IAAMDs) require lifelong restriction of natural dietary proteins. Nutritional amino-acid mixtures (AMM) free of the poorly metabolised amino-acids by the enzyme block, improve nutrition. An adequate protein intake is crucial to ensure normal body development, notably during puberty. We aimed to: 1/ describe growth and puberty in IAAMDs 2/ investigate associations linking height, IGF1 and IGFBP3 with AAM an...

Introduction&Aim: Activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) as a major regulator of adipogenesis and lipid accumulation is controlled by upstream regulators hamartin/tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) 1 and tuberin/TSC2. Hamartin and tuberin form a protein complex that inhibits signal transduction to mTOR. The impact of TSC1 deficiency is not clearly defined in human adipose tissue. We identified a likely pathogenic TSC1 splicing variant in a lipo...

Introduction: Non-communicable diseases are recognized as a major cause of morbidity in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). There are 21 francophone countries (>100 million speak French) in Sub-Saharan Africa (FSSA). We identified only 19 pediatric endocrinologists in FSSA (37% in Cameroon and Senegal) mostly trained in France or through the successful anglophone “Paediatric Endocrine Training Centers for (West) Africa” (PETC[W]A) offered i...

Background: Estrogen replacement is a treatment of choice for pubertal induction in adolescent girls with ovarian failure due to Turner syndrome (TS). Recently published data show, that prepubertal low dose estrogen replacement is more physiologic, and can optimize response to growth hormone treatment, pubertal timing, and improve cognition. The metabolic effects of such treatment regimen have not been fully investigated to date.Objective and hypotheses:...

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is diagnosed in up to 60% of overweight children. Diagnosis and management of NAFLD is challenging due to the lack of non-invasive imaging biomarkers. Ultrasound (US) is the most widely non-invasive method used to identify liver steatosis, however it has low sensitivity to detect mild steatosis and to quantify hepatic fibrosis. Liver Elastography (LE) is a non-invasive methodology used to evaluate hep...

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common neonatal endocrine disorder, with an incidence of 1:3000 neonates, and one of the most frequent preventable causes of mental retardation worldwide. Most (65%) cases of primary permanent CH are due to thyroid dysgenesis (TD). However, a genetic cause is identified in less than 5% of CH due to DT.Methods: We performed WES (Whole Exome Sequencing) for siblings with childhood-onset TD and we analy...

Background: Twenty-three national healthcare networks for rare diseases were identified in 2014 as part of the French scheme on rare diseases. The rare endocrine disease national healthcare network FIRENDO (www.firendo.fr) includes six centers of reference with complementary fields of expertise certified between 2005 and 2006, 30 centers of competence covering all French regions, 18 research and 37 diagnostic laboratories, 5 national learned...

Three patients from two unrelated families in Malta; one consanguineous (siblings: Patient 1, male and Patient 2, female) and one non-consanguineous (Patient 3, male), manifested hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with delayed puberty, intellectual disability, scoliosis, and ataxia with cerebellar hypoplasia on MRI. GnRH tests revealed low peak LH and FSH concentrations in the patients: Patient 1; LH 2.3 IU/L, FSH 4.4 IU/L (14.3y), Patient 2; LH 3.6 IU/L, FSH 6.4 IU/L (12.5y), Pati...

Background: Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is genetically mediated in up to 30% of cases. Many genes associated with POI have roles in early ovary developmental processes, including meiosis.Objectives: We investigated the genetic mechanism underlying early-onset POI in three young women presenting with absent puberty: two sisters from a consanguineous pedigree and a third unrelated proband.<st...