ESPE Abstracts

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is an autosomal recessive inborn error of metabolism due to impaired activity of one enzyme required for cortisol biosynthesis. Steroid 21-hydroxylase (21OH) deficiency is the cause in more than 90% of the patients. The 21OH is encoded by the CYP21A2 gene located on the chromosome 6 in the region known as the RCCX module. Due to the high homology and tandem-repeat organization of the RCCX module, this region of the genome is subjected to...

Background: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous rare disorder characterized by variable symptoms including predisposition to fractures. OI has been associated with mutations affecting the synthesis of type I collagen. However, the new technologies have permitted the identification of other responsible genes which are in the collagen metabolic pathway, while others are not.Objective: Characterize the genotype of pati...

Background: Leptin is suggested to be a permissive factor in the onset of puberty by signaling at the level of the hypothalamus to indicate adequate energy stores. Overweight female rats due to increased neonatal nutrition have been shown to develop puberty before normal weight rats.Objective and hypothesis: We hypothesized that this permissive effect may be due not only to increased leptin levels, but also to increased hypothalamic sensitivity to this h...

Background: Craniosynostosis, defined as the premature fusion of the cranial sutures, presents many challenges in aetiology. One known form associated to steroid biosynthesis impairment is the Antley-Bixler Syndrome (ABS). ABS-phenotype and normal steroidogenesis have FGFR mutations, whereas those with ambiguous genitalia and altered steroidogenes should be recognized as possibly having P450 oxidoreductase deficiency, with mild do moderate 17 OH progesterone (17HOP) elevation ...

Introduction: Hyperthyroidism (HT) is a condition characterized by inappropriately high thyroid hormone (TH) activity at receptor level, due to high synthesis and secretion of TH by thyroid gland. Antithyroid drugs as methimazole (MMI) are used as the first-line therapy in children. However, the optimal treatment duration and the predictive remission factors are still controversial.Objective: To investigate outcome of MM...

Background: The mitochondrial enzyme nicotinamide nucleotide transidrogenase (NNT) is essential in the antioxidant defense mechanisms and appears to be essential to the stages of adrenal steroidogenesis that occur inside the mitochondria.Aim: To characterize how mutations in NNT gene impair adrenal steroidogenesis resulting in familial glucocorticoid deficiency (FGD).Methods: Genom...

Background: Fertility Preservation (FP) in children and adolescents poses unique challenges as efficacy is unproven.Objective and hypotheses: To describe characteristics and evidence for potential fertility in ovarian and testicular tissue cryopreservation specimens (OTCP and TTCP respectively) taken from paediatric and adolescent patients, stratified by age, and prior chemotherapy.Method: Retrospective review of gonadal biopsies a...

Childhood cancer survivors (CCS), particularly brain cancer survivors, are at risk of developing growth hormone deficiency (GHD) due to hypothalamic-pituitary damage from direct tumor mass effects or treatment. Optimization of testing, long-term treatment, and monitoring during care transition from pediatric to adult endocrinology providers remain challenging. A group of endocrinology experts convened to discuss these challenges, the risks and benefits of GH therapy in CCS wit...

Aim: We aimed to investigate the growth potential of pituitary microadenomas and cystic lesions < 10mm in children, and to evaluate how reproducible the measurements were on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Design: Retrospective observational study.Methods: 74 children were included < 18 years at first pituitary MRI, and diagnosed with a microadenoma (microadenoma producing ACTH, GH or TSH ...

Introduction: The metabolic effects of oral hormonal contraception (OC) on telomere length (RTL) in young women with T1D are unknown.Objective: To determine the effect of using an OC on glycemic control, inflammatory profile, and RTL in young women with T1D and healthy women without diabetes (C).Methodology: T1D (n:20, age: 20.6 &pm; 3.3 years) and C (n:22, age 20.2 &pm; 3 years) u...