ESPE Abstracts

Background: Upon excessive expansion, adipose tissue is infiltrated by macrophages and shows increased production of inflammatory cytokines. This chronic low grade inflammation of adipose tissue is involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. A supplementation with resveratrol can reverse the metabolic disturbances of human obesity, in part by mimicking the effects of caloric restriction.Objective and Hypotheses: We hypothesized that the beneficia...

Background: The steroidogenic enzyme aromatase is encoded by the CYP19A1 gene. Aromatase activity is required for estrogen biosynthesis from androgen precursors in the ovary and several extragonadal tissues. The role of aromatase and thus estrogens for human biology is best illustrated by disease states, both deficiency and excess which might be caused by genetic disorders.Aim: A novel deletion-insertion mutation spanning from intron 10 to the 3...

Background: RARβ cooperates with Nur77 to in-vitro regulate HSD3B2 transcription. NUR77 expression parallels HSD3B2 expression with a much lower level in androgen-producing adrenocortical tissues (childhood virilizing adrenocortical tumours (VAT), fetal zone (FeZ) and zona reticularis, ZR). RARβ is down-regulated in starved, hyperandrogenic H295R cells. However, the mechanisms regulating this expression pattern and the relevance of RARβ to huma...

Background: Recombinant human GH (rhGH) therapy requires daily s.c. injections, this inconvenient treatment regimen results to poor compliance of the patient. Thus, to improve patient compliance, long-acting rhGH products including various protein fusion techniques have been in development during past 15 years.Objective and hypotheses: In this study, we describe the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of a novel long-acting GH using Fc fusion protein (rhGH-Fc)...

Introduction: Human breast milk (HBM) contains various components with critical roles in supporting early human growth and development. HBM is highly enriched in miRNAs, short, non-coding RNAs of 18 to 25 nucleotides in length, involved in the development, differentiation, proliferation, metabolism, and death of cells and tissues. miRNAs have been linked to growth control, apoptosis, epigenetic modifications, developmental programming, stem cell differentiatio...

Steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1, NR5A1) is a key regulator of adrenal and gonad development, and controls transcription of many genes in these endocrine axes. A role for SF-1/NR5A1 in human endocrine conditions was first established 15 years ago when rare individuals with adrenal hypoplasia and 46,XY DSD (testicular dysgenesis, Müllerian structures) were reported. Although it was felt that adrenal failure would be a key feature of SF-1 disruption, in the pa...

Background: Differentiation of the gonads in men is closely dependent on Sertoli cells maturation. Differences of sex development (DSD) are caused by variations in this process. The study of the mechanisms underlying these complex conditions is crucial for optimal clinical management and Sertoli cells would be an ideal model for this purpose. However, there are two main obstacles for the study of human Sertoli cells. Firstly, mature human Sertoli cells lose their proliferation...

Introduction: The reported occurrence and management of acute adrenal insufficiency (AI) – related adverse events (AE) vary widely between centres and may depend on available resources.Aim: To use the data within the I-CAH Registry to understand the association between the occurrence and management of AI related AE, their management and the availability of local resources.Methods:</st...

Introduction: Turner syndrome (TS), sometimes referred as congenital ovarian dysgenesis syndrome, is a genetic disorder that results when one of the X chromosomes (sex chromosomes) is missing (monosomic) or partially absent (mosaicism). It can cause a variety of medical and developmental problems, including short height. It is one of the most common syndromes that is included in the list of diseases treated with rhGH during the last 22 years in Albania. This s...

Introduction: The DIAPH2 gene (Diaphanous homolog 2 Drosophila) is a Protein Coding gene found on the long arm of the X chromosome and is a member of the FH1/FH2 protein family. Members of this family affect cytokinesis and other actin-mediated morphogenetic processes required in early gonadal development.Case Description: An eight-year-old girl was referred with a chief complaint of short stature. She is a product of no...