ESPE Abstracts

Background: Obesity is characterised by excessive fat accumulation coursing with a chronic mild inflammatory state, with adipose tissue (AT) being the main site of increased systemic cytokine production. Increased adiposity early in life is the main risk factor for cardiometabolic disorders later in life, with the abnormal accumulation of lipids in AT leading to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Inflammatory process that involves metabolic and card...

Background: Over the last decade, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a substantial increase in the use of digital health tools to track growth and manage growth disorders in children. Paediatric endocrinologists acknowledge the usefulness of these tools in clinical decision making but lack confidence and skills to use them. Atique et al. designed a Massive Open Online Learning Course (MOOC) to increase digital health literacy, and identified...

Introduction: Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder caused by the lack of expression of genes on the paternally inherited chromosome 15q11.2-q13 region. Clinical picture of PWS changes across life stages. PWS is characterized by endocrine abnormalities, such as growth hormone (GH) deficiency, obesity, central adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, and complex behavioural and intellectual difficulties. The recombinant human growt...

Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) is the obligatory redox partner of steroid and drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450s located in the endoplasmic reticulum. Mutations in POR cause a broad range of disorders like congenital adrenal hyperplasia that may resemble bone malformations resembling Antley-Bixler syndrome. Genome sequencing studies have revealed the existence of a POR missense variant P228. We aimed to determine the detailed functional impact of POR variant P228L for it...

Background: A broad spectrum of human diseases, including abnormalities in steroidogenesis, are caused by mutations in the NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) (1-2). Cytochrome P450 proteins perform several reactions, including metabolism of steroids, drugs and other xenobiotics. Therefore, genetic variations in POR can impact many different metabolic pathways by changing the activities of cytochromes P450 (1). In 2004 the first human patients with defe...

Background: Turmeric is a popular ingredient in the cuisine of many Asian countries. It is also known for its use in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. It comes from the root of the Curcuma longa. Turmeric is rich in curcuminoids, including curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Curcumin has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activities. Since many anti-cancer drugs target enzymes from the steroidogenic pathway, we tested the bioactivi...

Background: The peptide hormone adrenocorticotropin (ACTH or Corticotropin) is a major component of the stress response system in the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. Under stress, it is secreted from the anterior pituitary and stimulates cortisol production from the adrenal cortex. Changes in ACTH production or action are associated with multiple disease conditions. In clinical situations like Cushing's disease, ectopic ACTH syndrome and congeni...

Background: The adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is a 39 amino acid polypeptide secreted by the anterior pituitary and regulates cortisol secretion from the adrenal cortex. Cortisol has negative feedback and regulates the synthesis and secretion of the ACTH. Excess ACTH is associated with a wide range of diseases including congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Classic CAH due to the 21-hydroxylase (CYP21A2) deficiency causes a reduction or loss of cortisol synthesis. Here th...

Background: Aromatase (CYP19A1) a member of cytochrome P450 protein family is a major steroid metabolizing enzyme which converts androgens to estrogens. Mutations in aromatase can lead to autosomal recessive aromatase deficiency. An R192H mutation in CYP19A1 described earlier caused severe phenotype of aromatase deficiency with regressive virilization of the 46,XX new-born, but without signs of androgen excess during pregnancy. Computational studies suggested that R192H disrup...

A broad spectrum of human diseases, including abnormalities in steroidogenesis, are caused by mutations in the NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) (1-4). Human POR is a diflavin reductase that transfers electrons from NADPH to small molecules, non-P450 redox partners and cytochrome P450 proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. Cytochrome P450 proteins perform a very wide range of reactions, including metabolism of steroids, drugs and other xenobiotics. Therefore, genetic ...