ESPE Abstracts

Background: GH deficiency (GHD) is classically defined on the basis of a cut-off applied to the peak GH level during stimulation tests; a process with recognised limitations. Identifying the functional role of genes whose expression is associated with pGH may help with our understanding and classification of GHD.Objective and hypotheses: Identify patterns of gene expression (GE) related to pGH and to describe the function, and regulation of these genes.<...

Background: Prediction of response to recombinant GH (r-GH) is currently based on regression modelling. This approach generates a prediction equation which can be applied to data from an individual child. However this method can underestimate the effect of inter-dependent variables. Random forest classification (RFC) is an alternative prediction method based on decision trees that is not sensitive to the relationships between variables.Objective and hypo...

Background: Because the success rate of lifestyle interventions is modest in severely obese adolescents, surgical treatments are now proposed. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) represents an attractive treatment with minimal morbidity and reversible procedure.Method: All adolescents were included in prospective longitudinal assessment and entirely managed by a pediatric team. Surgery was proposed only after at least 1-year lifestyle interven...

Background: Acromegaly is a rare childhood disorder. The use of a growth hormone (GH) receptor antagonist, pegvisomant, has shown great results in adults with acromegaly. We describe results of pegvisomant therapy in two girls with invasive GH pituitary macroadenomas.Case presentation: Case 1: A somatotroph pituitary macroadenoma was diagnosed in a 8-year-old girl with progressive tall stature (height: 148 cm, >+3 S.D.; growth velocity...

Background: Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a paternal deficiency of maternally imprinted gene expression located in the chromosome 15q11-q13 region. Previous studies have demonstrated that several classes of neurodevelopmental disorders can be attributed to either over- or under-expression of specific genes that may lead to impairments in neuronal generation, differentiation, maturation and growth. Epigenetic chan...

Background: IGF1R is a keystone of foetal growth regulation by mediating the effects of both IGF-I and IGF-II. Recently the first clinical cohort of patients carrying an IGF1R defect has been reported from which a clinical score was established for diagnosis. Since no external validation of this score is available we assessed it in a large cohort of patients with identified IGF1R defects. Furthermore we aim at setting-up a functional test to ...

Background: Prenatal androgen exposure can lead to variable virilization of external female genitalia. The lack of a consensus definition of clitoromegaly and the limited data available on normal steroid levels in female neonates makes its diagnosis difficult.Objective and hypotheses: The aims of this study were (i) to define reference sizes for external female genitalia in term and preterm neonates as a function of gestational age and birth weight; and ...

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...

Background: The side chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1) catalyzes the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone, the first rate-limiting step of steroidogenesis. CYP11A1 mutations are associate with primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) and, in 46,XY patients, Disorders of Sex Development (DSD). A total of 35 patients (27 families) are reported including 15 intermediate forms with delayed onset of PAI, variable degrees of DSD or normal male phenotype.<p class="abstext"...

Background: Vaginal agenesis (VA) in MRKH syndrome can be managed either by surgery or autodilatations.Objective and hypotheses: To compare different managements of MRKH-VA in terms of quality of life, sexual function, anatomical results and complications.Method: National Multicentric observationnal study including 130 patients older than 18, at least one year after completing VA management, from October 2012 to April 2015. 84 had ...