ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Obesity is the direct cause of a number of immediate problems during childhood. Recently, fat mass was described as a significant negative predictor of serum iron. Hepcidin is a hormone stimulated by an increase in plasma iron levels and iron deposits in tissues, and decreases iron release from macrophages and duodenal enterocytes into the plasma. This protein prevents excessive iron absorption and iron accumulation in tissues. Ferritin is the most commonly deplo...

Background: Daily injections are currently required for growth hormone (GH) replacement therapy, which may cause poor compliance, inconvenience and distress for patients. MOD-4023 is a CTP-modified human GH (hGH) developed for once-weekly administration in growth hormone deficient (GHD) adults and children.Objective and hypotheses: In the present Phase 2 study, the safety and tolerability of once-weekly subcutaneous (SC) administration of MOD-4023 were a...

Background: Growth hormone (GH) replacement therapy currently requires daily injections, which may cause poor compliance, inconvenience and distress for patients. CTP-modified hGH (MOD-4023) has been developed by OPKO Biologics for once-weekly administration in growth hormone-deficient (GHD) adults and children.Objective and hypotheses: The 24-month efficacy of once-weekly subcutaneous (SC) administration of MOD-4023 was evaluated in a Phase 2 study in G...

Background: GH insensitivity is caused by disturbances of GH receptor function or inability to transduce the hormone signal. Affected children are severely growth retarded and may also present immune complications when the transducer STAT5B is defective. Only autosomal-recessive STAT5B mutations have been described to date.Clinical case: Two male 14.5 year monozygotic twins presented with heights of 131.5 cm (−5.3 SDS). Bone age of the ind...

Background: The short stature homeobox-containing (SHOX) gene, located in the telomeric pseudoautosomal region 1 (PAR1) on the short arm of both sex chromosomes, is important for linear growth.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of our study was to evaluate the presence of SHOX gene deletions/point mutations in children with short stature in order to understand the role of SHOX gene in idiopathic short stature (ISS) and estimate its frequency.<p class=...

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism, one of the most important preventable causes of mental retardation, is a clinical condition characterized by thyroid hormone deficiency in newborns.Objective and hypotheses: Congenital hypothyroidism is most often caused by defects in thyroid development leading to thyroid dysgenesis. TSH receptor (TSHR) is the main known gene causing thyroid dysgenesis in consanguineous families with congenital hypothyroidism. In t...

Background: Two siblings of non-consanguineous parents presented with FGD, demonstrated by ACTH resistance with glucocorticoid but not mineralocorticoid deficiency. The proband presented at 21 months, unresponsive with hypoglycaemia (BGL 1.5 mmol/l). Endocrine evaluation subsequent to resuscitation indicated adrenal insufficiency with elevated ACTH. Hydrocortisone therapy was commenced. A sibling, 4 years younger than the proband had a short Synacthen test (SST) performed on d...

Background: Primary generalised glucocorticoid resistance (PGGR) is a rare condition characterised by tissue insensitivity to glucocorticoids owing to inactivating mutations of the hGR gene. A new case of PGGR was reported in a patient with an adrenal incidentaloma harboring a novel heterozygous point mutation in the hGR gene, which resulted in threonine (T) to isoleucine (I) substitution at amino acid position 556 of the receptor.Objec...

Background: Pubertal gynaecomastia is thought to be a clinical sign of an oestrogen-androgen imbalance, affecting up to 60% of boys. In most cases no underlying endocrinopathy can be identified. In boys, Anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by immature Sertoli cells and circulating level decreases as testosterone increases during pubertal maturation. In a previous cross sectional study we found significant lower levels of AMH in boys with pubertal gynaecomastia (Mieri...

Background: Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is a rare group of disorders characterised by end-organ resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH), and possibly TSH, with or without features of Albright’s hereditary osteodystrophy.Case presentation: A 14-year-old boy presented with fatigue and spontaneous carpal spasms in association with a febrile viral infection. Past medical history was significant for an episode of asymptomatic hypocalcemia treated with...