ESPE Abstracts

Background: The anogenital distance (AGD) is considered a valid marker of altered androgen action in utero. Recently, reduced AGD has been shown in males with hypospadias, cryptorchidism, reduced semen quality and infertility. It has also been proposed as a new marker to be used by clinicians when managing patients with Disorders of Sex Development. However, little normative data exist and measurement methods vary.Objective and hypotheses: We established...

Background: Minipuberty denotes a transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) hormone axis in infancy. This activation provides an opportunity to examine the gonadal function in infants suspected of hypogonadism before the axis is silenced during childhood. However, female minipuberty remains poorly elucidated. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate dynamic changes in luteinizing hormone (LH), follic...

Background: Intermittent breast budding (girls entering stage B2 and then subsequently regressing to B1) in healthy girls is a frequent phenomenon observed by most clinicians. However, little is known of normal progression of female puberty, and the phenomenon of transient breast development has, to our knowledge, never been studied in details.Objective and hypotheses: We present and validate the female Puberty Nomogram indicating age specific SD<...

Context: The early activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis during infancy can be used in the evaluation of infants suspected of disorders of sex development (DSD). However, few data exists on sex-specific reference ranges for these hormones during early life.Objective: To evaluate sex-differences in reproductive hormone concentrations in serum from healthy infants in order to define sex-specific cut-off values and to apply these in infants ...

Background: Anogenital distance (AGD) is an indicator of androgen action in utero. Reduced AGD has been found in males with hypospadias, cryptorchidism, low semen quality and infertility. Its usefulness as a clinical marker in patients with Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) is currently being investigated. However, detailed age, sex and method related reference ranges do not exist. Whether individual (body-size-adjusted) AGD is stable postnatally also remains to be e...

Background: Sexual maturation is closely linked to growth, suggesting common pathways between the reproductive development and the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I (GH/IGF-I) axis. IGF-I bioavailability is regulated by Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2) and Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2). A large genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified PAPP-A, PAPP-A2 and STC2 to represent loci strongly a...

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: Minipuberty denotes a period 1–6 months postnatally in boys during which a transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is observed. This early hormone activation can be used diagnostically in patients suspected of pituitary deficiency and differences in sex development. However, its significance for prediction of reproductive function in healthy young men is unknown.Objective: To eval...

Background: Growth during infancy is a continuation of the rapid fetal growth and its regulation is complex and multifactorial. It is well-established that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its regulators (e.g. IGF binding proteins (IGFBP-3) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2)) are important for prenatal and postnatal growth; however, their significance for growth during infancy is not fully explored.Aims: The aim...

Background: FSH stimulates ovarian follicle maturation and estradiol synthesis which is responsible for breast development. Age at pubertal onset varies substantially among healthy girls. Although more than half of the variation is heritable, only a small part has been attributed to specific genetic polymorphisms identified so far.Objective and Hypotheses: We assessed the effect on pubertal onset of three genetic polymorphisms affecting FSH action.<p...