ESPE Abstracts

Background: Biallelic mutations of the CYP11B2 aldosterone synthase gene cause deficiency of aldosterone synthesis. Patients exhibit isolated deficiency of aldosterone biosynthesis, increased plasma renin activity, increased steroid precursors desoxycorticosterone, corticosterone, as well as 18-hydroxy-desoxycorticosterone, and show salt wasting and poor growth. The aldosterone synthase enzyme has 18-hydroxylase (corticosterone methyloxidase type I, CMO I) and 18-oxidase (CMO ...

Background: A one-month girl was referred to our unit for hypocalcemia. She was the first child of healthy non-consanguineous parents. Her family history was unremarkable except a miscarriage in the mother and oligoasthenospermia in the father that justified a medically assisted reproduction. She was born eutrophic at term after a pregnancy marked by a moderate gestational diabetes. On day 3, a routine neonatal screening revealed a severe asymptomatic hypocalcemia (total calci...

Background/Aim: Serum NAMPT (nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase) levels are altered in adult patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, less is known about NAMPT serum levels children and adolescents and their association with parameters of liver function.Methods: Blood and anthropometric data of 416 children and adolescents who participated in the LIFE Child Study Leipzig were collected. Serum NAMPT (Adipogen) and cytokeratin-...

Background: Paediatric pituitary adenomas are rare and mostly benign disorders which may secrete pituitary hormones. Prolactinomas account for half of all pituitary adenomas (PROLA), followed by non-secreting adenomas (20–40%; incidentalomas), adrenocorticotropic-hormone secreting adenomas (10–30%; ACTHA) and growth-hormone-secreting adenomas (5–15%; GHA).Methods: In this single-centre retrospective analysis clinical, biochemical and radio...

Background: Juvenile Pagets disease (JPD), an ultra-rare, debilitating bone disease stemming from unopposed RANKL action due to loss of functional osteoprotegerin (OPG) is caused by recessive mutations in TNFRSF11B. A genotype-phenotype correlation spanning from mild to very severe forms is described.Objective and hypotheses: To describe the complexity of the human phenotype of OPG deficiency in more detail and to investigate heterozygous mutation carrie...

Background: DKA in children and adolescents with established type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a major problem with considerable cost to patients, families and health care systems. Many consider it as a quality of care indicator and a failure of relationship between the care provider and the family/patient. Considerable variability in rates are recognized. We analyzed multicenter registry and audit data from five countries with similarly advanced, yet differing, health care systems.</p...

Background: Macroprolactinomas in children below 10 years of age are rare. Usually prolactinomas respond well to dopamine agonists so that neurosurgical resection is rarely necessary. For non-responders to dopamine agonist therapy other extended treatment options have to be considered.Clinical case: We report a 14-year-old boy who presented at the age of 11 years with headaches for 5 years and progressive bilateral vision problems. The diagnosis of a mac...

Background: Dominant mutations in ABCC8 can cause congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), which is characterised by unregulated insulin secretion.Objective and hypotheses: To understand the molecular basis of medically unresponsive CHI due to dominant ABCC8 mutations.Method: We investigated ten patients with diazoxide unresponsive CHI who required a near total pancreatectomy. DNA sequencing revealed seven dominant heter...

Background: Growth retardation affects more than 80% of patients with Noonan syndrome (NS; MIM#163950), one of the most common developmental disorders, but its origin remains poorly understood. We have demonstrated that mutations of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP2, that are responsible for half the cases of NS, impair the systemic production of Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), the biological mediator of GH acting on growth plate, through a hyperactivation of the Ras/Mitogen-...

Objectives: GH deficiency (GHD) and small for gestational age (SGA) status are associated with cardiovascular risks. We therefore investigated antiatherogenic effects of GH.Methods: Subfractions of LDL and HDL, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured at baseline, after 8 and 52 weeks of GH treatment in 51 short children born SGA (n=33) or with GHD (n=18).<p cla...