ESPE Abstracts

Background: Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) plays a key role in reproduction. The G-protein coupled FSH receptor (FSHR), is expressed primarily in gonads, and specifically binds FSH. FSHR is also expressed in vascular endothelium, osteoclasts, adipose tissue, monocytes and rodent pancreatic islets. Elevated FSH levels are associated with development of obesity, insulin resistance, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. In a recent study, we showed that h...

Background: Growth hormone (GH) replacement therapy usually requires daily subcutaneous (s.c.) injections that can be burdensome for patients and their caregivers. Long-acting GH formulations aim to establish a less burdensome dosing regimen that is as safe and efficacious as daily GH to potentially improve adherence and clinical outcomes. Somapacitan, a long-acting reversible albumin-binding GH derivative, is in development for once-weekly s.c. administration...

Introduction: Vitamin D-dependent rickets type 2A (VDDR2A) is a rare autosomal recessive disease that caused by mutations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. Hypocalcemia, high alkaline phosphatase, secondary hyperparathyroidism, high 1.25-OH vitamin D (1.25-OHD) levels despite normal 25-OH vitamin D (25-OHD) levels are diagnostic. The clinical signs are rickets, short stature, recurrent lung infections and total/subtotal alopecia. Here, we present a case of...

Background: NEUROD1 encoding neurogenic differentiation 1 is known to play an important role in the development of the pancreas and central nervous system. Heterozygous mutations have been rarely identified as a cause of maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY6). Biallelic NEUROD1 mutations have been reported to cause neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) as well. However, only 3 cases have been reported worldwide so far....

Metreleptin is a leptin analog used to treat metabolic complications of lipodystrophy, a set of rare disorders characterized by generalized (GL) or regional (PL) deficiency of adipose tissue, resulting in insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia, steatohepatitis, and reproductive dysfunction. Metreleptin increases fertility, particularly in GL; spontaneous pregnancy without metreleptin was reported in only 4 patients with GL. Risks of metreleptin suggested by rodent studies ...

Introduction: Mutations in the insulin receptor (INSR) gene usually progress with insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. However, rare heterozygous INSR gene mutations that cause hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (HH) have also been described. A case with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia due to a new variant mutation in the INSR gene, is presented.Case: A 13-month-old male patient was referred to us with complaints of contractio...

Mutations in the GH1 gene cause isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) by affecting production, secretion, and stability of growth hormone as well as its binding to GHR. A smaller isoform of GH1 is inactive and is linked to IGHD. While studying the impact of small GH isoform, we noticed that cells with the short 17.5 kD version of GH looked different from the control cells. We found that the production of short GH isoform distorts the cell morphology, contributing to detrim...

ERF protein is a major binding target of ERK1/2 kinases, key effectors of the RAS–MEK–ERK signaling cascade. ERF has a role as a negative transcriptional regulator of RAS/MAPK mitogenic pathway (1) and, in theory, a loss-of-function mutation (LOF) in ERF could cause a Rasopathy phenotype. To date, LOF variants of ERF have been reported in 45 individuals with craniosynostosis but without a Noonan-like phenotype. There is only one case report describing a patient wit...

Background: Phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM-1) deficiency is a congenital disorder of glycosylation caused by an impairment of glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate interconversion.The clinical phenotype of PGM1 deficiency is variable and includes several endocrine manifestations such as recurrent hypoglycemia and short stature, which may be associated with the decreased levels of growth hormone (GH), insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF1) ...

Background: Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) is caused by impaired function of GnRH neurons, which clinically manifests by incomplete or absent puberty and infertility. The phenotype may be broader with other developmental anomalies such as anosmia, which is known as Kallmann syndrome. To date, there are more than 40 genes in which mutations underlie CHH. Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is characterized by facial dysmorphia, psychomotor delay, ...