ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

In Brief: The authors use cell-tracing of Axin2-positive chondroprogenitor cells in the resting zone during and after food restriction to demonstrate that nutrient availability influences the balance between accumulation and differentiation of resting zone chondrocytes and that this is influenced by Igf-1.Commentary: Catch-up growth is the rapid growth that occurs after growth-inhibiting conditions have been cured or removed. The molecular mechanism for ...

Brief summary: This prospective longitudinal study compared serum reproductive hormone levels and testicular volume around the onset of puberty between cryptorchid and healthy boys.Congenital cryptorchidism is the most common congenital anomaly among newborn boys, and still little is known about pubertal testicular function and serum reproductive hormone levels during puberty in this population.Pubertal follow-up with clinical exam...

Brief summary: In this experimental study, a transdermal polymeric microneedle (MN) patch for glucose-responsive closed-loop insulin and glucagon delivery was developed. In chemically-induced type 1 diabetes (T1D) mouse and minipig models, this glucose-responsive dual-hormone MN patch demonstrated tight regulation in blood glucose.The interplay between insulin and glucagon is essential for blood glucose regulation in individuals with or without diabetes....

In brief. This basic research study used an in vitro method to recapitulate key steps in growth plate development and endochondral bone formation, using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This method provides original material that can be used to study growth plate and bone development, to assess the consequences of genetic variants involved in bone diseases, and to test new therapies.Commentary: In vertebrates, the longitudinal growth of l...

Brief Summary: This translational study identifies a new susceptibility region within the estrogen receptor α ( ESR1 ) gene, linked to cryptorchidism (CO) and hypospadias (HS), the most common birth defects of the male genital tract. CO occurs in approximately 1:100 male births and is 3-times more common in premature infants, while HS affects about 1:300 male births. The prevalence of both conditions has increased over the years, with premature infants showing hi...

Brief Summary: For both clinicians and patients, it is of great interest to have easily-applicable predictors to forecast weight reductions achievable by lifestyle intervention (LI). This study identified 3 distinct clusters of responses to paediatric outpatient LI. Up to 2 years after LI initiation, responses ranged from ‘pronounced BMIz loss’ (in 19% of patients; median delta-BMIz: -0.61 (IQR: -0.76 to -0.49) to ‘moderate BMIz loss’ (in 45%; -0.23 (-0.33 ...

Brief Summary: The authors performed exploratory analyses to identify distinct eGFR trajectories associated with risk of albuminuria in 377 adolescents with T2D. The findings underscore the importance of annual GFR assessments in young people with T2D.Comment: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the primary microvascular complication in adolescents with T2D, and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Albuminuria is the earliest clinical indicator of...

Brief Summary: This double-blind, placebo-controlled international trial, randomized overweight and obese adults with T2D to either once-weekly subcutaneous Tirzepatide (10 mg or 15 mg) or placebo for 72 weeks. Tirzepatide led to weight reductions of -9.6% with the 10 mg dose and -11.6% with the 15 mg dose, compared to placebo. From a mean baseline 8.0%, HbA1c reduced by –2·1% with both the 10 mg, and 15 mg dose of triszepatied compared to 0·5% reduction on plac...

Brief Summary: This multicenter, observational study compared the treatment of diabetes and outcomes between 2 distinct refugee communities in German-speaking countries and among native children in the same countries. The use of advanced diabetes technologies, such as insulin pumps or automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, is restricted by the refugee status. Additionally, parameters such as HbA1c and body mass index (BMI) have been identified to differ by country of origin...

Nat Commun. 2021 May 11;12(1):2677. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22859-w. PMID: 33976139This work generated an integrated single nucleus multi-omics resource to elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate transcriptional networks in the murine pituitary. The authors identified epigenetically defined cell type composition, cell type-specific and sex-specific differences in transcription...