ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

In Brief: The study established a novel rat model with a clinically relevant PLS3 mutation, which replicates the osteoporotic phenotype of early-onset PLS3-related osteoporosis. The findings suggest that treatment with alendronate or teriparatide improves bone mass and microarchitecture, suggesting their potential as effective treatments for early-onset osteoporosis caused by PLS3 mutations.Commentary: This study is an essentia...

Brief summary: This study investigates the effect of long-acting synthetic glucocorticoids on circadian rhythmicity and hippocampal functionGlucocorticoids exert their effects by binding to glucocorticoid receptors (GRs), which regulate up to ~20% of the genome via both direct (by binding to glucocorticoid responsive elements in promoter regions) and indirect mechanisms (by interacting with bound transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers) (1...

Brief summary: In this large registry-based study, including 32 117 children and young people (aged 1.5–25 years) with type 1 diabetes (T1D), the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was associated with decreased rates of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and severe hypoglycemia. Of interest, some CGM metrics predicted risk for these complications.CGM systems are now widely used by children with T1D, and there is evidence both from clinical trials a...

Brief summary: This study examined glycemic control following treatment with once-weekly exenatide 2 mg (Bydureon, AstraZeneca) in youth with T2D which was not optimally controlled. At 24 weeks, exenatide was superior to placebo in lowering HbA1c (least squares mean change, −0.36% with exenatide vs. +0.49% with placebo), with a between-group difference of −0.85%.Comment: The story of the development of exenatide is fascinating. It starts with...

Brief Summary: This article presents the joint European Society of Endocrinology and Endocrine Society clinical guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of Glucocorticoid (GC)-induced adrenal insufficiencyComment: The prevalence of oral glucocorticoid (GC) use is ~1% in adults (1). The risk for glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency is evident. These guidelines provide both endocrinologists and general practitioners with guidance to manage such pat...

To read the full abstract: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019; 104(8): 3172–3180. PMID: 30865229.Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency was among the first genetic disorders included in newborn screening (NBS) programs worldwide, based on 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) concentrations determined in dried blood spots (1). However, the success of NBS for...

Brief summary: This international multicentre study collected data from 104 290 children and adolescents (6 months-18 years-old), to compare prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prevalence of DKA at T1D diagnosis increased from 27.3% pre-pandemic to 39.4% during the pandemic, and the increased trends were associated with the pandemic containment measures.DKA is a life-thr...

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Jan 23;106(2):351–363. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa857. PMID: 33236116.Here, the authors report the long−term outcomes of all 17 known, well−investigated cases of pituitary blastoma. The median age at diagnosis was 11 months, and the most frequent presentations were Cushing syndrome (n=10), cranial nerve palsies including ophthalmoplegia (...

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020;105(2):dgaa465. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa465. PMID: 32685970This study aimed to identify potential (epi)genetic causes of short stature in 20 SGA children (13 boys; 7 girls) treated with rhGH. Exome sequencing, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array (both performed in the whole cohort) and genome-wide methylation analysis (performed in a random subset of 10 ...

Eur J Endocrinol. 2020 Jun;182(6):P1–P15. doi: 10.1530/EJE-19-0831. PMID: 32268295.This paper describes the concerted efforts of the EU COST Action DSDNet and the European network for rare endocrine diseases Endo-ERN. A total of 33 laboratories were involved and they describe state of the art assessments of the peptide hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH)...