ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

To read the full abstract: Genome Res 2018;28:423–431The discovery of a mummified humanoid female skeleton on a shelf in a building in La Noria, Chile in 2003 created enormous scientific and popular interest. Its highly unusual appearance included a length of only 6 inches despite a bone age of 6–7 years old, marked turricephaly (a cone-shaped top of the skull), and reduced number...

To read the full abstract: Pediatr Diabetes. 2018 May;19(3):388-392Mutations in FOXP3 are associated with a severe, early-onset, autoimmunity syndrome known in males known as IPEX (immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked; OMIM [Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man] 304930). The gene maps to chromosome Xp11.23 and encodes a 431–amino acid protein, also named &#8216...

To read the full abstract: Nat Genet. 2018; 50(3): 355-361[Comments on 8.1 and 8.2] Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common form of secondary hypertension, affecting 3–5% of the general hypertensive population and 8–10% of patients referred to specialist hypertension services, although it is very rare in children (...

To read the full abstract: Sci Rep. 2017; 7(1): 7427Prenatal dexamethasone treatment has been suggested over three decades ago to prevent virilization of a female fetus affected with 21-hydroxylase deficiency due to genetic mutations in the CYP21A2 gene. However, current treatment guidelines for CAH regard this treatment still as experimental, mainly because follow-up studies of treated fetu...

In Brief: This phase 2 study investigated the effect of the RANKL inhibitor denosumab on fibrous dysplasia lesion activity, as well as the rebound in bone turnover after treatment discontinuation.Commentary: Denosumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that inhibits RANKL with potent but transient antiosteoclastic effects, and discontinuation of denosumab treatment is associated with a rebound in bone turnover. In this study, eight women received high do...

In Brief: These authors studied liver-specific SIRT2 knockout mice to examine how loss of hepatocyte SIRT2 (Sirtuin 2) prevents bone loss in aged mice. Hepatocyte SIRT2 deficiency led to upregulation of Leucine rich α2 glycoprotein (LRG1) in hepatocyte-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) which inhibited osteoclastogenesis in bone marrow.Commentary: Liver-bone communication has been implicated in bone homeostasis. P...

Brief summary: In this experimental study, immunomodulatory microparticles, consisting of encapsulating self-antigens with rapamycin, were injected into mouse lymph nodes to protect against type 1 diabetes (T1D) and islet graft rejection. Antigens and rapamycin were both required for maximal efficacy and they induced durable tolerance, accompanied by expansion of antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Treg) in both treated and untreated lymph nodes.Antigen...

Brief summary: This genome-wide association study (GWAS) reports the first genetic loci for risk of primary aldosteronism. New candidate genes and their potential mechanisms for the development of aldosterone excess are described.Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most frequent form of secondary hypertension (5% of patients with hypertension in primary care and 10–20% of patients with hypertension referred to specialist care). PA is associated with c...

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...

Cell Metab 2021;33(2): 270–282.e8. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2020.11.008Brestoff et al. show, for the first time, that mitochondria are transferred from adipocytes to macrophages and that this event has an impact on systemic metabolic homeostasis.Within the last years, it has been demonstrated that cells are able to communicate with each other by the exchange of organell...