Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome (HRD) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by distinct clinical, biochemical, and genetic abnormalities. HRD has almost exclusively been reported in children of Middle Eastern origin where the rate of consanguinity is high. The syndrome is characterized by severe short stature, the aetiology of which is unclear. Mutations in tubulin-specific chaperone E (TBCE), a gene encoding a chaperone requ...

Background: SOX3, a member of the SOXB1 subfamily of transcription factors, is a single-exon gene located on the X-chromosome and expressed in neuroepithelial and progenitor cells from the earliest stages. In mice, its expression in the infundibulum is important for the correct induction of Rathke’s pouch morphogenesis, with loss of function resulting in defects of CNS midline structures, teeth misalignment and variable hypopituitarism. We have previously demonstra...

Background and Aim: The development of the pituitary gland is closely linked to this of the eyes and forebrain, as they all originate from the same embryonic origin, the anterior neural ridge. The constellation of symptoms leading to septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) is well established; other ophthalmic signs may be under-reported. The aim of the study was to define if patients with hypopituitarism present with eye abnormalities, which are distinct from optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH)...