ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare congenital neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hyperphagia, growth hormone (GH) deficiency, short stature, and low bone mineral density. The mechanisms concerning bone metabolism disturbances in these patients are still unclear. An important role in the process of bone formation is played by osteocalcin (OC), the most abundant non-collagen protein of the bone matrix. OC has three potential gamma-carb...

Introduction: Obesity is the direct cause of a number of immediate problems during childhood. Recently, fat mass was described as a significant negative predictor of serum iron. Hepcidin is a hormone stimulated by an increase in plasma iron levels and iron deposits in tissues, and decreases iron release from macrophages and duodenal enterocytes into the plasma. This protein prevents excessive iron absorption and iron accumulation in tissues. Ferritin is the most commonly deplo...