ESPE Abstracts

Background: Severe congenital growth hormone deficiency (cGHD) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. Even though random growth hormone (GH) can confirm cGHD during the first week of life, the diagnosis remains extremely challenging in the absence of reliable reference values in healthy neonates and thus of a best diagnostic cut-off.Aims: First, to provide solid reference values for GH concentrations in te...

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common endocrine disorder in neonates and is predominantly caused by developmental abnormalities known as thyroid dysgenesis (TD). Several transcription factors have been described in its aetiology, but defects in the known genes only account for a small proportion of cases.Methods: To identify novel genes involved in TD, we performed exome sequencing in 7 unrelated ...

Introduction:Up to 20% of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) develops low-grade optic pathway gliomas(OPGs) that can result in neuroendocrinopathy.The aim of the study was to identify prognostic factors for developing neuroendocrinopathies in patients with NF1 and OPGs before any treatment.Methods: Records of 117 children with NF1 and OPGs followed at 4 Italian centers between 1997-20...

Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) in children is caused by brain tumors, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), trauma, infections, or genetic abnormalities in about 60% of the cases. In the remaining 40%, CDI is idiopathic even after detailed clinical and radiological investigations. Aim of the study was to assess whether measurement of serum antibodies against human growth hormone (GH) could aid in the identification of the etiological factors for CDI.<p class="abst...

Introduction: The Wilms tumor suppressor gene 1 (WT1) plays an essential role in urogenital and kidney development. Heterozygous germline mutations in WT1 have been classically associated with Denys–Drash (DDS) and Frasier syndrome (FS). Exonic missense mutations in the zinc-finger region are the cause of DDS and mutations affecting the canonic donor KTS splice site of intron 9 are the cause of FS. New phenotypes, as 46,XX testicular DSD...

Diagnosis of craniopharyngiomas in childhood is often delayed due to nonspecific symptoms. In Italy all children are followed-up by paediatricians of the NHS and paediatric endocrinologists are present throughout the country. This would theoretically lead to an early diagnosis. We aimed to examine the clinical picture at diagnosis and duration of history before diagnosis in 117 patients (pts) followed-up at Endocrinology Centres belonging to the I.S.P.E.D..<p class="abstex...

Introduction: Differences of sex development (DSD) encompass a variety of conditions with atypical development of chromosomal, gonadal or anatomic sex. 46, XX ovotesticular (OT) DSD is a rare condition, in which the presence of testicular and ovarian tissues is identified in the same individual. These patients present variable phenotypes with a wide spectrum of atypical genitalia and their sex assignment can be male or female. Short stature is a frequent issue...

Background: The C3 epimer of 25-hydroxi-vitamin D3 (Epi25OHD3) is present in the pediatric and adult population and varies according to age. If it measurement is clinically relevant and should be considered to classify Vitamin D status is still unknown.Objective: To measure 25OHD3, 25-hydroxy-Vitamin D2 (25OHD2) and Epi25OHD3 and to compare them with PTH and calcemia.Method: Subjects: Children between 5 and 8 years of age born very...

Background: Very preterm neonates are at risk for metabolic syndrome later in life. Our objective was to compare anthropometric measures and insulin resistance variables between children who were born very preterm (VPT, <32 gestational weeks) and term (T, >37 gestational weeks), and adequate for gestational age (AGA).Methods: In this cross-sectional cohort study we recruited 113 children 5.0 to 8.5 years old from the preterm clinic of our institu...

Background: Primary IGF1 deficiency can result from molecular defects in genes encoding for the GHR, IGF1, STAT5b and ALS. Heterozygous, activating mutations in the STAT3 gene have been recently described in children with severe growth failure associated with a spectrum of early-onset autoimmune disease.Case presentation: We report the molecular diagnosis in two unrelated patients with severe growth failure and IGF1 deficiency: P1, a 3.6 year ol...