ESPE Abstracts

Background: GH deficiency (GHD) in adults has been consistently associated with increased adiposity and decreased lean mass. Data in childhood are still scanty and the most appropriate tools to assess body composition in these children remain to be established.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the effects of GHD and GH replacement therapy (GHRT) on body composition in GHD children and make a comparison between DXA and anthropometric measures in evalu...

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is the most common cause of the persistent hypoglycemia in children. Mutations in KCNJ11 and ABCC8 genes coding potassium channel subunits are responsible for a significant proportion of CHI patients. The type of mutation correlates with the type of B-cell hyperplasia (focal or diffuse), and determinates further diagnostics, treatment and prognosis of disorder.Aims and objectives: The aim of ...

Background: The hCG stimulation test is a valuable method for assessing androgen production but there is a need to explore its utility in assessing androgen responsiveness and long-term prognosis.Objective and hypothesis: Our aim was to explore the effect of hCG stimulation on the peripheral transcriptome in boys undergoing investigation for DSD.Method: Thirteen boys undergoing investigation for 46,XY DSD received i.m. hCG 1500 U o...

Background: ‘Thelarche variant’ (TV), also known as ‘unsustained/slowly progressive puberty’ or ‘exaggerated thelarche’, is a term used to describe girls with premature thelarche and intermediate features between isolated premature thelarche (PT) and central precocious puberty (CPP). Despite being characterized by a FSH predominant response and by a peak LH response <5 IU/L to GnRH test, a univocal definition is lacking.<...

Object and Aim: The quality of metabolism in type 1 diabetes depends on different external factors, e.g. the circumstances of living of a patient. We investigated how far the family status, living situation or own children have influence on metabolic control in patients who were transferred to adult care after long-term care in pediatric diabetology.Patients and Methods: From 1998 until 2019 we annually sent a questionna...

Background: The prevalence of atypical genitalia and the time taken to assign sex in such cases remains unclear. Provision of optimum healthcare during this period requires a clear understanding of the occurrence of atypical genitalia.Methods: Prospective electronic survey of clinical members of managed clinical networks in Scotland between 2013 and 2018 seeking notification of term neonates requiring specialist input fo...

Background: Cantù syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by congenital hypertrichosis, neonatal macrosomia, a distinct osteochondrodysplasia, and cardiomegaly. Other findings described are vascular abnormalities, pulmonary hypertension, generalized edema, mild learning disability and behavioral problems. Cantù syndrome is related to an heterozygous pathogenic variant in ABCC9 or KCNJ8, which can be inherited in an autosominal dominant manner or d...

Background: Trisomy 21 is associated with an increased susceptibility to respiratory infections.Objective and hypotheses: For a more detailed characterization of the adaptive immune response, we analyzed the cellular and humoral immunity to specific pathogens in blood samples of 40 children with Down’s syndrome in comparison to 51 age-matched controls.Method: We quantitatively analyzed lymphocyte subpopulations using flow cyto...

Background: Calculation of a urinary steroid metabolite ratio (uSMR) may be a useful method of improving diagnostic yield when investigating disorders of steroid hormone synthesis. Our aim was to investigate the range of uSMR in children with suspected disorders of steroid hormone synthesis.Methods: Ten ratios were calculated on steroid metabolite data analysed by GC-MS in urine samples collected between 2008 and 2010 from 94 children who were undergoing...

Background: Human GH is a heterogeneous protein hormone consisting of several isoforms, the most abundant being 22 kDa- and 20 kDa-GH. The availability of analytical methods to measure these GH isoforms might represent a valuable diagnostic tool to investigate GH secretion in short stature.Objective and hypotheses: Aim of the present study was to measure circulating levels of 22 kDa- and 20 kDa-GH in children with different diagnosis of short stature suc...