ESPE Abstracts

Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a complex heterogeneous disease affecting 1 in 40.000 newborns. Recurrent hypoketotic hypoglycaemia led to permanent mental and motor disabilities in 30-40% of children. Histologically three types had been differentiated: focal, diffuse and atypical. Up to now, only focal-type CHI can be permanently cured by focus removal. Focal-type CHI is characterized by paternal inherited mutation of ABCC8 or KCNJ11 mutations. Therefore mutation anal...

Background: Treatment of a subset of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) patients consists of glucocorticoids, such hydrocortisone and prednisone. Doses are titrated to achieve adequate levels of biochemical markers, namely 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione. When these biomarkers are abnormal, medication adherence is often considered. However, alterations in glucocorticoid sensitivity is rarely considered. We have created a fluorescein labeled dexame...

Background: Glucocorticoids play an important role in the developing fetus; the most important of which is lung maturation by increasing surfactant production and release. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) functioning changes throughout the fetal period, especially during the transition to extrauterine life. Given the importance of glucocorticoids in lung development and functioning, studying glucocorticoid sensitivity (GS) in this population would be helpful, especially in the pre...

Background: Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a complex disease resulting from donor T-cell recognition of a genetic disparate recipient, which is unable to reject donor cells after allogeneic transplant. Glucocorticoids (steroids) are the mainstay of acute GVHD therapy. Glucocorticoid resistance has been characterized in several inflammatory conditions including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, erythematosus, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. Glucoc...

Introduction: Vitamin D plays a key role in bone health of adolescents. Meanwhile, its potential extra-skeletal health benefits have resulted in the association of vitamin D deficiency with a wide range of acute and chronic diseases. As a consequence, hypovitaminosis D in adolescence is considered to have serious adverse effects and is highlighted as a global public health concern. Practical guidelines help clinicians make their preventive and therapeutic choices and improve c...

Background: Infantile Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is an inborn error of metabolism characterized by low serum alkaline phosphatase activity caused by loss-of-function mutations within the ALPL-gene encoding the tissue nonspecific isoenzyme of ALP (TNSALP). TNSALP controls skeletal and dental mineralization by hydrolyzing inorganic pyrophosphate, a potent inhibitor of bone mineralization. Patients develop substantial skeletal disease, failure to thrive, and sometime...

Background: The role of calcium in cardiovascular and metabolic risk is controversial.Objective and hypotheses: To examine the effect of highly mineralized natural water in lowering body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar and to assess health behaviour of the staff of a pediatric hospital.Method: Out of 650 pediatric hospital staff members, we examined 161 healthy subjects, aged 28–64 years, 77.5% women, two d...

Background: In 2011, nationwide growth charts were introduced, replacing different regional references (ZLS, Prader 1989; Sempé 1979 and, for BMI only, Kromeyer 2001).Objective and hypotheses: The aim was to examine the influence of new growth charts (WHO 2010) on the prevalence of nutrition- and growth-related disorders compared the ‘old’ references.Method: 6007 anonymised weight and height datasets of children meas...

Introduction: Primordial short stature can have many different causes. In addition to maternal factors (e.g. placental insufficiency), genetic or skeletal disorders may be found in the child. It is important to identify the underlying aetiology in time, since not only the risk of diabetes is increased, but also the prevalence of insufficient gonadal function and malignancy, e.g. in mixed gonadal dysgenesis (MGD).Case report: A 19 year old adolescent pres...

Background: 17a-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency is a rare cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). 46,XY infants may present with ambiguous genitalia. Adrenal crises are rare due to compensatory glucocorticoid action of the overproduced corticosterone.Case: A 3-month-old boy underwent a complication-free externalization of concealed penis and circumcision by a paediatric surgeon. At the age of 2.5 years, the boy...