ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Genetic factors play an important role in determining individual susceptibility to weight gain and obesity. In the last few years, several genetic variants have been identified as monogenic forms of obesity. Among them, Leptin (LEP) and its receptor on hypothalamic neurons (LEPR) are key players in the regulation of body weight, food intake and energy homeostasis. Pathogenic variants in the LEPR gene cause severe childhood-onset obesity with an a...

Background and Aims: For years Georgia belonged to a iodine deficiency endemic region, though as a result of a long-term actions aimed at improving the iodine status the country today is a non-iodine deficient region. For this reason it was decided to study present iodine status of newborns and their mothers leaving in the capital of Georgia, which is no longer non-iodine region.Materials and Methods: In total 87 newborn...

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is diagnosed in up to 60% of overweight children. Diagnosis and management of NAFLD is challenging due to the lack of non-invasive imaging biomarkers. Ultrasound (US) is the most widely non-invasive method used to identify liver steatosis, however it has low sensitivity to detect mild steatosis and to quantify hepatic fibrosis. Liver Elastography (LE) is a non-invasive methodology used to evaluate hep...

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic drastically modified social life and lifestyle in particular among children and adolescents, promoting sedentary behaviors and unhealthy eating habits. In this scenario, the effectiveness of the outpatient approach for pediatric obesity may decrease.Objectives: Aims of this study were to assess the rate and the factors associated with outpatient drop-out by comparing two groups of chil...

Background: systematic data about endocrinopathies in Rett syndrome (RTT) patients are still scarce and not univocal.Objective: to assess the prevalence of endocrinopathies in a pediatric population of RTT patients.Design: retrospective observational single center study.Methods: 29 caucasian patients (28 girls,1 boy) with genetically confirme...

Background: in general population Hurthle cell cancer (HCC) accounts for 3-7% of all differentiated thyroid cancers (TC) with a more aggressive course, while its relative prevalence and behavior in childhood is uncertain due to the lack of specific literature reviews.Objective: to describe the largest pediatric HCC cohort to date reported and to estimate its relative prevalence among TC variants in childhood.<p c...

Background: About 85–90% of children born small for gestational age (SGA) experience a catch-up growth that occurs mostly during the first year of life and results in a full stature recovery by the age of 2. The remaining 10–15% do not undergo compensatory growth, achieving - if untreated - an adult height approximately 20 cm below their peers.Objective: The aim of this prospective one-center study was to investigate the relation between bone m...

Background: Oligo-ovulatory androgen excess in women (polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by NIH definition) is a major cause of subfertility and relates to hepatic steatosis, independently of obesity.Objective: To test whether early treatment of PCOS affects subsequent ovulation rate.Method: Adolescent girls with hyperinsulinemic androgen excess – a subgroup of PCOS – (mean age 16 year; BMI 23.7 kg/m2) randomly r...

Background: Fetal growth is partly regulated by epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation. Altered methylation status in placental genes relates to gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and prematurity. However, the epigenetic mechanisms underlying fetal growth restraint in uncomplicated pregnancies remain unknown.Objective and hypotheses: We aimed at identifying new candidate genes related to fetal growth, by assessing DNA methylation profiling in placen...

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI; MIM #256450) is the most common cause of persistent hypoglycaemia in children. Recessive inactivating mutations in KATP channel subunits, encoded by ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes, are the most common cause of CHI. Mutations of these genes usually cause forms of CHI which in the vast majority of patients are unresponsive to first line medical treatment with diazoxide. Multiple daily standard octreotide injections combine...