ESPE Abstracts

Background: Congenital hypopituitarism (CH) is characterized by a deficiency of one or more pituitary hormones. Mutations in the genes coding for transcription factors, such HESX1, involved in the development of the pituitary, determine a highly variable phenotype which may include severe midline defects, septo-optic dysplasia and other congenital abnormalities. A small number of HESX1 variants have been identified in humans. The phenotype sh...

Background: GH has several effects on lipid and glucose homeostasis. In adults GH deficiency (GHD) has been associated to increased mortality for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In childhood few studies have investigated the effect of GHD and recombinant human GH (rhGH) therapy on metabolic parameters that may increase the risk of CVD.Objective and hypotheses: To assess changes of lipid profile, insulin-resistance indexes, and CVD risk in children and adol...

Background: Birth weight (BW) is associated with the development of obesity, insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes in adulthood. The results of studies on the correlation between BW and the severity of obesity and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) among obese children are contradictory. The objective of our study was to evaluate the association between birth weight and the presence of CVRF in genetically homogeneous group of obese children and adolescents.</...

Early life events can profoundly affect an individual’s metabolic phenotype, inducing adaptive responses that may be protective in utero but potentially disadvantageous for long-term health. Indeed, environmental cues during sensitive windows of development may result in altered growth and lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic alterations later in life. In this talk, I will discuss several models of exposure to early life events, which were th...

Decreased resting metabolic rate (RMR) is a risk factor for the development and progression of obesity. Childhood obesity is accompanied by the development of metabolic disorders, which often persist in adults. The relationship between the rate of basal metabolism and development of childhood obesity complications is not well understood.Objective and hypotheses: Measure resting metabolic rate in obese children and assess the pronouncement of metabolic di...

Introduction: Noonan syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant disorder that involving multiple organ systems, with an incidence of 1:1,000 to 1:2,500.The clinical features as short stature, dysmorphic facial features, congenital heart defects most commonly pulmonary valve stenosis, typical chest, cryptorchidism. The PTPN11 gene is located on the long arm of chromosome 12q24.1 and encodes for the non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 (SHP2), generating ...

Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex, multisystem disorder and is the most frequent cause of syndromic obesity that arises from lack of expression of paternally inherited imprinted genes on chromosome 15q11-q13. Its major clinical features include neonatal hypotonia, short stature, developmental delay, behavioral abnormalities, hyperphagia, childhood onset obesity, hypothalamic hypogonadism, and characteristic appearance.Case history: We ...

Background: Patients with Turner’s syndrome (TS) develop osteoporosis, resulting from chromosomal deficiency and estrogen deficiency by gonadal dysgenesis.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study was to assess bone mineral density (BMD) and parameters of bone remodeling during somatropin therapy in prepubertal girls with TS.Population and/or methods: We examined 22 girls with TS of the age of 11–15 years (the mean ...

Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex multisystem genetic disorder arising from lack of expression of paternally inherited imprinted genes on chromosome 15q11–q13. Hyperphagia represents one of the most serious symptoms of the PWS, leading to develop premature mortality.Objective and hypotheses: To compare orexigenic (ghrelin) and anorexigenic factor (brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)) concentration in non-GH-treated obese pati...

Background: The gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays a central role in maintaining energy balance and body weight regulation. These functions are mediated by the secretion of gut hormones, including ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide YY(PYY), oxyntomodulin (OXM) and many other hormones. Some of them are orexigenic hormones that promote food intake, while others act as satiety signals and enhance insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cells. Current evide...