ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Congenital central hypothyroidism (CCH) is a rare disease with inappropriate thyroid hormone secretion due to impaired TSH stimulation. TSH levels are not elevated; the patients are not diagnosed in TSH-based newborn screening. Biallelic variants in TRHR gene (encoding TRH receptor) are one of four genetic defects known to cause isolated CCH (THRH, THSB, IGSF1, TBL1X). The phenotype is variable but generally mild (neon...

Introduction: Familiar short stature (FSS) is a common variant of growth with heterogeneous etiology. Children with FSS are often excluded from further check-up and treatment. However, significant number of children with FSS comply even with the European criteria for growth hormone (GH) therapy – patients with SHOX-deficiency, growth hormone deficiency (GHD) or these born short for gestational age (SGA). The aim of the study was to identify genetic etiology of short statu...

Objectives: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the leading cause of mortality in a type 1 diabetic mellitus (T1DM) in pediatric population. The prevalence of the DKA in the developed world ranges from 15% to 61% and in Croatia it is 33 to 36%. In the past few decades in Europe there have been no significant changes in the prevalence of DKA in patients with newly T1DM. In the previous preventive program known as the "Parma campaign", which was c...

Background: SGA-SS, defined as birth weight and/or birth length below -2SD for gestational age and postnatal statural height below -2.5SD according to age- and sex-specific standards, is a heterogeneous condition reflexing exogenous (maternal, placental) or endogenous (foetal) inadequacies. Within the past two decades, a handful of genetic causes of SGA-SS have been elucidated. However, how each genetic aetiology impacts individual GH treatment outcomes awaits...

Background: SGA-SS is a heterogeneous condition defined as birth weight and/or birth length below -2SD for gestational age and postnatal height below -2.5SD, according to age-and sex-specific normative values. Despite being an indication for growth hormone (GH) therapy for 15 years, aetiology and prediction of treatment outcomes in most of SGA-SS children awaits elucidation.Aim: To decipher genetic aetiologies among a la...

Background: Approximately 10% of children born small for gestational age (SGA) fail to catch-up nd remain short (SGA-SS). Although several mechanisms causing SGA-SS have been elucidated, the primary cause remains speculative in most cases.Aim: To decipher genetic causes of SGA-SS defined as birth length and/or birth weight <-2 SD for gestational age, and body height <-2.5 SD after the 3rd year of life within a larg...

Introduction: Familial short stature (FSS) describes vertically transmitted growth disorders. Traditionally, polygenic inheritance is presumed, but monogenic inheritance seems to occur more frequently than expected. Clinical predictors of monogenic FSS have not been elucidated thus far. The aim of the study was to identify the monogenic etiology and its clinical predictors in FSS children.Patients and Methods: Of 747 pat...

Introduction: The genetic investigation of tall stature (TS) is routinely indicated only in children with clinical suspicion of a specific syndrome associated with TS. After ruling out an endocrine disorder, the remaining tall children mostly receive a clinical diagnosis of “idiopathic” (ITS) or “familial” tall stature (FTS). The aetiology of their TS remains unknown.Aims: To elucidate genetic cau...

Introduction: The diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is complex, involving the combination of auxological, laboratory, and radiological findings. This includes growth hormone (GH) stimulation tests, which are done to confirm the diagnosis. It has been discussed that these tests have low specificity, potentially leading to false positive results. Therefore, children with GHD are regarded as a heterogeneous group with varied causes of short stature. Ne...

Introduction: C-type natriuretic peptide receptor encoded by NPR2 gene stimulates chondrocyte differentiation and hypertrophy and extracellular matrix production within the growth plate. The phenotypical spectrum of NPR2 mutations is broad, from severe autosomal recessive acromesomelic dysplasia to milder autosomal dominant growth disorders. Some children with NPR2 variants are treated with growth hormone (GH), however, with the inco...