ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: This study describes the experience of introducing Nao, a humanoid robot, into a Summer Camp for children with diabetes (August 2013, Misano Adriatico, Italy), with the aim to provide them a companion capable to support and motivate. Our goal was to investigate if, Nao’s interactions with children could positively affect the adherence to specific medical recommendations during their stay. Namely children were asked to fill in a specific nutritional diary. Th...

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is considered chronic autoimmune disease in which autoreactive T-cells and inflammation cause severe loss of pancreatic beta cells. Insulitis, the pathologic hallmark of T1D, is an inflammatory lesion consisting of immune cell infiltrates around and within the islets. New research initiatives and methodologies are advancing our understanding of pancreas pathology. A major impetus to the field has been given by the institution of the JDRF nPOD (Network for...

Background: Mulibrey nanism (MUL) is a monogenic growth disorder with typical craniofacial features, perimyocardial heart disease, infertility and predisposition to tumors. MUL is caused by mutations in the TRIM37 gene encoding TRIM37 protein possessing E3 ubiquitin-ligase activity.Objective and hypotheses: MUL patients have pre- and postnatal growth failure with an average birth length SDS of -3.1 and birth weight SDS o...

Background: Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED or APS1) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by chronic candidiasis and autoimmune destruction of endocrine organs. Hypoparathyroidism (HP), adrenocortical failure (AF) and hypogonadism are the most common endocrinopathies, which together with their treatment may impact bone health. However, very little is known about the long-term skeletal health in patients with APECED.<p clas...

Background: Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis activates soon after birth, and this ‘minipuberty’ provides a transient phase for evaluation of the function of the HPG axis in early infancy. Substantial differences in postnatal gonadotropin secretion have been reported between preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) boys and girls. Therefore, when evaluating gonadotropin levels in infants, time from birth (calendar age), maturity (postmenstrual, PM age) and s...

Patients with Turner syndrome (TS) have short stature, despite having normal growth hormone (GH) secretion. Treatment with recombinant human GH is recommended. The effectiveness and safety of Norditropin® (somatropin, Novo Nordisk) over ≤10 years of follow-up were investigated in two non-interventional studies: NordiNet® IOS (NCT00960128) and the ANSWER Program (NCT01009905). Of 2,409 children with TS, 2,377 were included in the full analysis s...

Background: Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a monogenic form of diabetes, with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance and high penetrance. To this date, it is known 13 subtypes of MODY with different genetic etiologies. It is characterized by high incidence in the family, an early onset and primary defect in pancreatic β-cell function.Objective and hypotheses: The primary objective of this study is to identify patients with MODY an...

Objectives: Mutations in PTPN11 are known to be associated with Noonan syndrome (NS), accounting for approximately 50% of cases. Data from a non-interventional and phase 3 study of Norditropin (somatropin; Novo Nordisk A/S, Denmark) were used to assess the impact of PTPN11 mutation status on growth outcomes in children with NS receiving growth hormone therapy (GHT).Methods: The ANSWER (NCT01009905) prog...

Rare endocrine conditions present specific diagnostic and management challenges to healthcare providers, especially regarding transition. Despite the need for practical guidance on this subject, consensus on structured approaches to transition are lacking. The aim was to map the current clinical practice, and identify the unmet needs regarding transition of care for patients with pituitary disease in the reference centers (RCs) of the European Reference Network on Rare Endocri...

Background: Significant aspects of metabolic homeostasis are regulated differently in males and females and sex differences can influence diagnostic approach and therapeutic responses. The underlying mechanisms accounting for gender difference remain to be established and may involve genetic and hormonal factors.Aim: This study aimed at evaluating gender differences in anthropometric and metabolic parameters in a large c...