ESPE Abstracts

Background: Genome-wide association studies have identified more than 60 SNPs associated with BMI. Additional genetic variants, such as copy number variations (CNV), have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. Recently, the highly polymorphic CNV in the salivary amylase (AMY1) gene has been associated with obesity risk in adults.Objective and hypothesis: To assess the potential association between AMY1 copy number and BMI ...

We recently showed that Xq26.3 microduplications are associated with early childhood-onset gigantism, a condition we named X-linked acrogigantism (X-LAG). Patients with X-LAG present with mixed GH/PRL secreting pituitary macroadenomas and/or hyperplasia. The original smallest region of overlap for the microduplications included 4 coding genes, of which only one, an orphan G protein-coupled receptor named GPR101, was highly expressed in tumors. A single patient with GP...

Background and Aim: Metabolic Bone Disease of Prematurity(MBD) is a condition of reduced bone mineral content(BMC) compared to the expected for gestational age(GA). Preterm birth interrupts the physiological process of calcium(Ca) and phosphorus(P) deposition that occurs mostly in the 3rd-trimester of pregnancy, leading to an inadequate bone mineralization during intrauterine life(IUL). After birth, an insufficient intake of Ca and P carries on this alteration...

Background: ROHHAD(NET) syndrome has been proposed as an acquired neuroimmunological dysfunction. Aim of the study is to compare the phenotype of lymphocyte subpopulations in patients vs controls and to evaluate the plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in ROHHADNET syndrome.Patients and Methods: We included 14 patients (9F;5M), selected by clinical criteria, matched with 11 controls with simple obesity ...

Background: Childhood NT1 has been associated with endocrine disorders like obesity and precocious puberty. These comorbidities may challenge the diagnosis, require tailored treatments and call for a multidisciplinary approach.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the impact of type 1 narcolepsy (NT1) on anthropometric and endocrine features in childhood/adolescence, focusing on weight, pubertal development and growth, and their follow up in treated and ...

Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is an hereditary disorder characterized by resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH) and in varying degrees to TSH, GHRH and FSH/LH, and caused by loss-of-function mutations in the GNAS gene, encoding the membrane protein Gs-alpha. Pathognomonic of these patients is a dysmorphic phenotype, called Albright's Osteodystrophy, which includes short stature, obesity, round face, mental delay, subcutaneous ossifications and brachydactyly. The most fr...

Objective: Neonatal hyperthyroidism is a severe but generally transient condition with a 2% prevalence in offspring of mothers affected by Graves' disease. It is caused by the transplacental passage of maternal anti-thyrotropin receptor stimulant antibodies (TRABs). Here we report the cases diagnosed at our centre between 2015-2019 in order to re-evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to this challenging neonatal thyroid alteration.<p cla...

Background: DICER1 is an endoribonuclease that acts post-transcriptionally by processing mRNA into siRNA and microRNA, thus leading to mRNA downregulation. DICER1 syndrome is usually caused by germline variants and is characterized by a variety of benign or malignant tumors: pleuropulmonary blastoma, ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor, cystic nephroma, pituitary blastoma and multinodular goitre. Patients with germline aberrations in the DICER1 gene may carry additional...

Background: Thyroid nodules (TN) are rare in children but often show more aggressive features than in adults. Irradiated childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk for malignant thyroid nodules.Objective and hypotheses: To retrospectively compare the incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), the clinical onset and the medium-term follow-up in a pediatric population (EC <18 years), with and without risk factors examined for TN, among 1990 an...

Background: GH has a strong positive influence on bone stimulating both bone elongation and increase in size by enhancing the accrual of trabecular and cortical bone up to the attainment of peak bone mass in young adult.Aim of the study: We compared the effect of two different GH dosages on statural growth and bone geometry in two groups of GH-deficient children at final height. Data has been collected retrospectively from 1994 to 2013.<p class="abst...