ESPE Abstracts

Background: β-thalassemia major (β-TM) is the most common genetically determined chronic hemolytic anemia. Studies reported that patients with β-thalassemia are zinc deficient due to increased utilization of zinc by oxidative stress, increased urinary zinc excretion and sequestration in the liver.The development of abnormal glucose tolerance in β-TM is associated with alteration in oxidant-antioxidant status. Zinc plays an essen...

Introduction: Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive inherited disease that requires frequent blood transfusion. The life expectancy of thalassaemic children improved with regular blood transfusion and chelating agents. Hemosiderin precipitation in endocrine glands of patient with Transfusion Dependant Thalassaemia (TDT) leads to progressive gland dysfunction. The adrenal insufficiency is one of the complications that results from iron deposition either in the ...

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. Corticosteroids are the cornerstone in treatment of pediatric ALL. Steroids can cause several side effects including secondary adrenal insufficiency with disruption of cortisol response to stress causing morbidity and even mortality in those children.Objective: To assess the adrenal gland function of children with ALL before and after i...

Background: Growth impairment is a known complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). Effects of hydroxyurea (HU) on growth in older children with SCD have never been reported.Objective and hypotheses: This study was done to explore the potential effects of HU on growth parameters of older children with SCD and correlate these changes with clinical improvement.Method: A prospective study was conducted on 97 SCD patients started on HU...

Data on the birth parameters of patients with growth hormone deficiency are contradictory; recent studies suggest that congenital growth hormone deficiency is associated with impaired fetal growth. The main objective of this study was to describe the birth parameters of children with GH-1 gene deletion.This study included 13 patients (of 10 families) for whom a homozygous (or compound heterozygous) deletion of the entire GH1 gene has been identi...

The benefits of surgical repair on long term growth in children with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) have been variable. Surgery undertaken beyond infancy has often been associated with a residual degree of growth impairment. Primary repair of during early infancy was adopted in many centres, if clinically indicated. We examined the effects of full early surgical correction of TOF on linear growth for 2 years postoperatively. Anthropometric data of infants with TOF before and after ...

The arterial switch operation (ASO) represents a remarkable success in the treatment of cyanotic congenital heart disease, with survival rates approaching 100%. The effect of infantile deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and hypoxia on post-operative linear growth is not studied. Growth data were recorded and analyzed in 12 infants with d-TGA who underwent switch operation (anatomical correction) in the early neonatal period for 18 months.Results...

Background: Partial gonadal dysgenesis is a rare 46, XY Disorder of sex development (DSD) characterized by a varying degree of testicular dysgenesis, ambiguous genitalia, and persistence or absence of regression of Müllerian structures. Many studies examined the challenges in presentation and gender assignment regarding the genital features, genetic mutations and histopathological risks of dysgenetic gonads. More recently some studies described the long-term outcome of pa...

Introduction: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) leads to a diminished production of steroid hormones. AI is subdivided into a primary and a secondary form. In primary AI, the underlying defect affects the adrenal gland itself resulting in a low steroid production and an overproduction of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). On the contrary, the cause of secondary AI lies in the pituitary, leading to a reduced production of ACTH and consecutively to a reduced excretion of corticosteroi...

Background: The aim of this study was to examine plasma visfatin levels in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Visfatin, a novel adipokine, is predominantly secreted by visceral adipose tissue and seems to have insulin-mimetic effects. It has not been studied in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) yet.Objectives: We studied 124 subjects; 62 patients with T1D: 31 girls, mean age 13.7±3.7 years; mean duration of diabetes 5.9...