ESPE Abstracts

Background: Mesoderm-specific transcript (MEST) is an epoxide α/β-hydrolase protein with catalytic activity that is determinant for the development of adipocytes. The MEST gene is an imprinted gene transcribed only from the paternal allele. Although the mechanism by which MEST overexpression augments fat accumulation and storage in adipocytes has not been fully elucidated, frequent subcellular contacts between MEST-positive endoplasmic reticulum, mi...

Background: The approach to clinical management of Graves’ disease (GD) is debatable.Objective: This study aimed to identify predictors of remission in pediatric GD.Methods: A longitudinal study of 36 children and adolescents with Graves’ disease followed from 1997 to 2017 at a single pediatric tertiary hospital was performed. Clinical and biochemical parameters, including comorbidities, treatment with anti-thyroid drugs ...

Background: HABP2 is an extra-cellular matrix protein involved in cell proliferation. Recently, HABP2 was proposed as responsible for the familial clustering of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma (FDTC). However, its involvement was questioned by subsequent studies revealing high prevalence HAPB2 polymorphisms (SNPs) in the general population, leaving its pathogenic role uncertain.Objective and hypotheses: To identify genetic HABP2</e...

Background: Childhood obesity is often associated with insulin resistance (IR), which is a key risk factor for the development of comorbidities. The etiologic relation between insulin resistance and obesity is still not completely understood.Objective: In this study a multiplatform metabolomics approach was applied for the first time to elucidate the metabolic alterations in obese children with or without IR. Metabolomics is the revolutionary strategy of...

Background: FGF21 is a metabolic and growth regulator.Aim: To investigate the role of FGF21 during growth in infancy.Methods: Cohort of 40 term (T) and 40 preterm (PT) newborns whose length and weight were evaluated prospectively at birth, 6 months, and 12 months. Blood samples for FGF21, IGF1, leptin, insulin and glucose were collected at 6 and 12 months. In addition, FGF21, I GF-I, leptin, and insulin were measured in cord blood ...

Background: Disorders of sex development (DSD) characterize incomplete or disorganized genital or gonadal development. One in 4500 births requires genetic and endocrine studies due to abnormal external genitalia or gonadal dysgenesis and only 50% of the cases receive a definitive diagnosis. There are several genes that participate in both sex determination and differentiation processes. Mutations in NR5A1 gene, which encoding SF1, a transcription factor, are responsib...

Background: Liver steatosis (LS) is diagnosed in obesity at very early ages, not exclusively related to overweight severity.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the features of patients diagnosed with obesity associated LS (ultrasonography).Method: We retrospectively studied 88 obese (BMI>+2 SDS) children with LS (LS-OB) and 88 age, gender, race and puberty matched obese children without LS (no-LS-OB). BMI-SDS, body composi...

Introduction: Growth without growth hormone (GWGH) is a rare phenomenon described in patients with hypothalamic structural pathology who present a normal growth rate in spite of growth hormone (GH) deficiency and low concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Possible aetiologies involve hyperinsulinaemia, hyperprolactinaemia or hyperleptinaemia; however, the exact mechanism is still unknown.Objective: We ai...

Background: Liver steatosis (LS) results from ectopic fat deposition and can be present in obesity even at early ages. Similar to insulin resistance, the onset of LS does not seem to depend exclusively upon the severity of obesity and shows a large interindividual variability.Objective: Our objective was to develop a predictive normogram for LS in children and adolescents with obesity ba...

There is still controversy about body composition after completion of growth hormone (GH) therapy in patients with GHD once final adult height has been reached.Objective: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate body composition in males after GH therapy discontinuation, during the transition stage.Patients and Methods: 18 males with confirmation of persistent GHD (16.7-21.5 years) after G...