ESPE Abstracts

Background: Currently, only two centers for diagnosis and treatment of growth disorders are operating in the Western and Eastern parts of Bulgaria. About 200 children are currently GH treated while at least as many children with growth disorders from mostly Central Northern and Southern Bulgaria are presumably not diagnosed. Thus inequalities in children's access to health care are created. In order to correct this and to quickly align practices between ex...

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Despite the obesity epidemics, the incidence of childhood T2DM is not increased.Objective and hypotheses: To assess the β-cell reserve expressed as an oral glucose disposition index (GDIo), an independent predictor of developing T2DM.Method: A total of 80 adolescents (61.3% girls), aged from 10.0 to 17.6 years (mean age 13.59±2.34 y...

Background: Obesity prevalence is increasing among young children in both developed and developing countries, showing a tendency to persist with age and lead to early morbidity and mortality.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study is to present the most recent trend in obesity prevalence and to investigate the changes in BMI among Bulgarian pre-pubertal children for a period of 17 years (from 1990 to 2007).Method: Three cro...

Background: Recently childhood obesity shows trends of lowering age at start. Preschool children are still very physically active. A possible association between total and abdominal obesity and metabolic risk at preschool age could be of value for preventive measures.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the relationship between body composition and some metabolic risk factors at preschool age.Method: A total of 40 (50% boys) he...

Background: Hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia (HH) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by persistent hypoglycaemia due to inappropriate insulin secretion from the pancreatic β-cell.Aim: The objective was to analyze the demographic, clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with HH, diagnosed and/or treated at a tertiary endocrine center, part of the European referen...

Growth hormone (GH) has been used for the treatment of short stature due to GH deficiency (GHD) for over 60 years. Height velocity (HV) in the first year of therapy is well studied and its crucial importance for growth outcome in subsequent years is confirmed.Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the responsiveness to GH treatment in GHD patients of a newly established treatment center before and after change in starting GH dose...

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism possesses considerable clinical heterogeneity attributed partly to its diverse genetic causes.Objective: To present a boy with diazoxide unresponsive hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia due to a homozygous recessive ABCC8 missense mutation, previously reported to be dominant acting and being inherited by his unaffected heterozygous parents.Material and results: The boy was a third preterm child of...

In 2014 Varna Pediatric Endocrine Society started a program for timely diagnosis and treatment of stature deviations. GPs with 23 058 children under their care were trained and provided with a specialized auxological software to warn them for every stature deviation. From the expected 692 children with short stature (3% of the total), only 33 (0.14%) were sent for further evaluation. Due to the unsatisfactory results we decided to organise a new campaign with the help of media...

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic condition (frequency from 1:8000 up to 1:30 000), which is associated with deletions of chromosome 15 (region 15q11.2), maternal uniparental disomy and impring defects. It is characterized by muscle hypotonia in the early postnatal period, excessive weight gain after 2 years of age, lack of satiety, short stature, hypogonadism and compulsive-like behavior. Every patient has his/her own specific needs that change with age and individuali...

Background: Since its discovery in 2012 the ‘browining’ adipokine irisin is known to lead to increased thermogenesis and energy expenditure. Studies in children are scarce, with results similar to most studies in adults.Objective and hypotheses: To establish a link between total and abdominal fat mass, physical activity and irisin in preschool age.Method: Height, weight and waist circumference (WC) of 40 healthy pre-puber...