ESPE Abstracts

Background: Although the transition from the pre-pubertal condition to puberty occurs physiologically within a bounded age range, recent data indicate a central role for epigenetics in the regulation of several genes that could mediate an alteration of pubertal onset. Moreover, changes occurring during this developmental stage have often been associated with susceptibility to a wide range of diseases in later life. To identify changes in DNA methylation profil...

Background: In the published literature, eating disorders appear as a cause of pubertal delay/arrest in young girls. Furthermore, several studies associate anorexia nervosa (AN) with epigenetic changes that may heighten the risk of the disorder and lead to clinical signs as functional hypothalamic amenorrhea. In the present study we investigated whether AN correlates with a distinct DNA methylation profile compared to normal-eating pubertal girls.<p class=...