ESPE Abstracts

Background: It has been shown that a proportion of relatives with multiple islet auto antibodies do not develop diabetes for many years, indicating that a more accurate marker of advanced insulitis is needed.Objective and Hypotheses: We evaluated whether the level of HbA1c can discriminate children at risk of T1D onset in a cohort of auto antibody positive relatives.Method: A total of 74 subjects <18 years of age who were parti...

Background: Increased fracture risk and decreased bone mineral density (BMD) have been demonstrated by several studies in Turner syndrome (TS). However, longitudinal data on BMD development in childhood and adolescence and a reliable densitometric predictor of fractures in TS are still lacking.Objective and hypotheses: Our aim was to longitudinally assess BMD in paediatric TS patients and test whether trabecular BMD development over six years of observat...

Background: Turner syndrome (TS) associates with decreased bone mineral density and altered bone geometry, a risk factors leading to increased fracture rate. Although hypogonadism or SHOX gene haploinsufficiency are the probable causes, the exact mechanism remains unclarified. Particularly, the muscle function as an important determinant of bone strength has yet not been widely studied in TS patients.Objective and hypotheses: We hypothesised there is mus...

Background: Recently, a new monogenic cause of multiple immune system disorders and short stature has been attributed to germline activating mutations in the STAT3 gene encoding signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. Possible pathophysiological mechanisms include enhanced proliferation and activation of T-helper 17 cells and inhibition of regulatory T-cells by STAT3, as described in in vitro studies.Case presentation: The a...

Background: SGA-SS, defined as birth weight and/or birth length below -2SD for gestational age and postnatal statural height below -2.5SD according to age- and sex-specific standards, is a heterogeneous condition reflexing exogenous (maternal, placental) or endogenous (foetal) inadequacies. Within the past two decades, a handful of genetic causes of SGA-SS have been elucidated. However, how each genetic aetiology impacts individual GH treatment outcomes awaits...

Background: SGA-SS is a heterogeneous condition defined as birth weight and/or birth length below -2SD for gestational age and postnatal height below -2.5SD, according to age-and sex-specific normative values. Despite being an indication for growth hormone (GH) therapy for 15 years, aetiology and prediction of treatment outcomes in most of SGA-SS children awaits elucidation.Aim: To decipher genetic aetiologies among a la...

Background: Skeletal maturation is the most reliable indicator of biological age in children and adolescents. The evaluation of hand and wrist X-Ray according to Tanner-Whitehouse (TW3) or Greulich-Pyle (GP) are the most commonly used methods for biological age assessment. Automated bone age assessment has recently become increasingly popular, however a large independent study comparing automated and manual evaluation of bone age is still missing. The aim of this study was to ...

Background: Approximately 10% of children born small for gestational age (SGA) fail to catch-up nd remain short (SGA-SS). Although several mechanisms causing SGA-SS have been elucidated, the primary cause remains speculative in most cases.Aim: To decipher genetic causes of SGA-SS defined as birth length and/or birth weight <-2 SD for gestational age, and body height <-2.5 SD after the 3rd year of life within a larg...

Introduction: Familial short stature (FSS) describes vertically transmitted growth disorders. Traditionally, polygenic inheritance is presumed, but monogenic inheritance seems to occur more frequently than expected. Clinical predictors of monogenic FSS have not been elucidated thus far. The aim of the study was to identify the monogenic etiology and its clinical predictors in FSS children.Patients and Methods: Of 747 pat...

Introduction: The genetic investigation of tall stature (TS) is routinely indicated only in children with clinical suspicion of a specific syndrome associated with TS. After ruling out an endocrine disorder, the remaining tall children mostly receive a clinical diagnosis of “idiopathic” (ITS) or “familial” tall stature (FTS). The aetiology of their TS remains unknown.Aims: To elucidate genetic cau...