ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a complex hypothalamic disorder, causing hypotonia, intellectual disability (ID), pituitary hormone deficiencies and hyperphagia. Up to 4% of young patients with PWS die unexpectedly, every year. The mean age of reported deaths in PWS is 29.5 years; 20% of deaths even occur below age 18 years. Mortality data show that more than 50% of deaths are of cardio-pulmonary origin. Morbid obesity, diabetes and hypertension are strong risk fa...

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency in children is still a global health problem. Measuring free 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations could provide a better estimate of the vitamin D status than total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels.Objective: To assess the relationship between measured free vitamin D (m-f25(OH)D) and calculated free 25(OH)D (c-f25(OH)D), total 25(OH)D, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and other markers of phosphocalcic metabolism. Es...

Background: X-linked Congenital Adrenal Hypoplasia (AHC) is a rare cause of primary adrenal insufficiency due to mutations in NR0B1 gene, causing a loss of function of the nuclear receptor protein DAX-1. Adrenal insufficiency usually presents in the first two months of life, but sometimes can appear later in childhood. Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism is often associated later in life and all patients develop azoospermia. We describe an unusual onset of AHC started with ...

Background: Development of cystic fibrosis–related diabetes (CFRD) is associated with worse pulmonary function, poorer nutritional status, more chest infections and increased mortality. In cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, abnormality of the 1 hour glucose during Glucose Tolerance test (GTT) is reported to be a better predictor of early CFRD and is associated with decline in pulmonary function compared to the 2-hour glucose level during GTT. We report a case series of 4 pati...

Introduction: Term newborns Small for Gestational Age (SGA) have an increased risk for minor neurological impairment at pre- and school age. The general movements (GMs) assessment, in particular at Fidgety (F+) age, has been increasingly used to predict neurological dysfunctions. Aim of our study was to evaluate, in a population of term newborn SGA (gestational age >37 weeks) the growth recovery, the presence of F+ at 3 months of age, and the neurological outcome at 2 year...

Background: Small for gestational age (SGA) children are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome in adulthood and have below-average bone mineral density (BMD). Growth hormone treatment reduces fat mass and insulin sensitivity, increases lean body mass and improves height and BMD in short SGA children. We aimed to evaluate changes in body composition in SGA patients treated with growth hormone (GH), after its cessation, compared with young adults born appropriate for gestation...

KBG syndrome (OMIM 148050) is a an emerging autosomal dominant disorder caused by heterozygous mutations in the ANKRD11 gene or deletions of 16q24.3, characterized by developmental delay, short stature, dysmorphic facial features and skeletal anomalies. Patients and methods: We report 22 patients with dysmorphic features, learning disabilities, behavior problems and macrodontia, where a clinical diagnosis of KBG was suspected. An ANKRD11 defect was confirmed in 12 patients. In...

The LMNA gene encodes lamin A/C, intermediate filament proteins associated with the inner nuclear membrane. Mutations in LMNA gene cause a wide range of human diseases sometimes called ‘laminopathies’ that affect different organ systems depending upon the mutation. Most laminopathies involve tissue of mesenchymal origins, resulting in such features as cardiac disorders and/or muscular dystrophy, lipodystrophy or progeroid syndromes. The group of progeroid syndromes i...

Background: The estimated estradiol (E2) dose required for pubertal induction in hypogonadal girls is about 1/10 of the adult dose. Previous studies have shown that it is possible to provide an individualized and physiological dose for pubertal induction by cutting the patch into smaller pieces. However, the manufacturers do not guarantee stability or utility of cut E2 patches, primarily designed for postmenopausal women, and have no interest in that eval...

Background: Central precocious puberty (CPP) is often familial but its genetic cause is largely unknown. Very recently, the makorin RING finger protein 3 (MKRN3) gene has been found mutated for the first time in 5 families with familial precocious puberty. The inheritance pattern is particular being the MKRN3 a maternal imprinted gene. Moreover in a recent genome wide association study common intronic or intragenic variants harbouring this gene and other two imprinted genes, D...