ESPE Abstracts

Background: Chronic hemolytic anemias may compromise growth through multiple mechanisms. To date, no data exist on growth and body composition (BC; bone, muscle and fat mass) of children and adolescents with chronic hemolysis.Purpose: To evaluate growth and BC of patients with thalassemia intermedia (not on regular transfusions; thal-intermedia), alpha-thalassemia and congenital spherocytosis....

Background: There are studies supporting the seasonality of diabetes according to date of diagnosis and date of birth, with most T1D children being diagnosed in fall and winter and most of them been born in the same period. That is in concordance with previously published data from 1978 to 2008 in our country.Objective and hypotheses: To assess whether there is a seasonal variation of diabetes onset according to date of diagnosis and date of birth of inc...

Background: Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) in newly diagnosed children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) has been associated in previous studies with several factors, such as age or season of diagnosis.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of age, gender, birth order and seasonality in DKA occurrence in newly diagnosed T1D pediatric patients.Method: Data of children aged 0–14 years newly diagnos...

Background: Testicular Adrenal Rest Tumours (TARTs) are benign tumours that frequently occur in male patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. They exhibit both testicular and adrenal characteristics, but their aetiology is unknown. Additionally, TART resembles Leydig cell tumours (LCTs), while no marker exist to discriminate between these testis tumours. GATA transcription factors play an important role in eukaryotic development and are expressed in foetal and adult adren...

Background: Obesity in childhood and adolescence represents a major health problem of our century, and accounts for a significant increase in morbidity and mortality in adulthood. In addition to the increased consumption of calories and lack of exercise, accumulating evidence suggests that childhood obesity is strongly associated with prolonged and excessive activation of the stress system.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of our study was to assess the ...

Background: POU1F1 encodes a pituitary-specific homeodomain transcription factor that is crucial for development and differentiation of anterior pituitary cell types. Mutations in this gene result in GH, TSH and prolactin (PRL) deficiencies.Objective and hypotheses: To describe a male newborn of a mother with known dominant p.R271W mutation in the POU1F1 gene.Methods: Case report with clinical follow up, endocrine investigations, n...

Background: Most children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) have a delayed bone age (BA). ISS with advanced BA is far less common. We studied three families with autosomal dominant short stature, unexplained BA acceleration, and premature growth cessation.Objective and hypotheses: To identify the genetic cause of this condition and describe its clinical spectrum.Method: Whole exome sequencing was performed in selected individuals...

Background: Since the initiation of neonatal screening-programs for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in the 1970’s, an increase in the incidence of CH has been observed. This change has been attributed to the gradual use of lower TSH cut-offs that lead to the detection of milder cases of CH. Based on currently used screening cut-offs, CH occurs in approximately 1:2 000 to 1:4 000 newborns, varying by geographic location and ethnicity. A female predominance, approaching a 2:...

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterised by impaired cortisol synthesis. An enzymatic defect in 11-beta-hydroxylase is the second most common variant of CAH and accounts for approximately 5–8% of cases. Patients present with features of androgen excess and approximately two thirds of patients also have high blood pressure (HBP), which is initially responsive to glucocorticoid replacement, but may become a c...

Introduction: Exposure to chronic stress and hypercortisolism is associated with decreased leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker for accelerated biological aging and cardiovascular disease. Children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are treated with glucocorticoids. The aim of our study was to investigate LTL in children with CAH and its relation with CAH subtype, daily glucocorticoid dose and treatment quality.Method...