ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: The majority of children with short stature are classified as ISS by the absence of findings that could elucidate the cause of their growth impairment. Several monogenic defects have already been identified in children with ISS, but the candidate gene approach is not feasible when there are no specific findings to guide a specific genetic test.Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic yield of a targeted gene p...

Background: Most experts agree that subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) represents early, mild thyroid failure, however there are controversies about the evolution of SH over time.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study was to analyse the dynamics of thyroid dysfunction in children initially referred as patients with SH.Method: During the period January 2010 – January 2015, 258 unselected consecutive SH patients (140 girls)...

Introduction: Central precocious puberty (CPP) is due to premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Mutations in the imprinted gene MKRN3 are the most common monogenic form of CPP. Recently, attention was directed to DLK1, another imprinted gene. Defects in this gene resulted to be a rare cause of CPP in girls and adult women with precocious menarche, obesity and metabolic derangement. We aimed to investigate a cohort of female and male p...

Background: The primary goal of GH treatment in GHD children and adolescents is to normalize height, in order to attain an adult height within the target height (TH) range.Aim: to investigate height improvement in GHD paediatric patients treated with GH in our Country.Subjects: 737 patients with isolated GHD (39.5% females) from 13 tertiary Centres for Paediatric Endocrine Care...

Background: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) has been linked to papillary cancer in adults but not in children and adolescents. Moreover, there is no agreement on the more appropriate frequency of thyroid ultrasound (TS) in the follow-up of children with HT.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of thyroid nodules and of thyroid cancer in a large group of children and adolescents (567) with HT followed-up for a m...

Background: Timing of puberty is associated with height, cardiovascular health and cancer risk, with a significant public health impact. Previous studies estimate that 60–80% of variation in the timing of pubertal onset is genetically determined. Self-limited delayed puberty (DP) often segregates in an autosomal dominant pattern, but the underlying genetic background is unknown.Methods: We performed whole exome sequencing in 52 members of 7 families...

Background: patients with childhood-onset craniopharyngioma (CO-CP) present long-term outcomes, including growth hormone (GH) deficiency and obesity. Currently, data on the effects of GH therapy (GHT) on the body mass index (BMI) in CP are inconclusive. Aims of the study were to evaluate BMI over time and its determinants in a large cohort of CO-CP patients treated with GH therapy (GHT).Methods: a multicenter retrospecti...

Background: Hypovitaminosis D is common in the general population. Although many studies on 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) are available on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), little data is present in juvenile onset SLE (JSLE) patients.Objective and hypotheses: This study aimed to assess serum 25(OH)D levels in JSLE patients and to identify risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in this population.Method: Forty-five consecutive Cauc...

Background: It is often difficult to establish whether hyperthyrotropinemia in preterm newborn is a simple physiologic energy sparing phenomenon or a true hypothyroidism requiring replacement treatment.Objective and hypotheses: This study aimed to find in what extent thyroid function in the preterm newborn can be influenced by clinical characteristics and complications.Method: We studied 35 preterm newborn, gestational age (GA) 32....

Background: Hypogonadism is one of the major diagnostic criteria of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). A hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is often present as a result of hypothalamic dysfunction (together with other hormonal disorders, such as growth hormone deficiency and hypothyroidism).Presentation: A 8.5-year-old boy with genetically-confirmed PWS (maternal uniparental disomy) presented in our Endocrinology Unit for routinely follow-up. Therapy with rhGH was ...