ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Thyroid dyshormonogenesis (TD) is a heterogeneous group of genetic diseases caused by the total or partial defect in the synthesis or secretion of thyroid hormones. It presents clinical heterogeneity, from subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) to goitre. The clearer understanding of the pathways and enzymatic activities involved in the synthesis of thyroid hormones has allowed us to identify an important number of causal genes. Defective organification...

Introduction: The thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) has a key role in the thyroid gland. It is involved in folliculogenesis, differentiation, organogenesis, and thyroid hormone synthesis and production. Its genetic defects can cause poor differentiation (thyroid dysgenesis) and/or thyroid malfunction (thyroid dyshormonogenesis, TD). Therefore, its phenotype spectrum is wide, ranging from severe congenital hypothyroidism (CH) to mild hyperthyrotropinemia. Some hetero...

Background: Severe primary insulin-growth factor-1 (IGF1) deficiency (SPIGF1D) is a rare cause of growth retardation. Diagnostic criteria include age- and sex-dependent low basal IGF1 levels (<2.5th percentile), height ≤ −3SDS, absence of growth hormone (GH) deficiency and of any secondary causes of growth failure.Objectives: Phenotypic description, follow-up and molecular studies in a cohort of patients diagnosed with growth f...

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disease among women of reproductive age with a prevalence of about 8% according to the Androgen Excess Society (AES) criteria. The pathophysiology of PCOS is not well understood and it is associated with a high prevalence of metabolic disorders. During puberty, irregular menses and acne are common, thus making the diagnosis of PCOS in adolescence challenging.Objective and hypothe...

Background: Homozygous natriuretic peptide receptor-2 (NPR2) mutations cause acromesomelic dysplasia, type Maroteaux, a skeletal dysplasia with extreme disproportionate short stature and recently, heterozygous NPR2 mutations have been identified also in patients with idiopathic short stature (ISS, 2–6%). SHOX mutations are found in ~2–5% of ISS cases and ~70% of Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) cases, characterized by disproportionat...

Background: Mutations in SHOX or its regulatory regions have been detected in ~70% of Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) and ~2.5% of idiopathic short stature (ISS) cases, suggesting the implication of other genes or loci. Recent studies have identified NPR2 defects in ISS patients.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate if NPR2 mutations can account for a proportion of the cases referred for LWD and ISS in whom no SHOX/PAR1 mutation was detected.<...

Though up to fourteen different MODY subtypes have been so far described, there are no studies in the literature which have determined their actual frequency and prevalence in pediatric patients.Objectives: To identify the underlying molecular basis in a cohort of pediatric patients with a suspected clinical diagnosis of MODY by targeted NGS.Materials/Methods: Cohort of 60 patient fulfilling MODY c...

Background: In vitro studies suggest a broader role for aldosterone, beyond elevating blood pressure. Clinical data support the notion that aldosterone can directly alter the function of the immune system and can participate in low-grade inflammation which leads to blood pressure elevation and end organ damage.Objective and hypothesis: To assess in humans, whether aldosterone plasma levels and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) expression associate...

Background: A total of 456 skeletal dysplasias have been classified by molecular, biochemical and/or radiological criteria, into 40 groups. Despite this, the precise, final diagnosis is often difficult due to the high phenotypic and genotypic variability.Objective: To improve the molecular and clinical diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias using a custom-designed next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel.Method: A total of 56 skeletal dysp...

Background: Although isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) is one of the most frequent causes of postnatal proportional undergrowth, up to 85–90% of IGHD cases are still classified as idiopathic. On the other hand, previous reports identified up to 40 different GH1 proximal promoter haplotypes, some of which show hypomorphic effects, significantly reducing GH1 expression levels.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the frequency of ...