ESPE Abstracts

Background: Imprinted genes are known to regulate fetal growth and a ‘parental conflict’ model predicts that paternally and maternally expressed imprinted genes promote and inhibit fetal growth, respectively. GNAS is a complex imprinted locus with multiple oppositely imprinted gene products. Maternal, but not paternal, G(s)alpha mutations lead to obesity in pseudohypoparathyroidism type IA (PHPIA). However, the disorder rarely causes severe obesity in infancy as pred...

Background: Waist circumference (WC) reflects the fat distribution and the degree of central adiposity in children, which is specifically associated with cardiovascular risk factors and useful as a component of metabolic syndrome definition in children.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the distribution of WC measures among preschool children aged 3.5–5.5 years from six European countries.Method: Cross-sectional study of a ...

Background: AHDS is a devastating disease caused by defects in the thyroid hormone (TH) transporter MCT8. Endocrine expression is heralded by systemic hyperthyroidism with elevated serum T3, mildly increased TSH and decreased T4. However, the brain is hypothyroid, causing severe psychomotor retardation. Therapeutic attempts with PTU+levothyroxine or the T3-analogue DITPA could normalize TH derangements but without any neurological improvement. ...

Background: Childhood obesity is a serious health problem, related to an increased risk of adult morbidity and mortality. Evidence indicates that central adiposity increases this risk to a higher degree compared to the general obesity indices.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the distribution of anthropometric obesity indices among preschool children aged 3.5–5.5 years, from six European countries, and to examine their associations with certain ...

Background: MODY is characterised by an early onset of diabetes and a positive family history of diabetes with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. We report a 15 year girl with a HNF1A mutation who presented with MODY without a positive family history.Objective and hypotheses: HNF1A-MODY is often misdiagnosed as type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Genetic confirmation of MODY in insulin-treated patients helps in making changes in the treatment modality as ...

Background: Carriers of germline DICER1 mutations are predisposed to a rare cancer syndrome, the DICER1 syndrome, associated with tumors such as pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB), ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors (SLCT), multinodular goiter (MNG), cystic nephroma (CN), embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) or primitive neuroectodermic tumor. DICER1 is involved in the generation of microRNAs (miRNAs), short, double-stranded, non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression at ...

Background: X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is caused by mutations in PHEX which increases serum Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 (FGF23) concentrations leading to phosphate wasting and osteomalacia. Burosumab is a recombinant fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody which selectively inhibits the activity of FGF23. In clinical trials burosumab demonstrated significant clinical improvements in radiological rickets severity, growth, and biochemistry among XLH c...

Capillary hyperglycemia in critically ill infants is a situation with numerous interfering factors, from acute illnesses to concomitant use of medications and may or may not be a manifestation of endocrinological urgency. Clinical case: Female patient, 2 months old, with failure to thrive, hepatomegaly without cholestasis, polyuria and compensated metabolic acidosis. On admission, capillary blood glucose levels above 200 mg/dL were measured even without concomitant use of cort...

Background and Aims: Turner Syndrome (TS), 45X0, is the most common chromosomal pathology affecting females, occurring in 1:2500 to 1:5000 female infants. The typical phenotype includes short stature, gonadal dysgenesis leading to sexual infantilism, low-set ears, low rear hairlin, mamary hypertelorism, neck webbing, gothic palate, irregular rotation of the elbows, shield chest, shortening of the 4th metacarpal, low hairline, shortening of lower extremities, renal disorders a...

Background: Obesity is a worldwide epidemic affecting adults and children. Social changes throughout history have contributed to modifications in nutrition and physical activity levels. These changes in lifestyle affected health, increasing the number of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Obese children already have a low grade systemic inflammation as well as markers of increased cardiovascular risk. The endothelial function is an important and early marker of atheroscler...