ESPE Abstracts

Background: Liver steatosis (LS) results from ectopic fat deposition and can be present in obesity even at early ages. Similar to insulin resistance, the onset of LS does not seem to depend exclusively upon the severity of obesity and shows a large interindividual variability.Objective: Our objective was to develop a predictive normogram for LS in children and adolescents with obesity ba...

Introduction: Human growth is a multifactorial process involving genetic, hormonal, nutritional and environmental factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have shown that >400 genes are associated with adult height. African Baka Pygmies represent an isolated and well-confined small population with short stature of unknown etiology. In previous studies we reported an 8-fold reduced GH receptor gene expression and reduced serum levels of IGF-I and GHB...

Background: X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLHR) represents the most common form of genetic hypophosphatemia. Even though skull and cranio-vertebral anomalies of potential neurosurgical interest are observed in children with XLHR, their actual incidence and characteristics are not well established. We aimed to analyze the incidence of Chiari type I anomalies in children with XLHRMethods and materials: Our retrospecti...

Introduction: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) represent a heterogeneous population, displaying different phenotypes for both growth and metabolic status. Low birth length and/or weight increases the risks for not only growth impairment but also for metabolic derangements (cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes), the latter with an even amplified risk in children with rapid postnatal weight gain. Variability in metabolic paramete...

Introduction: Early identification of classic 21OH-Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (21OH-CAH) through newborn screening (NBS) is crucial to prevent adrenal crises, especially in males. Today 21 OH-CAH NBS is performed in 5/21 regions of Italy. This study aims to report the results of 21OH-CAH NBS in Italy from 2006 to 2019.Methods: All patients underwent a dried blood spot (DBS) test for 17OH-progesterone (17OHP) within t...

Background: Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) is caused by impaired function of GnRH neurons, which clinically manifests by incomplete or absent puberty and infertility. The phenotype may be broader with other developmental anomalies such as anosmia, which is known as Kallmann syndrome. To date, there are more than 40 genes in which mutations underlie CHH. Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is characterized by facial dysmorphia, psychomotor delay, ...

Introduction: Familial non-autoimmune autosomal dominant hyperthyroidism (FNAH) is a rare cause of childhood hyperthyroidism caused by an activating variant of the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) gene. This disorder may occur as a result of an autosomal dominant inheritance or sporadically through de novo variation. The severity of hyperthyroid symptoms is variable and phenotype differences have been described in subjects harbouring the same mutati...

The growth response in patients undergoing GH treatment is variable depending both on the patient's basal conditions and on personal innate sensitivity to therapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are epigenetic regulators of gene expression, and are recognised as important regulators of biological and metabolic processes. It is unknown at present whether miRNAs could be early biomarkers of response to GH treatment in a perspective of individualised medicine, and whether they could disc...

Introduction: Craniopharyngiomas (CP) are rare pediatric intracranial tumors (1.2-4%) with a peak of incidence between 5-14 years . We retrospectively reviewed data of 16 cases (M/F 4/12) diagnosed before 4 years of age (median follow up 7.2 years) from a cohort of 117 patients (pts) (M/F 56/41) diagnosed after 01/01/2000, followed-up in 14 Italian centres of pediatric endocrinology belonging to the Italian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetolo...

Background: We recently reported three children with severe isolated growth hormone (GH) deficiency and pituitary hypoplasia due to biallelic mutations in the RNPC3 gene, which codes for a minor spliceosome protein required for U11/U12 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein formation and splicing of U12-type introns. Although it is clear that these patients are GH deficient, the underlying mechanism for this deficit is not totally understood.Objective:...