ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: The main purpose of the study was to determine whether anthropometric measurements at preschool (PS)-age, in which physiological adiposity rebound is detected, and LT4 dose have an effect on the age of onset of puberty in children with hypothyroidism.Methods: This is an observational and retrospective study.Results: Puberty had begun in 44 girls and 25 boys out of 115...

Background: We have proposed a simple and comprehensive scoring system to evaluate clinical features of differences/disorders of sexual development (DSD); however, its clinical evaluation has not been performed.Aim: To evaluate the association between this newly proposed DSD scoring system (DSD-SS) and assigned gender in patients with 45,X/46,XY mosaicism.Methods: DSD-SS involves e...

Background: It is well known that growth hormone (GH) brings about several effects, involving bone, body composition, lipids and glucose homeostasis. However, the complex interplay between these parameters is rather poorly studied in children with childhood-onset-GH deficiency (CO-GHD).Objective and hypotheses: To investigate lipids, adipokines (leptin- adiponectin- resistin) and glucose homeostasis and their relationship with bone and body composition i...

Beckwith Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a rare overgrowth disorder characterised by macroglossia, exomphalos, lateralised overgrowth, organomegaly, hyperinsulinism, and an increased risk of embryonic tumor during early life. In about 80% of BWS cases, molecular defects are identified at the imprinted 11p15.5 region which contains the IGF2 and the CDKN1C genes (most patients show methylation defects at either imprinting control region IC1 or IC2, or paternal unip...

Background: An abnormal blood pressure (BP) circadian rhythm, and in particular a non- dipping phenomenon is associated with increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health risks. In patients on steroid replacement therapy non physiological substitution may affect the BP profile.Objective and hypotheses: i) to evaluate the circadian BP profiles of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) on steroid replacement therapy, ii) to compare BP pro...

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) is defined as an elevated serum concentration of TSH when serum free thyroxine (fT4) concentration is within its reference range. Impaired myocardial contractility in overt hypothyroidism and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in adults with SH as well as beneficial effects of thyroid hormone replacement on systolic and diastolic functions in adults with SH has been documented, however the presence of similar alte...

Background: It is well known that boys are heavier than girls at birth. Causes of this difference are thought to originate from the Y chromosome and as a result of androgen action. Although some studies showed that sex dimorphism in size at birth is dependent of fetal androgens, one study reported that it is not generated by action of androgens.Objective and hypotheses: To determine birth weight (BW) of children in different aetiologies of disorder of se...

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a key component of the body's defence against cold challenge and possesses the ability to convert large amounts of chemical energy to heat, conferred by a unique protein, uncoupling protein (UCP)-1, diverting mitochondrial respiration from the production of adenosine triphosphate. In humans, the largest BAT depot is in the supraclavicular region. Sympathetic nervous system stimulation induces glucose uptake into brown adipose tissue, as does i...

Background: Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), due to loss of paternal gene expression on chromosome 15q11.2-13, is characterized by hypotonia, hypothalamic-pituitary dysregulation, abnormal respiratory drive, and hyperphagia. GH, often started in infancy, improves tone, body composition, and height. Concerns about sudden death in children with PWS started on GH, hypothesized secondary to worsening obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) from adenotonsillar hypertrophy, resulted in guidelines...

Background: Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid closely related to the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) considered as the major source of energy during prolonged exercise. During fasting, when the liver switches to fatty acid oxidation, a rise in serum GH occurs concomitantly with the accumulation of BHB and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) acetate, propionate and butyrate. Interactions between GH, ketone body and SCFA during the metabolic adaptation to fasting are poor...