ESPE Abstracts

Adrenocortical tumours are a rare disease in the paediatric population, with a higher prevalence in children under 5 years. The aetiology is partially known; in some cases it is related to mutations in the tumour suppressor gene p53 (TP 53). The classical symptoms of the Cushing syndrome are not usually present in children, so we should suspect this disease in children and teenagers with obesity or with slow growth velocity.Methods: We report a case of a...

Background: The adiposity measurement by reliable methods such as dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is not feasible in routine medical care and instead of this, the anthropometric methods are used. However, these methods could be inaccurate to estimate the body fat content. Additionally, in pediatric patients, some anthropometric indexes requires percentiles or Z-scores for their interpretation, like the body mass index (BMI) or the waist circumference (WC). Although anthropomet...

Introduction: Graves’ disease (GD), the main cause of hyperthyroidism in children, is caused by thyrotropin receptor stimulating autoantibodies (TRABs) that activate thyroid hormone synthesis, secretion and thyroid growth. Therapeutic options are anti-thyroid drugs (ATD), 131-I or thyroidectomy. This study reports the experience of a Tertiary Pediatric Endocrinology Unit.Methods: Review of GD patients diagnosed from January/2001 to October/2017. Res...

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA), a ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemical, has been shown to exert transgenerational effects on adiposity, metabolism, and reproductive outcomes in rodents, indicating epigenetic inheritance. Recent studies of other environmental insults (stress and high-fat diet) have demonstrated a mechanistic role for spermatozoal microRNAs in the transgenerational transmission of acquired paternal traits.Objective and hypotheses: To as...

Background: Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) is a software-based tool for analysis of DXA images to assess bone microarchitecture in the lumbar region. Several studies have addressed its value in adult population, however, little research has been done in children in which may be useful for bone evaluation during growth.Objective: To evaluate bone density and TBS during childhood and its relationship to other variables such as bone age and height<p class=...

Background: Obesity is one of the major risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, and its global prevalence has increased exponentially in the last decades. Excessive weight gained during early childhood increases long-term risk; however, reversing this condition during early-life reduces risk, improving children’s quality of life.Objective and hypotheses: We hypothesized that a lifestyle intervention in obese prepubertal children woul...

Background: Pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 (PHA1) is a rare syndrome characterized by unresponsiveness or resistance to the action of aldosterone. It manifests with persistent salt loss, resulting in hyponatremia, hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis. High levels of aldosterone and renin activity, confirms the diagnosis. When the inheritance pattern is autosomal recessive it expresses as a severe systemic disease. Often occurs in the neonatal period and presents with recurrent ...

Introduction and aims: Obesity is often associated with elevated insulin levels and resistance to insulin action (IR). Insulin regulates the lipid metabolism. In overweight children, IR may well play a greater role than obesity in the development of lipid alterations. This study sought to ascertain whether there was any difference in lipid levels between obese and non-obese children, and to test for correlations between IR markers and BMI.Patients and me...

Background: Recent studies have found a widespread deficiency of vitamin D during pregnancy. Its significance is still not fully understood, although low Vit-D levels have been associated to increased risk for conditions such as preeclampsia, bacterial vaginosis, neonatal sepsis, and early respiratory infections in the child. Supplementation to the pregnant mother is still a matter of debate, therefore it is important to understand better the causes, risk factors, and possible...

Introduction: GH deficiency (GHD) in adults is associated with impaired cardiac function, contributing to increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that adults with GHD have high levels of brain natriuretic peptide as a measure of cardiac function. GH replacement therapy can improve cardiac function and lower BNP levels. The scarce research carried out in children appears to show that GHD is linked to decreased left-ventricle size and reduced left-v...