ESPE Abstracts

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: It is well known that ingestion of a high fat diet (HFD) can induce rapid weight gain and metabolic imbalances. However, males and females are not equally susceptible to these effects. Furthermore, an individual may be more prone to gain weight during specific developmental periods.Aims and objectives: We aimed to analyse the response to the acute exposure to a HFD during pubertal/adolescent period and to determine whether males and females r...

Introduction: Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus (NDM) is characterised by severe hyperglycaemia, usually diagnosed in the first 6 months of life. Genetic diagnosis helps distinguishing between its different causes and between transient (TNDM) and permanent (PNDM) forms, with repercussions on the therapeutic approach and follow-up.Aim: Clinical and molecular characterisation of a series of NMD cases under endocrinological follow...

Background: Heterogeneity in reported outcomes limits the ability to compare results of studies evaluating hypospadias surgery.Objective: To identify a core outcome set (COS), a minimal number of defined outcomes, to be routinely measured and reported in all trials across the age span following hypospadias surgery.Materials and Methods: A study protocol was drafted and the study re...

Background: In Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is a hereditary disease in which AR mutations in 46,XY patients present with partial (PAIS) or complete (CAIS) defects in virilisation.Objective and hypotheses: The aim was to analyze the effect of lack of androgen action in germ cell (GC) health and survival along postnatal development, previous to Sertoli cell (SC) pubertal maturation.Method: The histological features and quant...

Introduction: This study describes the experience of introducing Nao, a humanoid robot, into a Summer Camp for children with diabetes (August 2013, Misano Adriatico, Italy), with the aim to provide them a companion capable to support and motivate. Our goal was to investigate if, Nao’s interactions with children could positively affect the adherence to specific medical recommendations during their stay. Namely children were asked to fill in a specific nutritional diary. Th...

Background: Precocious puberty (PP) in girls is most frequently an idiopathic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-dependent PP, being thelarche the typical first sign. It is well established that increased dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) levels are associated with premature adrenarche and may characterize PP too. However, its relationship with signs of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis activation and estrogen exposure is still to be elucidate...

Background: T3-P-GD, a severe, rare disorder well known in adults, has not previously been described in children. It is characterized by persistently high serum fT3 concentration and normal, or even low, fT4 concentration during drug treatment. This condition is associated with very high titers of TRAb and large goiters, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. The recognition of this form of GD in children is of particular importance, as higher antithyroid ...

Pituitary gigantism is a rare disorder caused by excess of GH/IGF-1 due to GH-secreting lesions, that occurs before epiphyseal closure leading to increased linear growth. These cases have more aggressive features of pituitary disease than sporadic acromegaly, including a younger age at disease onset and larger tumor size, and they can be challenging to treat. Over the past two decades several molecular defects that cause GH-secreting pituitary adenomas have been identified, in...

Aim: To determine Sertoli cell function at diagnosis and after 3 months of chemotherapy.Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed including children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, acute myeloid leukaemia, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Serum levels of AMH were evaluated at diagnosis and after 3 months during chemotherapy. Results were analysed as standard deviation scores according to pubertal stage and expressed ...