ESPE Abstracts

Background: Mutations in the gene encoding LHX4, a homeodomain-containing factor with two LIM domains, are responsible for dominant hypopituitarisms with incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. To date, only 14 unambiguous LHX4 mutations have been reported. Among those cases, 12 had an absent or ectopic posterior pituitary (EPP) and/or an abnormal sella turcica.Objective and hypotheses: To i) assess the contribution of LHX4 in combined pituitary...

Background: due to its recently documented role in intercellular tight junction disassembly, zonulin has emerged as a valuable biological marker to assess the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Experimental studies have shown an association between intestinal permeability and obesity.Objectives: aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum zonulin levels, both at baseline and postprandial...

Background: The anogenital distance (AGD) is a well-known measure in rodents used to distinguish male and female pubs. Likewise, AGD display sex-specific differences in humans. It is considered a postnatal readout of early androgen exposure in fetal life. Thus, in postnatal life AGD is longer in boys than in girls, reduced in infants born with cryptorchidism and hypospadias as well as in boys exposed to anti-androgenic agents in fetal life. However, little is ...

Context: Severe vitamin D deficiency may lead to myopathy in adults. Little is known about vitamin D and muscle strength in children.Objective: To test whether hand grip strength (HGS) in 5-year-old-children associates with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s-25OHD) from pregnancy to 5 years.Methods: Observational study in the population-based Odense Child Cohort, Denmark. At 5 years, anthropometrics, body fat percentage by skin fold meas...

Background: Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) is a common complication in cystic fibrosis (CF). CFRD symptoms and treatment may impose additional burden and adversely affect their QoL.Objective and hypotheses: Assess HRQoL in CF children with normal glycaemia (CFN) and CFRD and evaluate the change in HRQoL over 1 year period along with clinical changes.Method: A prospective study was undertaken including children aged 10&#150...

Background: Patients with Turner Syndrome (TS) are at high risk for congenital heart disease (CHD), aortic dilatation and dissection with increased mortality and morbidity. Thoracic gadolinium-enhanced MRI angiography allows clear imaging of all great vessels and revealed a spectrum of silent vascular anomalies (VA), both venous and arterial, undetected at Echocardiography.The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the prevalen...

Introduction: The external masculinisation score (EMS) has been utilised as an objective numerical description of the external genitalia in undermasculinised patients with DSD in several studies. However, data on longitudinal change in EMS in the routine clinical setting are lacking.Objectives: To determine the longitudinal change in EMS and its determinants in a cohort of boys with XY DSD in one specialist centre.<p...

Introduction: Developed countries have shown, among the 20th century, a time trend towards a younger age at menarche. Tanner described an anticipation of 3 months every decade. In the last two decades of twenty century we have observed an apparent stabilization of menarche age in most of Western countries.Objective: analyze average age of menarche in Tuscany girls and compare our results with those in literatu...

Background: An increase in the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) with a normally located gland has been reported worldwide. Affected individuals display transient or permanent CH during follow-up in childhood. We aimed to determine the prevalence of transient CH and to assess the possibility of distinguishing between transient and permanent CH in early infancy.Methods: This observational cohort study included all patients identified by systemat...

Background: Monogenic diabetes represents a group of disorders resulting from a single gene defect leading to disruption of insulin secretion or a reduction in the number of beta cells. Despite the classification of monogenic diabetes according to age of onset, with neonatal DM (<6 months of age) and maturity onset diabetes of young (MODY) (>6 months and <25 years of age); not every case can be classified into those groups.Objective and hypot...