ESPE Abstracts

Background: The exposure to environmental toxicants has been estimated to contribute directly to 3% of human neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs). Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), which are widespread persistent organic pollutants, have been implicated mainly because of their endocrine disruptive nature. Several studies have reported the above relations between maternal serum, the placenta barrier and the breast milk levels of OCPs and NDDs.Aim: The a...

Background: Angiopoietin-2 is a growth factor involved in the pathophysiology of different vascular and inflammatory diseases such as arteriosclerosis. Carotid or aortic scans provide non-invasive screening tools for assessment of preclinical atherosclerosis in high-risk children.Aim: We assessed serum angiopoietin-2 in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus as a potential marker for diabetic vascular complications in relation to glycemic...

Background: Growth impairment is a known complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). Effects of hydroxyurea (HU) on growth in older children with SCD have never been reported.Objective and hypotheses: This study was done to explore the potential effects of HU on growth parameters of older children with SCD and correlate these changes with clinical improvement.Method: A prospective study was conducted on 97 SCD patients started on HU...

Background: Robot assisted therapy has the potential to provide emotional and educational support to young patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM).Objective: To investigate the attitudes of children and young people with T1DM and that of their parents towards the concept of utilising a humanoid robot as an assistant in the management of their diabetes.Methods: A humanoid robot programmed to help self-management of T1DM at home was int...

Background: Pituitary hormone deficiency combined type 3 (CPHD3; MIM# 221750) is an autosomal recessive combined pituitary hormone deficiency caused by mutations in LHX3, a LIM-homeodomain transcription factor gene which is necessary for the normal pituitary and motorneuron development.Aims: Clinical manifestations of CPHD3 are pituitary dwarfism and might be accompanied by rigid cervical spine leading to limited neck rotation or sensorineural deafness. ...

Background: In infants, less than 1-year JGCT is extremely rare, with very few reported cases in the literature.Case Report: This 9-month old girl, presented with a day history of bloody vaginal secretions, with an increase in breast size bilaterally 2 months before presentation and growth of fine hair in the genital area. She had no skin hyperpigmentation, no skeletal abnormalities, and no dysmorphic features. On examination, the girl had no dysmorphic ...

Preterm babies born to non-diabetic mothers (INDM) who experience significant hypoglycemia may have postnatal growth abnormalities. This study evaluated the growth pattern from birth to the age of 2 years of 40 INDM who were born at or near term with significant hypoglycemia. Anthropometric measures (z scores) from birth, 2,4.6,12,18 and 2 years were measured in 40 INDM who presented with significant neonatal hypoglycemia (plasma value less than 20-25 mg/dl (1.1-1.4 mmol/l) th...

Background and Aims: Congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) is the most frequent cause of severe, persistent hypoglycemia in newborn babies and children. The disease may occur in isolation or can present as part of a syndrome. Routine screening of the known etiological genes (n = >20) identifies a disease-causing mutation in 40-50% of all cases. An accurate and timely genetic diagnosis is clinically important for all individuals as understanding the unde...

Background: Dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1B (DYRK1B) is a nutrient-sensing protein that suppresses the RAS–RAF–MEK pathway and is known to have a role in glucose uptake and glycolysis. The expression of DYRK1B increases during adipogenic differentiation suggesting an important role in adipogenesis. Mutations in DYRK1B have been described in three Iranian families and five Caucasian patients w...

Background: The leptin-melanocortin pathway is pivotal in appetite and energy homeostasis. Pathogenic variants in genes involved in this pathway lead to severe early-onset monogenic obesity (MO). The MC4R gene plays a central role in the leptin-melanocortin, and variants predominantly heterozygous in this gene, are the most common cause of MO. We identified a novel heterozygous variant c.802T>C p.Tyr268His in the MC4R gene in two unrelated patients with mor...