ESPE Abstracts

Background: 25-OH vitamin D levels in newborns depend directly on their mother’s status. In a previous study, 25-OH vitamin D levels were determined in cord blood in a cohort of women after winter months, showing deficient values in 94% of population (mean 25-OH vitamin D value 10.4±6.1 ng/ml). Correlation between low 25-OH vitamin D levels and low sun exposure, dark skin phototype and Indo-Pakistani ethnicity were observed.Objective and hypoth...

Introduction: ROHHAD syndrome (Rapid-onset Obesity with Hypoventilation, hypothalamic and autonomic dysregulation) is a rare and complex disease with potential fatal outcome. To this day there have been 158 cases reported in the literature while whole exome sequencing has not yet revealed any responsible genes. It usually presents at the age of 2-4 years and the diagnosis is based on the following criteria: 1) rapidly progressive obesity that develops at the a...

Background: Puberty onset results from the interplay between genetic and environmental factors. During COVID-19 pandemic, children experienced epidemic-related changes, such as stress, sedentary lifestyle, excessive use of electronic devices, all leading to weight gain.Objective: The aim of our study is to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, as eviden...

Background: Patients who have received an hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have more risk of endocrine complications (hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, and growth retardation) but the incidence of diabetes after HSCT is not as well known. The pathogenesis of the diabetes is not well established, and is believed to be multifactorial: chemotherapy, pancreatic irradiation, inflammatory cascade and cytokines, steroids and predisposing genetic factors.<p class="abstex...

MOPD is known to be caused by homozygous loss-of-function mutations in a specific gene, PCNT. Both intra- and interfamilial clinical variability (even for the same variant) have been frequently observed, which makes it difficult to infer a genotype–phenotype correlation. Pericentrin (PCTN) is a structural protein expressed in the centrosome that plays a fundamental role in anchoring protein complexes, regulating mitotic cycle and thus cell proliferation. High levels of m...

Introduction: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) is a biochemical condition characterized by serum levels of TSH above the reference range upper limit (4,5μUI/mL), with normal concentrations of thyroid hormones. In cases of non-autoimmune subclinical hypothyroidism (NASHT), genetic defects have been described and can determine disorders in the biosynthesis process of thyroid hormones, such as heterozygous mutations in the TSH receptor gene (TSHR) and ...

Background: Testicular adrenal rest tumours (TART) may develop in males with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), with a widely variable prevalence. Having no malignant features, there seems to be no need to remove them. However, these lesions may increase in size and number when exogenous hormone therapy is inadequate. Untreated, may lead to infertility and irreversible damage of the surrounding testicular tissue.Case report: We present two cases, diag...

Background: Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is the most common endocrine cause of impaired growth. Recombinant human GH (rhGH) therapy does not always achieve complete catch-up growth or final height within the genetic target height despite standardised treatment guidelines. The factors causing the considerable variability in responsiveness to rhGH have not yet been fully elucidated. Apart from a number of auxological and clinical parameters, genetic factors also appear to pla...

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterised by impaired cortisol synthesis. An enzymatic defect in 11-beta-hydroxylase is the second most common variant of CAH and accounts for approximately 5–8% of cases. Patients present with features of androgen excess and approximately two thirds of patients also have high blood pressure (HBP), which is initially responsive to glucocorticoid replacement, but may become a c...

Introduction: Exposure to chronic stress and hypercortisolism is associated with decreased leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker for accelerated biological aging and cardiovascular disease. Children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are treated with glucocorticoids. The aim of our study was to investigate LTL in children with CAH and its relation with CAH subtype, daily glucocorticoid dose and treatment quality.Method...