ESPE Abstracts

Background: In vitro studies suggest a broader role for aldosterone, beyond elevating blood pressure. Clinical data support the notion that aldosterone can directly alter the function of the immune system and can participate in low-grade inflammation which leads to blood pressure elevation and end organ damage.Objective and hypothesis: To assess in humans, whether aldosterone plasma levels and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) expression associate...

Background: Paediatric hypertension is increasing and has been associated with obesity and insulin resistance. Recently, cortisol:cortisone ratio and the metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), which is a marker of vascular remodelling, have been syndicated as new risk factors associated with hypertension.Objective and hypotheses: To analyse the association between paediatric hypertension with clinical, biochemical, inflammation, and vascular remodelling biomarkers<...

Background: overexpression of the oncogene Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), a Hippo pathway target, associates with increased cell proliferation in some human cancers. There is not data on adrenocortical tumors (ACT). YAP1 is a potential target of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which plays an important role in ACTs.Objective and hypotheses: to evaluate the role of YAP1 and its interaction with the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in ACT.Met...

Abnormal DNA methylation contributes to tumor progression and is emerging as a prognostic marker in several types of cancers. To investigate whether DNA methylation is associated with pediatric adrenocortical tumor (pACT) presentation and patient prognosis, we analyzed the methylation profile of 57 tumors (MethylationEPIC BeadChip Array-Illumina) and patients’ clinicopathological features and outcome. The study comprehended 40 girls and 17 boys, with median age at diagnos...

Background: Impairment of the chromatin remodeling factors ATRX and DAXX and telomeres abnormality play a role in cancer biology, influencing the clinical outcomes. However, their roles in adrenal tumorigenesis require broader investigation.Aim: To evaluate ATRX and DAXX genotype and expression, telomere length, and the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), as well as their clinical significance, in primary adrenoc...

Aim: To uncover a feasible tumor expression prognostic signature and potential therapeutic targets for children with pACT.Methods: Tumor RNAseq from 53 pACT children (70% girls, median age: 1.7yrs) was performed (Illumina). Using a robust, state-of-the-art, differential gene expression analysis pipeline, differentially expressed genes (DEGs: adjusted P<0.05 and |log2 fold-change|>1) were identified (DESeq2...

Background: Numerous studies focused on the association between hypospadias and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) exposures. The wide variability of phenotypes included in these studies, the absence of comparison groups representative of the populations and the absence of concomitant genetic testing to rule out another cause make the results questionable.Objective and hypotheses: We performed a prospective phenotype-specific analysis of patients with ...

Background: Severe forms of 46,XY DSD with uncertain sex may have a family history (FH) in ~15–20% of cases. On the other side of the DSD spectrum, data regarding isolated hypospadias is sparse and a FH of genital malformation is thought to be less frequent.Objective and hypotheses: The aims of the study were i) to determine the frequency of genital abnormalities in families of isolated hypospadiac boys, ii) to determine whether there is a particula...

Objective: Dental plaque removal is an important factor in preventing periodontal diseases and caries. Tooth brushing remains the most reliable method of controlling dental plaque. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of plaque control performed with a battery powered and manual toothbrushes in over-weight adolescents.Materials and methods: The twenty two adolesents with over-weight were attended in this study. These patients were d...

Objective: Most children with short stature remain without an etiologic diagnosis after extensive clinical and laboratory evaluation and are classified as idiopathic short stature (ISS). This study aimed to determine the diagnostic yield of a multigene gene analysis in children classified as ISS.Design and Methods: We selected 102 children with ISS and performed the genetic analysis as part of the initial investigation. ...