ESPE Abstracts

Background: Present knowledge on the effects of growth hormone (GH) on aging and lifespan are controversial. Clinical data indicate that normal or high levels of GH may accelerate aging and increase the risk of cardio-vascular diseases. Very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) are a population of developmentally early stem cells residing in adult tissues, which could have the potential role in aging and organ rejuvenation.Objective: The aim of the st...

Background: Estrogen replacement is a treatment of choice for pubertal induction in adolescent girls with ovarian failure due to Turner syndrome (TS). Recently published data show, that prepubertal low dose estrogen replacement is more physiologic, and can optimize response to growth hormone treatment, pubertal timing, and improve cognition. The metabolic effects of such treatment regimen have not been fully investigated to date.Objective and hypotheses:...

Background: A high proliferative status of thyroid follicular cells and goiter were observed in mutants mice with Pten−/− or Dream overexpression. In humans, patients with Cowden disease have goiters or other thyroid abnormalities associated with germ-line PTEN mutations.Objective and Hypotheses: The aim of this study was to investigate the tissue expression of PTEN and DREAM, as well as germ-line ...

Introduction: Increasing incidence of male reproductive disorders may be due to fetal exposure to putative endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs), such as phthalates and phenols. Anogenital Distance (AGD) is a biomarker of fetal androgen action in animals, and has recently been linked to testicular dysgenesis syndrome in humans.Objective: To examine the relationship between prenatal phthalate and phenol exposure and birth AGD in male infants.<p class="...

Background: Differentiating potentially malignant thyroid nodules among those undetermined by cytology avoid unnecessary surgical procedures. Aberrant DNA methylation is ubiquitous in human cancers, including thyroid tumors. Biomarkers based on methylation profiles have been successfully used to diagnose early stage malignancy in many human cancers.Objective and hypotheses: To determine the genome-wide promoter methylation status of cytologically indeter...

Background: Arterial hypertension (AH) is one of the most common and the earliest complications of childhood obesity. It is diagnosed on the basis of at least three results of the standard setting measurements of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure. Nevertheless, some data suggest, that this diagnostic standard may be not sufficient for obese children, because some BP abnormalities, unique for these patients, (decrease of night dip, elevated SBP/DBP load) cannot ...

Aim: A decline in the age at menarche has been reported in recent years in several well-off populations. The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has increased during the last decades with some levelling off during the last years. The aim of the present study was to study the association between parameters of overweight and menarche in Norway.Material: Cross-sectional data from The Bergen Growth Study, collected in 2003–2006 from 4016 girl...

Background: Treating central precocious puberty with GnRH agonist (GnRHa) to increase height gain is well-established. Although not recommended, GnRHa have also been used in patients with IGHD at onset of puberty yet there are few data on its efficacy.Objective and hypotheses: Growth prediction models derived from KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database) may provide an opportunity to estimate additional height gain produced by pubertal blockade.<p...

Background: Adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) have decreased muscle mass resulting in impaired mobility and osteopenia. There is a void in therapeutic interventions aimed at increasing muscle mass, muscle function as well as osteopoenia in this population. Whole body vibration training (WBVT) has the potential to fill this therapeutic void by maintaining/increasing muscle mass and bone mineral accrual during growth.Objective and hypotheses: We aimed t...

Background: GH deficiency (GHD) is an endocrine condition, caused by problems arising in the pituitary gland that does not produce sufficient quantities of GH. GHD is treated by replacing GH with one daily injections. Recent studies suggested that GH could be involved in regulation of certain stem cell subset potential and function. However, the exact effects of GH therapy on biology of stem cells in paediatric patients were not studied in detail.Methods...