ESPE Abstracts

Background: STK11 regulates glucose and lipid metabolism. In adult rats, excessive fat deposition and dysfunctional metabolism are related to low STK11 expression in adipose tissue. It is unknown if low STK11 expression in adipose tissue relates also to catch-up growth and fat deposition after intrauterine growth restriction.Objective and Hypotheses: To assess the expression of STK11 in adipose tissue and its relation ...

Background: Triple A syndrome (alacrima, achalasia, adrenal failure, progressive neurodegenerative disease) is caused by mutations in the AAAS gene which encodes the protein ALADIN. Osteoporosis seems to be an overlooked symptom in triple A syndrome.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate etiology of osteoporosis in six male and four female patients with triple A syndrome.Method: X-ray, dual X-absorptiometry (DXA) of the lum...

Background: Cystic fibrosis is associated with abnormal lipid metabolism and this anormality is commonly characterized by low cholesterol and hypertriglyceridemia. The increasing in life expectancy of cystic fibrosis patients has enhancing the interest for prevent the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases like dyslipidemias.Objective and hypotheses: Determine whether concentrations of cholesterol and triacylglycerol are related to nutritional status a...

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with a number of endocrine abnormalities including a low serum free thyroxine level. Hypothyroidism in AN is a recognised condition which is associated with a low normal free thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels (FT4, FT3) with an elevated reverse T3 (rT3). Serum TSH levels are normal or slightly reduced, suggesting a hypothalamic origin to the suppressed thyroid function which is norm...

Background: Idiopathic isolated hypoparathyroidism is rare in children. Most often aetiology is autoimmune or genetic.Objective and hypotheses: To sequence eleven genes (AIRE, CASR, GATA3, GCM2, PCLN1, PTH, TBCE, TRPM6, GNAS, PRKAR1A, PDE4D) associated with hypoparathyroidism in a child with isolated hypoparathyroidism (IHPT) in order to find a specific gene alteration in IHPT.Method: We systematically sequenced the 11 gen...

Background: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in childhood may present with either euthyroidism (52.1% of cases), or primary overt hypothyroidism (22.2%), subclinical hypothyroidism (19.2%), overt hyperthyroidism (3.5%), or subclinical hyperthyroidism (3%). In a large series of 608 children and adolescents with presenting HT, we found in no cases a biochemical picture with low free thyroxine (FT4) and normal or low-normal TSH serum levels, i.e. a thyroid pattern tha...

Background: Self-monitoring of blood glucose is an essential tool in the optimal management of childhood and adolescent diabetes. In the last 15 years, an extraordinary development of reliable devices for real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has taken place. Meanwhile, several trials in adults and children showed that CGM can be associated with improved glycaemic control, significant reduction of hypoglycaemia and better quality of life, particularly in those patients...

Background: Regular and frequent red blood cell transfusions have significantly increased the life expectancy of patients with β-thalassemia major (β-TM). However, when no appropriate chelation therapy is available, patients accumulate iron in the heart, liver, spleen, pancreas, and endocrine glands, leading to progressive organ dysfunction.Objective and hypotheses: To assess the correlation between cardiac and hepatic T2*MRI findings with the ...

Background: In contrast to hypoglycaemia due to congenital hyperinsulinism, there are patients with a similar metabolic profile of hypoketotic hypoglycaemia, but low insulin levels and relatively low glucose requirements to maintain euglycaemia. So far, four patients with activating mutations in the insulin signal-transducing kinase AKT2 have been described, each also showing a syndromic phenotype including hemihypertrophy.Objective and hypotheses: We pr...

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...