ESPE Abstracts

Background: Central hypothyroidism (CeH) is a rare thyroid hormone deficiency due to an insufficient stimulation of a normal thyroid gland. Candidate genes for isolated CeH include TSHβ, TRH receptor (TRHR) or IGSF1 genes while the combined pituitary hormone deficits (CPHDs) are the consequence of defects in embryonic pituitary transcription factors or in the prokineticin receptor 2 (PROKR2).Patients series: Here we report nine males (M) and 15 fema...

Background: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) has been linked to papillary cancer in adults but not in children and adolescents. Moreover, there is no agreement on the more appropriate frequency of thyroid ultrasound (TS) in the follow-up of children with HT.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of thyroid nodules and of thyroid cancer in a large group of children and adolescents (567) with HT followed-up for a m...

Background: There is still need to define permanent GHD after adult height achievement in young adults with childhood-onset GHD (COGHD).Objective and hypothesis: To reassess GH response during transition.Method: We present the final data of 129 subjects (71M) recruited from a multicenter cross-sectional observational study, in whom anthropometrics, ITT (n=99), GHRH–arginine (n=122), IGF-1 evaluations were und...

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the most frequent etiology in Italian diabetic children and adolescents. Data on type 2 (T2D) and monogenic diabetes (MD) prevalence are scanty.Objective and hypotheses: To estimate the prevalence of T1D, T2D, secondary diabetes, and MD in a pediatric population of Italian diabetic patients.Method: Data on 3,076 patients (diabetes onset January 2007–December 2012, age at diagnosis <18 y...

Innervation of the hypothalamic median eminence by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) neurons is vital to ensure puberty onset and successful reproduction. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying median eminence development and pubertal timing are incompletely understood. Here we show that Semaphorin-6A is strongly expressed by median eminence-resident oligodendrocytes positioned adjacent to GnRH neuron projections and fenestrated capillaries, and that Sem...

Background: Adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency is a systemic metabolic disease that primarily affects the immune system and lymphocyte development, causing a severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID). However, the accumulation of toxic metabolites occurs in other organs and systems. Since most ADA-SCID patients undergo definitive treatment with Gene Therapy (GT) or allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), preceded by conditioning (either...

A 8 years and 7 months old male presented with short stature related to his target height. No history of bones fractures. The patient was 120.7 cm (- 1.77 SDS). Physical exam demonstrated peculiar facies, relative macrocephaly, delayed tooth eruption and pectus carinatum. He referred during the clinical evaluation diffuse bone pain and weakness, mostly exacerbated by sport activity. A first diagnostic investigation had already been made showing low serum alkaline phosphatase a...

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 (MEN1) is an inherited autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the MEN1 tumor suppressor gene. Penetrance increases with age. It combines mainly hyperparathyroidism, adenomas of the pancreas and pituitary gland. The prevalence is about 2/100 000. Diagnosis in children is rare except in the case of family screening. We report the diagnosis of a familial MEN1 whose index case was an adolescent girl investigated because of hypoglycae...

Background: 46,XY patients with SF-1 mutations have sex reversal or ambiguous genitalia (with or adrenal insufficiency) due to dysgenetic testis. In most cases, a severe defect in testosterone (T) production has been found. We described here 3 cases showing the variability in T production.Results: Case 1: A was seen at the age of 17 years for primary amenorrhea. Tanner stage was B2PH3. External genitalia were normal. FSH was 55 IU/l, LH 17 IU/l,...

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) is the most common cause of persistent hypoglycemia in infants and children.Objective and hypotheses: Recently, mutations in genes usually involved in MODY 1 and 3 have been described in HI.Method: We present here six cases of hyperinsulinism associated with MODY1 (one case) and MODY3 (four cases) and one case of HI associated with MODY5 mutation.Results: Case 1...