ESPE Abstracts

Background: Subjects with non classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCCAH) often present an increased growth velocity secondary to elevation of adrenal androgens that promote early bone maturation and compromise final height (FH). The aim of the study was to analyze prognostic factors affecting growth trajectory and FH in children with NCCAH.Design: retrospective, multicentric studyStud...

Introduction: Iodine is necessary for thyroid hormone synthesis, but when exposed to large quantities, iodine may have an inhibitory effect on hormone synthesis leading to hypothyroidism, known as the Wolff-Chaikoff effect. Newborns may be exposed to iodine through various events in early life. In 2012 three index cases with suspected iatrogenic hypothyroidism due to iodinated contrast exposure were discovered at the Neonatal department, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospit...

Background: Among children with idiopathic short stature, Italian data reported a prevalence of short stature homeobox-containing gene (SHOX) deficiency disorders (SHOX-D) near to 1/1.000-2.000 (1.1-15%) with a wide phenotypic spectrum. Current guidelines support recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in SHOX-D children, but long-term data are still lacking. This national survey aims to evaluate long-term efficacy and safety of rhGH therapy in Italian...

Background: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is a rare condition caused by an inadequate production of glucocorticoids. Preliminary data in adults suggest that AI could be associated with an increased susceptibility to infections; moreover, AI patients are at risk to develop a severe course of infectious diseases and to experience a life-threatening adrenal crisis. The aim of our study is to evaluate the severity and the outcome of COVID-19 in pediatric AI patients ...

Background and Objectives: Offspring born to obese mothers are at an increased risk of chronic disease including type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). This metabolic programming is produced, in part, by epigenetic changes such us DNA methylation. We postulated that obesity exposure impacts the offspring's methylome and used an epigenomic approa...

Background: Accelerated catch-up growth following intrauterine growth restriction increases the risk of developing visceral adiposity and metabolic syndrome. Animal models of growth restriction during gestation have been developed as a powerful tool to provide insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms thereof.Objective: To analyze the patterns of gene expression in the retroperitoneal adipose tissue of rats with i...

Introduction:Up to 20% of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) develops low-grade optic pathway gliomas(OPGs) that can result in neuroendocrinopathy.The aim of the study was to identify prognostic factors for developing neuroendocrinopathies in patients with NF1 and OPGs before any treatment.Methods: Records of 117 children with NF1 and OPGs followed at 4 Italian centers between 1997-20...

Background: Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is a well-known marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. The distribution of adipose tissue among visceral fat reservoirs rather than the total adipose tissue mass is more likely to be related to subclinical atherosclerosis.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether epicardial and perirenal fat are more related to cIMT than body adiposity in prepubertal child...

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a highly prevalent chronic liver disease which occurs in the setting of insulin resistance and increased adiposity. It has rapidly evolved into the most common liver disease seen in the pediatric population. NAFLD can be divided into non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), which denotes bland steatosis, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is marked by steatosis and lobular inflammation and hepatoce...

Introduction: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant condition caused by a loss-of-function mutation in tumor suppressor genes TSC1/TSC2 which are involved in the inhibition of mTOR signaling implicated in cell proliferation. Major clinical features includes cardiac rhabdomyomas, renal cysts, epilepsy associated to cerebral dysplasia evidenced by cortical tubers and skin manifestation as: angiofibromas, fibrous plaques and the Shagreen patch...