ESPE Abstracts

Background: Neoplastic causes of precocious puberty include brain, gonadal, adrenal and germ cell tumors; hepatoblastoma (HB) is only rarely noted [1,2]. HB, is a rare primary hepatic tumor of childhood [3]. It is accompanied by raised levels of alpha-fetoprotein (α-FP). Rarely, beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) levels are elevated, resulting in peripheral precocious puberty (PPP).Clinical Case: We pre...

Childhood onset of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a clinically heterogeneous condition and defining its cause is important for diagnostics and treatment. The most common genes implicated in the genetic etiology of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) are GH1 (MIM: 139250), encoding growth hormone (GH), and GHRHR (MIM: 139191), encoding the receptor for GHRH. GHD may also result from mutations in genes that encode transcription factors involved in pituitary dev...

Background: A broad spectrum of human diseases, including abnormalities in steroidogenesis, are caused by mutations in the NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) (1-2). Cytochrome P450 proteins perform several reactions, including metabolism of steroids, drugs and other xenobiotics. Therefore, genetic variations in POR can impact many different metabolic pathways by changing the activities of cytochromes P450 (1). In 2004 the first human patients with defe...

Purpose: Patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) show low fitness levels before GH treatment is started. Muscular strength, flexibility and postural stability are related to health and quality of life. Since it is widely recognized that physical activity increases GH secretion and GH could ameliorate fitness, if a high adherence to treatment is documented (1), the purpose of this study is to investigate any difference on posturographic parameters and mus...

Background: Patients with congenital IGHD or MPHD develop adiposity already "in utero". The effects of growth hormone (GH) treatment on adipose tissue are controversial, many claiming that GH reduces body fat (1.2). In addition there are reports that long-term GH treatment causes glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, followed in some instances by diabetes (3).Objective: To determine whether long-term hGH treat...

A broad spectrum of human diseases, including abnormalities in steroidogenesis, are caused by mutations in the NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) (1-4). Human POR is a diflavin reductase that transfers electrons from NADPH to small molecules, non-P450 redox partners and cytochrome P450 proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. Cytochrome P450 proteins perform a very wide range of reactions, including metabolism of steroids, drugs and other xenobiotics. Therefore, genetic ...

KBG syndrome (OMIM 148050) is a an emerging autosomal dominant disorder caused by heterozygous mutations in the ANKRD11 gene or deletions of 16q24.3, characterized by developmental delay, short stature, dysmorphic facial features and skeletal anomalies. Patients and methods: We report 22 patients with dysmorphic features, learning disabilities, behavior problems and macrodontia, where a clinical diagnosis of KBG was suspected. An ANKRD11 defect was confirmed in 12 patients. In...

The patient was referred to our Centre for short stature. Weight and length at birth were within normal limits. In the neonatal period he showed jaundice and hypoglycemia. A reduced growth velocity was reported from the age of six months. At 15 months his length was 70 cm (−3.75 SDS), his weight 8.1 kg (−2.26 SDS). Parental target height was 167.6 cm (−1.38 SDS). He had normal psychomotor development. The examination showed macrocrania and nasal voice. Blood ...

Background: Childhood onset (CO) hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HH), congenital or acquired after midline tumours and their treatment, is reported to have significantly poorer outcomes, in terms of adult spermatogenesis induction and duration of treatment to conception, compared with HH of post pubertal onset. A mixed cohort (youngest aged 26 years) reported median time to conception of 28 months.1 Use of hCG and FSH in adolescence is reported to result in spermato...

Introduction: Previous reports support the hypothesis of an age dependent derangement of the hypothalamus–pituitary axis occurring in PWS subjects. In this context, transition years represent an important phase of growth process when somatic development reaches its completion. In the general population, GH deficiency (GHD) during the transition phase is associated with deterioration of body composition, metabolic alterations and reduced bone mineral density. PWS subjects ...