ESPE Abstracts

Objectives: To investigate prognostic markers (age, initial hearing level, karyotype, chronic hormonal therapies, and presence/absence of a mid-frequency dip influence) for hearing loss (HL) in Turner syndrome (TS).Design: Longitudinal cross-sectional and retrospective study.Study Population: 61 TS females (age range 4 - 45 yrs), diagnosed by cytogenetic analysis (49,2% monosom...

PCOS treatment in adolescence should aim at improving ovarian function, based on the pathophysiology of this condition. We previously described in cystic fibrosis and then in the PCOS an increase in HMGB1, secondary to reduced cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) expression in the ovary, associated with insulin resistance and inflammation that both characterize PCOS. Inositols and ALA derivatives are considered a good therapeutic option for their possible...

Background: The increasing incidence of obesity is a global public health challenge. Although energy imbalance is the major cause of obesity, evidence suggests that other risk factors such as exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to the development of obesity. Early life exposure to obesogens may result in a higher risk of developing obesity. Among the chemicals suspected to have obesogenic effects, bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are under worldwid...

Background: Over the past several decades, the age of pubertal onset in girls has shifted downward worldwide. Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during critical windows of development may play a role in this trend. Epidemiological and animal studies showed that exposure to phthalates and BPA could be associated with earlier puberty onset in girls.Objective: To investigate the association between the exposure to BPA, DEHP’s metabolites...

HMGB1 is a small-protein which reflects both inflammation and insulin-sensitivity. Inflammation and insulin-resistance are features of PCOS. IL-6 is important for ovarian function and can contribute to insulin-resistance. IGFBP-2 behaves like an acute-phase protein and is increased in chronic inflammation. It is also involved in the glucose-metabolism regulation and IGFBP-2 overexpression plays a protective role against insulin-resistance. Insulin functions as a co-gonadotropi...

Background: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is the commonest autoimmune disorder in Turner syndrome (TS). Although there are in the pediatric literature many studies on the relationships between TS and HT, only few of them have specifically investigated whether the association with TS might be able to significantly affect the evolution over time of thyroid function in children and adolescents with HT, by conditioning a different thyroid status prognosis.<p class="abstext...

Background: Mutations in more than 20 genes are described to cause monogenic diabetes. Nevertheless, numerous families with diabetes of unknown ethology and suspected genetic defect have no molecular diagnosis. This not only impedes our understanding of disease mechanisms but also prevents from predicting the clinical course of the patients and applying the pathogenesis-oriented treatment.Objective: To identify novel gene(s), causing monogenic adolescent...

Background: Pancreas aplasia (PA) and neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) syndrome is a rare disease that usually presents in the 1st months of life.Objective and hypotheses: We aimed to characterize molecular genetic defects in a cohort of six NDM/PA patients with up-to-date unknown pathogenesis with optimum genetic testing.Method: As part of our ESPE-RU-project ‘Understanding the molecular basis of diabetes mellitus associated ...

Background: Over the years special screening procedures for preterm and twin babies (re-screening at 2–4 weeks of life) have been adopted by many screening laboratories worldwide. However, no extensive studies have been performed to verify how many co-twins with negative test at first screening (3–5 days) become positive at re-screening, and the utility of a long-term follow-up also in co-twin with negative test at screening and re-screening.Ob...

Background: The 5α-reductase-2 (5R2) deficiency is a rare 46, XY disorder of sex differentiation caused by mutations in the 5R2 gene. Diagnostic and clinical management is not well definite.Aims and objectives: To describe relevant features of 5R2 deficiency in a large sample.Methods: Retrospective records of persons with 5R2 deficiency were reviewed and clinical, endocrinological, genetic data analysed....