ESPE Abstracts

Background: Current literature suggests an important role of both endocrine disruptors and genetic factors in the occurrence of cryptorchidism.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of variants in INSL3 and HOXD13 genes in the pathogenesis of isolated cryptorchidism in Greece. 43 boys with isolated cryptorchidism and 50 healthy non-cryptorchidic boys (control group) were enrolled.<p class="abstex...

Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased dramatically in the last decades and accounts for a significant increase in morbidity and mortality in adulthood.Objective and hypotheses: To determine the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in overweight and obese children and adolescents.Method: 350 (n=350) children and adolescents (153 males (M), 197 females (F)) were recruited to ...

Background: Data regarding the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Greek adolescents and the effect of school interventions are scarce.Objective and hypotheses: To study the prevalence of MS in a representative sample of Greek adolescents and evaluate the impact of a 6-month educational-behavioral intervention.Method: Cross-sectional anthropometric data ((height, weight, waist circumference (WC)), blood pressure (BP), fasting ...

Aim: To highlight the role of in-vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), as a non-invasive tool that can clarify the specific etiology of a sellar tumour in a boy with precocious puberty.Case presentation: A 4-year-old boy was admitted due to repeated episodes of focal seizures with fixed gaze, head turn to the right, and postictal drowsiness. Parents reported episodes of inappropriate laughter ("gelastic seizures") in the pr...

Background: Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) is a rare disease with a complex clinical picture and genetic background. In up to 50% genetic mutations are found. The goal is to be able to provide a comprehensive prognosis and genetic counseling for this family with CHH.Case presentation: At the age of 16 years a boy with familial constitutional delay (adrenarche only with 15 years, no growth spurt, bone age 14 years) present...

Background: Obesity in childhood and adolescence represents a major health problem of our century, and accounts for a significant increase in morbidity and mortality in adulthood. In Greece, more than 30–35% of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the effectiveness of a comprehensive and personalized multidisciplinary management plan in reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhoo...

Background: Nowadays, childhood obesity is one of the biggest health emergencies in the developed countries. Obesity leads to multiple metabolic disorders. Thyroid function has been often described as altered in obese children. However, it is not clear whether the thyroid dysfunction is the cause or the consequence of the fat excess.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the current study was to examine the thyroid function and to assess the frequency of t...

Introduction: Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) is a well-established genetic locus of type 1 diabetes (T1D). The aim of the present study is to compare the methylation level of PTPN22 between children and adolescents of Greek origin with T1D and healthy controls.Patients and Methods: Twenty T1D participants and 20 age-/gender-matched healthy youngsters were enrolled. DNA was extracted from white blood cells, the...

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that decreased 25-hydroxyvitamin [25(OH)D] concentrations are associated with components of the metabolic syndrome.Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic syndrome parameters in obese children and adolescents.Patients and methods: Two hundred thirty two (n=232) obese children and adolescents aged [mean ±S....

Background: Chronic hemolytic anemias may compromise growth through multiple mechanisms. To date, no data exist on growth and body composition (BC; bone, muscle and fat mass) of children and adolescents with chronic hemolysis.Purpose: To evaluate growth and BC of patients with thalassemia intermedia (not on regular transfusions; thal-intermedia), alpha-thalassemia and congenital spherocytosis....