ESPE Abstracts

Background: In female patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), female sex predisposes to the progression and worsening of lung function, which increases the incidence of acute exacerbations, and leads to the earlier bacterial colonization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The negative effect of estrogens on the clinical course of CF in girls begins to manifest with the onset of puberty and the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. On the cellular-level estrogens affect: 1.) immu...

Background: Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is a catabolic state with altered energy balance and anorexia. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone, produced by neuro-endocrine cells in the stomach, which stimulates appetite, increases food intake and growth hormone release. Although many trials have shown short term efficacy of ghrelin to increase appetite in anorexic and cachectic patients, data on the children with PEM is scarce.Objective and hypotheses: The st...

Quality of care of children living with diabetes varies widely around the world. Since discovering of insulin a hundred years ago, it’s still unavailable for a large part of children living with diabetes in developing world. According to World Health Organisation (2019), less than 13% of people living with diabetes in these countries have access to long acting insulin analogues. Thus, primary challenges of management of type I diabetes is reduction of mortality especially...

Background: Low-dose adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test (LDST) is widely used to assess patients for adrenal insufficiency. However, the predictive power of basal cortisol for the performance of LDST is not clear.Objective: To determine the appropriate basal serum cortisol cutt-off values that predict a positive or negative LDST.Design: A single-centre retrospective study...

Background: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants tend to have slower postnatal growth than the fetuses of the same gestational age (GA)1. Higher nutrient intake and better early growth are associated with better neurocognitive outcomes; excessive nutrient intakes may lead to metabolic consequences. Nutrient intakes for optimal growth, body composition and neurodevelopment are not known.Objectives: To assess gr...

Background: Hb E/β-thalassemia is the most common β-thalassemia disorder in Southeast Asia. Children with Hb E/β-thalassemia vary greatly in red cell transfusion requirement. Some are transfusion dependent (TD) whereas others are non-TD (NTD). Iron-overload associated with transfusion dependency causes endocrinopathies such as delayed puberty, short stature and low bone mass. The prevalence of these complications are high in TD patients with iron overload. While...

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has improved the prognosis of children with malignant hematologic disease. However, it has had significant adverse effects on the endocrine system, including bone health. Limited studies are available to assess osteoporosis in survivors of adolescents after HSCT.Objective and hypotheses: We investigate the bone mineral density (BMD) and endocrinopathy/treatment factors associated with low BMD in ...

Background: Type 1 DM is an autoimmune disease, characterized by destruction of the insulin-producing beta-cells in the islets of Langerhans. The absolute insulin deficiency leads to metabolic imbalance with hyperglycaemia, acidosis and proneness to ketosis. This acute disturbance can change thyroid hormone metabolism.Objective and hypotheses: To examine the influence of metabolic acidosis/ketoacidosis in type 1 DM on thyroid hormone levels.<p class=...

Background: Insulin treatment in a very low birth weight neonate having persistent hyperglycemia is challenging. The very recently reported novel human genetic cause of neonatal diabetes due to NKX2.2 pancreatic transcription factor mutations is associated with very low birth weight deliveries.Objective and hypotheses: To study the diagnostic process, the molecular genetics, the clinical phenotype, and the significant therapeutic challenges in the manage...

Objective: Low birth weight and prematurity are linked to various behavioural outcomes. In addition, preterm (PT) infants show altered maturation of pituitary–gonadal axis, as demonstrated by its pronounced transient activation during the first postnatal months. Given that gonadal steroid hormones shape the basic processes of neural and behavioural sexual differentiation these elevated sex steroids in premature infants might affect the developing brain and alter subsequen...