ESPE Abstracts

Background: Since COVID-19 the number of girls referred to pediatric endocrinologist for suspected precocious puberty (PP) and early puberty (EP) has increased. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence, the anthropometric, biochemical and radiological characteristics of PP during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to previous years.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated medical records of 464 females (F) referred t...

Introduction: Differential diagnosis of partial central diabetes insipidus (PCDI) and primary polydipsia (PP) can be challenging. Copeptin is the C-terminal segment of the vasopressin precursor peptide that represents a novel and stable biomarker. Arginine infusion produces a nonosmotic stimulus that causes an increase in copeptin concentrations in healthy subjects. Arginine-stimulated copeptin concentrations have been used to differentiate between patients wi...

Background: Low vitamin D levels are prevalent in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and are associated with increased risk for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Little is known about associations between vitamin D levels and markers of metabolic syndrome in incident T1DM in children. The aim of our study was to analyze associations between D vitamin levels and metabolic markers in newly onset T1DM pe...

Background and Aim: Multifaceted risk factors impair bone mass (BM) in childhood brain cancer survivors(CBCS). Aims of the study were to evaluate bone mass and it's determinant and fracture prevalence in CBCS 2(G+2), 5(G+5) or 7(G+7) years after off therapy (OT).Methods: Seventy-three(G+2), 87(G+5) and 66(G+7)CBCS were evaluated at 12,9±4,2, 14,9±4,4 and 16,6±4,4yrs, respectivel...

Background: Central precocious puberty (CPP) is defined as the secondary sexual characteristics onset before 8 years of age in females and before 9 in males, due to premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The underlying cause remains idiopathic in the great majority; based on the 2009 Consensus, 2% to 7% of girls who have onset of CPP between the ages of 6 and 8 years have unsuspected pathology and only 1% have a tumor such...

Objectives: To assess the long-term impact of prematurity on bone and body composition by using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).Methods: DXA scans were performed in 100 preterm (PT) (n=42F, n=58M, mean weeks’gestation 31.5±2.6; range 26−36) and 51 born at term (BT) healthy infants (n=28F, n=23M). DXA measures of total body and lumbar spine mineral density (TB/L1-L4 BMD, g/cm2 and Z...

Introduction: The diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is currently based on clinical, auxological, biochemical, and neuro-radiological investigation. Provocative tests of GH secretion using physiological/pharmacological stimuli are required to confirm GHD. The clonidine test (CT) is widely used to assess GH secretory status. In this retrospective study we analyzed the reliability of CT and the effect of puberty in a large number of children with short stature who had ...

Background: ROHHADNET syndrome affects children with normal development until 2–4 years of age.Objective and hypotheses: Aim of this study was to evaluate a possible role of autoimmunity in this disorder. In spite of a suspicion for genetic etiology, disease-associated genetic variations have not been identified. A paraneoplastic/autoimmune etiology has been suggested mainly because of the association with neural crest tumors....

Introduction: Both the innate and adaptive immune responses are deregulated in individuals with obesity and are a key driver of its associated metabolic alterations. Although the anti-inflammatory growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a candidate protein against obesity, its mechanisms regulating the immune responses are not fully understood.Methods: We examined whether serum GDF-15 was related to serum levels of ...

Introduction: It is known that excessive gestational weight gain can cause an adverse intrauterine environment and increase the risk of cardio-metabolic diseases in the offspring. Epigenetics could be one of the mechanisms involved in this regulation.Objective: We aimed to study the DNA methylation profile of umbilical cord tissue that is associated with gestational weight gain (GWG), and its relationship with cardio-met...