ESPE Abstracts

Background: Tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids is characterized by significant inter-individual variation in terms of therapeutic response and susceptibility to several stress-related disorders. Proteomics approaches, combined with appropriate bioinformatics analysis, offer a comprehensive description of molecular phenotypes with clear links to human disease pathophysiology.Objective and Hypotheses: To investigate the usefulness of pl...

Background: Obesity in childhood and adolescence represents a major health problem of our century that has reached epidemic proportions globally during the last decades. In obese subjects, a relatively high cortisol output in urine has been observed compared to nonobese individuals. However, cortisol concentrations in blood, saliva, and urine in association with obesity have not been consistent across studies. Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) determined in scalp hair provide...

Background: Transient Generalized Glucocorticoid Hypersensitivity (TGGH) is a rare disorder characterized by increased tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids and compensatory hypoactivation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. The condition itself and the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated.Objective and hypotheses: To present the clinical manifestations, endocrinologic evaluation and molecular studies in ...

Background: Transient generalized glucocorticoid hypersensitivity is a rare disorder characterized by increased tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids and compensatory hypoactivation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. The condition itself and the molecular mechanisms that underlie its pathophysiology have not been elucidated as yet. Adenovirus 36 has been reported to cause obesity in various animal species.Objective and Hypotheses...

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: Central precocious puberty (CPP) due to premature activation of GnRH secretion results in early epiphyseal fusion and to a significant compromise in the achieved final adult height as well as psychological consequences. So far only a limited number of genetic determinants have been associated with the pathogenesis in children with CPP. In this original research, rare sequence variants in MKRN3, DLK1, KISS1, and KISS1R genes were i...

Background: Puberty onset results from the interplay between genetic and environmental factors. During COVID-19 pandemic, children experienced epidemic-related changes, such as stress, sedentary lifestyle, excessive use of electronic devices, all leading to weight gain.Objective: The aim of our study is to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, as eviden...

Background: The Clock/Bmal1 transcription factor heterodimer regulates the circadian activities of many biological systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, by trans-activating or trans-repressing downstream target genes. 1,25 Dihydroxy Vitamin D (Vitamin D), a sterol hormone that is activated by exposure to sunlight, plays a fundamental role in maintaining calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. Recent evidence suggests that the nuclear vi...

Background: The circadian rhythm-generating peripheral Clock/Bmal1 heterodimer complex regulates the circadian activities of many biological systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, by trans-activating or trans-repressing downstream target genes.Objective and Hypotheses: To investigate the potential role of elevated cortisol in Clock/Bmal1 heterodimer complex-generated circadian biorhythms, both ...

Background: Primary generalized glucocorticoid resistance (PGGR) is a rare, familial or sporadic condition, characterized by generalized, partial tissue insensitivity to glucocorticoids. The molecular basis of this condition has been ascribed to mutations in the NR3C1 (human glucocorticoid receptor, hGR) gene, which impair the molecular mechanisms of hGR action and decrease tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids. However, a considerable number of patients with PGGR do ...