ESPE Abstracts

Background: Newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is based on the determination of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) on blood and its need is confirmed by the most recent guidelines on the subject. In Italy this screening is not mandatory, and its application is on a regional basis. Among its disadvantages, it is well known the high frequency of false-positives, in particular in premature babies and those born small for gestational age. Howev...

Background: Neonatal hypocalcemia is a common disorder, occurring more often in premature, low birth weight and asphyxiated infants, as in infants born to mothers with diabetes. Nevertheless its aetiology is heterogeneous ranging from iatrogenic, idiopathic and inherited metabolic abnormalities. Among these, Autosomal Dominant Hypocalcemia (ADH) is a rare syndrome characterized by the presence of inappropriately low concentration of circulating parathyroid hor...

Background: Polyuria and polydipsia syndrome (PPS) workup is not straightforward, especially in children. Basal investigations are often not reliable in distinguishing among diabetes insipidus (DI), central (CDI) or nephrogenic (NDI), and primary polydipsia (PP). Water deprivation test (WDT) is often essential, although uncomfortable and not always reliable enough to recognize partial DI. Plasma AVP investigation is not routinely used in the diagnostic pathway...

Introduction: Cryptorchidism has usually been managed using a surgical approach, with little attention to the underlying pathophysiology.Objectives: To assess gonadal function before treatment in prepubertal boys with cryptorchidism.Methods: In a cross-sectional study we reviewed all clinical charts of patients encoded with the diagnosis of cryptorchidism in the database of a paediatric tertiary hospital, between 2000 and 2017. Inc...

Background: Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment is associated with many unwanted effects but osteoporosis and fractures are the most serious adverse events. Several large case–control studies have shown strong associations between exposure to glucocorticoids and the risk of fractures. By other hand, multiple factors have been associated with avascular necrosis (AVN) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but it is steroid use that has been...

Background: Transcription activator-like effects nucleases (TALENs) have recently been developed as an efficient method for in vivo genome engineering. Zebrafish are becoming an increasingly popular model to study translational aspects in endocrinology. The redox cofactor ferredoxin (FDX1) is essential for mitochondrial cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes including those required for steroidogenesis. In vitro, FDX1 modifications influence the catalytic rate of ster...

Keywords: transgender, GnRH agonists, gender affirming hormones, final height, growth, pubertyBackground: Trans boys (TB) and trans girls (TG) who start medical gender-affirming treatment at Tanner stage 2-3 undergo early puberty suppression (ePS) with Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone agonists (GnRHa) for several years and subsequently receive gender-affirming hormones (GAH), around 15-16 years. This treatment clearly inte...

Introduction: The leptin-melanocortin pathway is a well-studied pivotal player of body weight regulation and energy homeostasis. Pathogenic mutations of the genes involved in this pathway may result in early-onset severe obesity (ESO).Case Report: We hereby report the case of a 14-year-old girl who was referred to our pediatric outpatient clinic for the evaluation of ESO. Her parents were non-obese first cousins born in Morocco. At the t...

Background: The DNA-binding High Mobility Group Box-1 (HMGB1) is an intracellular gene regulator that can be secreted also in response to inflammatory mediators, including interleukins, binding subsequently to both RAGE and Toll-like receptors forming a self-reinforcing inflammatory circle. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a condition characterized by chronic inflammation. Elevated serum HMGB1 concentrations were described in serum of obese children and to be associated with the metabo...

Introduction: CFTR-modulating therapy aims to restore CFTR function. It improves lung function and quality of life in CF patients however, its effects on glucose metabolism are not yet well defined.Methodology: Retrospective and longitudinal study.Inclusion criteria: patients with CF genetic diagnosis ≥10 years old on modulator therapy (ivacaftor + lumacaftor or ivacaftor + teza...