ESPE Abstracts

Background: Hypothalamic obesity (HyOb) is a rare form of treatment-resistant morbid obesity associated with congenital or acquired hypothalamic damage. Its pathophysiology has been attributed to hyperphagia and hyperinsulinaemia. The wider roles of oxytocin (OXT) in regulating appetite and weight have recently emerged in animal and human studies, but there is no human evidence that hypo-oxytocinaemia contributes to weight gain.Hypothesis: Hypo-oxytocina...

Background: Mouse studies have demonstrated the necessity of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) for normal proliferation of Rathke’s pouch (RP) precursors. However, the possible function of SHH in pituitary cell specification remains to be assessed. Additionally, evidence suggests that SHH may be relevant in human adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP), a histologically benign, but clinically aggressive childhood tumour associated with high morbidity.Objective ...

Background: CFRD is a unique subtype of diabetes mellitus, distinct from type 1 and type 2, harbouring β-cell dysfunction and β-cell loss and insulin resistance. Modulator therapies directly target the underlying defect of CF, modulating or correcting the function of the CFTR gene (mutation-specific). Few studies investigated the effect of modulators on CFRD and glucose metabolism. We performed an observational study on the short-term effects of the ...

A structured program of therapeutic education is essential to achieve a good result from the use of technology in the treatment of diabetes.Objectives: Facilitate knowledge, skills and aptitudes to patients and their families in therapy. Promote the capacity for self-management and adherence to treatment. Provide ongoing support to patients. Improve clinical outcomes, health status and quality of life.Metho...

Introduction: The IGSF1 gene deficiency syndrome (IDS) is an X-linked disorder involving hormonal disfunctions. We report a case of Central Hypothyroidism (CH) due to a Xq26.1q26.2 microdeletion including the IGSF1 gene.Case: this boy was referred to our clinic for thyroid dysfunction. He was born at term by caesarean section due to maternal uterine myoma. Pregnancy was normal, parents were non consangu...

Background: Underlying causes of obesity are thought to be rare even in specialized paediatric endocrinology clinics. However, evidence is limited. The Endocrine Society (ES) guideline for paediatric obesity makes the following diagnostic recommendations: endocrine evaluation in presence of reduced growth velocity, evaluation of cerebral obesity in presence of CNS injury, re-evaluation of drug choice in patients using antipsychotics. Genetic testing is recomme...

Background: The aim of this study was to examine plasma visfatin levels in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Visfatin, a novel adipokine, is predominantly secreted by visceral adipose tissue and seems to have insulin-mimetic effects. It has not been studied in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) yet.Objectives: We studied 124 subjects; 62 patients with T1D: 31 girls, mean age 13.7±3.7 years; mean duration of diabetes 5.9...

Obesity is increasing, and the related complications are well known. Clinical Trials related with specific diets are currently lacking in paediatrics. There is an increasing interest in Mediterranean diet (MD). The Med4Youth European study* has enrolled 240, 13- to 16-year-old subjects with a BMI above the 90th percentile(WHO curves) in a multicenter randomized controlled trial (Italy, Spain and Portugal) to evaluate the effects of MD. We present the data relative to the 80 su...

Inflammation is a known feature of Down syndrome (DS) and is caused by a dysregulation between pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is characterised by a slowly developing persistent inflammation of the thyroid gland which frequently leads to hypothyroidism. In DS children, HT is the most common autoimmune disease ad its prevalence has been reported to be more elevated than that generally seen in age-matched patients without DS: 34% vs 1.3%, r...

The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis during the first six months of life in boys marks the period of “mini-puberty”. It is characterized by a surge of gonadotropins, testosterone, and an increase of Sertoli cells and germ cells, crucial for future reproductive capacity. Boys with severe congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) often present with undescended testes and micropenis and lack mini-puberty, leading to impaired responses t...