ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Lockdown measures following the COVID-19 pandemic are shown to have greatly affected lifestyle behaviours and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children. The impact on children with severe obesity has not yet been described. Aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on eating behaviours, physical activity (PA), screen time, and HRQoL of children (including adolescents) with severe obesity....

We introduce the ReTRIACt Trial (NCT05579327) of tiratricol (Triac) for MCT8-deficiency, a rare X-linked disease resulting from disordered thyroid hormone transport and characterized by profound neurodevelopmental delay and features of chronic peripheral thyrotoxicosis. The ReTRIACt Trial aims to verify the effects of tiratricol observed in previous studies. It is a double-blind, randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effects of tiratricol discontinu...

Carney complex 1 (CNC, OMIM# 160980) is an autosomal-dominantly inherited complex tumor predisposition syndrome associated with skin pigment abnormalities and neoplasms of heart, endocrine glands and other organs. CNC is caused by heterozygous constitutional loss-of-function variants in the PRKAR1A-gene. PRKAR1A codes for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase type I-alpha regulatory subunit, an enzyme that represents an integral part of protein kinase A (PKA) tha...

Introduction: Children with cancer are at increased risk of endocrine complications, especially children with a brain tumor. One of these late effects includes bone disorders (ranging from low bone mineral density (BMD) to osteoporosis). Children with a suprasellar Low Grade Glioma (LGG) may be especially at risk for bone problems due to exposure to multiple treatment modalities, hypothalamic dysfunction and/or decreased mobility in combination with vision los...

Three patients from two unrelated families in Malta; one consanguineous (siblings: Patient 1, male and Patient 2, female) and one non-consanguineous (Patient 3, male), manifested hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with delayed puberty, intellectual disability, scoliosis, and ataxia with cerebellar hypoplasia on MRI. GnRH tests revealed low peak LH and FSH concentrations in the patients: Patient 1; LH 2.3 IU/L, FSH 4.4 IU/L (14.3y), Patient 2; LH 3.6 IU/L, FSH 6.4 IU/L (12.5y), Pati...

Introduction: Recently, the impact of glycemic variability in the development of chronic complications of diabetes has been put in question. The gold-standard method to quantify glycemic variability is not well established.Objective: To analyze the relationship between HbA1c and glycemic variability as determined from self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) pediatric population.Patients/methods: Cross-sectiona...

The growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) system is essential for optimal human growth and energy homeostasis. Deficiency of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2), a protease involved in the liberation of free IGF-1, leads to problems in growth and bone density in humans and mice. Patients with PAPP-A2 deficiency also present lower body mass and mild glucose intolerance. The present study aimed to determine the influence of 1 month of high carbohydr...

Background: The C19MC locus microRNA gene cluster is imprinted in the placenta. Imprinted genes control prenatal development and placental functions, and are epigenetically regulated. The factors that affect the DNA methylation status of C19MC regulatory region are unknown, as is the impact of this differential methylation on the offspring’s body size.Objectives: To study in humans 1) the association of placental C19MC DNA...

Background: Androgen excess in childhood is a common clinical presentation and might signify serious pathology. We have recently explored patterns and severity of androgen excess in a large female adult cohort to differentiate common polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) from non-PCOS pathology, including congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), ovarian hyperthecosis and adrenal and ovarian tumours (Elhassan et al., JCE&M 2018). Herein, we undertake a similar approach f...

Calcium signaling is fundamental to many cellular processes. An important pathway for increasing intracellular Ca2+ levels is store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) regulated by stromal interaction molecule (STIM1-2), and Ca2+ channels formed by ORAI1-3 proteins. Mutations in the ORAI1 and STIM1 genes that abolish SOCE cause a combined immunodeficiency (CID) syndrome that is accompanied by autoimmunity and nonimmunologic symptoms. We present patients with Anhidrotic Ectodermal Dyspl...