ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Overt clinical symptoms of type 1 diabetes (T1D) are often preceded by a pre-clinical stage of varying duration. Diagnosis of the pre-clinical stage is difficult and is based on the presence of specific islet autoantibodies in the subject's blood. Objectives: Apparently healthy first-degree relatives of patients with T1D were tested using the 3 Screen ICAELISA (RSR Ltd) for combined testing for autoantibodies to GAD65 (glutamic acid decarbox...

Introduction: Primary ovarian Insufficiency (POI) occurring in youth is a devastating condition. POI is characterized by at least 4 months of disordered menses in association with menopausal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. The most common causes of POI in adolescence are iatrogenic and chromosomal abnormalities. Data are scarce regarding the incidence of POI in adolescents.Objectives: We aimed to estimate the incidence and the distribution of ...

Introduction: Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency results in impaired synthesis of gluco- and often also of mineralocorticoids. Early treatment with glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids prevents life-threatening crises. In some centres, additional salt is prescribed in the first year. However, until now the use of salt is controversial and not proved to result in better outcome in studies.<s...

Background: Leydig Cell Hypoplasia (LCH) is a very rare autosomal recessive condition that is manifested by a wide spectrum of phenotypes, ranging from completely female external genitalia to male genitalia. Long-term outcome in these patients is unclear.Objectives: To assess sex assignment, clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of 46,XY LCH cases.Patients and Methods: Thr...

Background: Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is associated with an increased risk of lower socioeconomic status and a higher risk for morbidity and mortality, which may have a significant impact on quality of life (QOL). The objective of this study is to investigate QOL in a large European cohort of men with KS and associate QOL with socioeconomic status, prevalence of somatic disease and mental illness, testosterone supplementation and age of diagnosis.<p class=...

Objectives: Data on the role of gluten in type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis are scarce. We aimed to test whether gluten-free diet (GFD) can decelerate the decline in beta-cell capacity in newly diagnosed non-coeliac T1D children.Methods: Forty six children (aged 10.2±3.3 years) were recruited into this non-randomized self-selected intervention trial: 26 started with GFD, whereas 20 remained on standard diet. Main o...

Background/Aim: Diabetes with extra-pancreatic features in children can have a monogenic aetiology. Single gene testing is undertaken when children present with the characteristic clinical features suggestive of the underlying aetiology. We aim to assess the utility of comprehensive genetic testing for all monogenic diabetes genes in children with diabetes and any non-autoimmune extra-pancreatic features from a population with a high rate of consanguinity.<p class="abstext...

Background: Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is characterised by failure of initiation or maintenance of puberty due to insufficient gonadotropin release, which is not associated with anosmia/hyposmia.Objective and hypotheses: The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of causative mutations in an hereditary form of IHH.Method: In this prospective collaborative study, families with more than one aff...

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: 5α-reductase type 2 deficiency (5α--RD) and 17β-HSD type 3 deficiency (17β-HSDD) are rare differences/disorders of sex development (DSD) in which impairment of steroidogenic enzymes causes undervirilisation in patients with a 46,XY genotype. We aim to enlarge the limited knowledge on long-term gonadal function and gonadal pathology in these conditions.Methods: Data on phenotype, laborato...