ESPE Abstracts

Background: Heterozygous GHR gene variants were found in 5–8% of idiopathic short stature (ISS) children. Frequent polymorphisms within GHR coding regions, but not intronic SNPs, have been investigated in ISS.Objectives: To characterize GHR gene variants in ISS children, and to test their influence on height and the peripheral GH/IGF1/IGFBPs system.Methods: GHR gene (coding/intronic flanking...

Background: The interrelationships between body weight and thyroid status are complex. Serum TSH is typically increased in obese compared with lean individuals. Several mechanisms leading to hyperthyrotropinemia have been hypothesized.Objective and hypotheses: To compare thyroid function and autoimmunity in normal, overweight and obese healthy children and adolescents in our population. To analyse any metabolic risk factor related to hyperthyrotropinemia...

Introduction: The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) enables the parathyroid glands and other CaSR-expressing cells involved in calcium homeostasis to sense alterations in calcium serum concentrations. Mutations in the CASR gene may produce gain or loss in its activity. Activating mutations cause a hypocalcaemic syndrome of varying severity, as autosomal-dominant hypocalcaemia or Bartter’s syndrome.Case report: We describe a 6 months infa...

Background: Severe deficiency of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11βHSD2) triggers activation of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) by cortisol and causing apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) syndrome characterized mostly by low-renin arterial hypertension and hypokalemia. In 2003, we studied a patient with AME (3 years-old) having two homozygous mutation, D223N (rs121917833) and a SNP C>T in intron 3 (rs376023420) (Carvajal et al. JCEM 2003).<p cla...

Background: Thyroid dysfunction is a common condition in children and has been associated with metabolic syndrome, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and mortality. Due to the obesity epidemic in paediatric population exists a higher prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. In adults it has been observed that elevated TSH, even within the normal range, are positively correlated with increas...

Background: Familial hyperaldosteronism type 1 (FH-1), is caused by the presence of a chimeric CYP11B1/CYP11B2 gene that produces high amounts of aldosterone in response to ACTH and severe hypertension. An early diagnosis and treatment are important, not only to manage hypertension but also to avoid possible deleterious effects of aldosterone on the endothelium and cardiovascular diseases.Clinical case: A 3 months old boy was referred for evalua...

Introduction: Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) is the most common cause of Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) in 46, XY individuals. It is an X-linked genetic disease caused by allelic variants in the Androgen Receptor Gene (Xq11-12). Methods: Patients with clinical suspicion of AIS performed hormonal serum measurements (LH, FSH, estradiol, testosterone) and molecular sequencing of the AR gene, including exons and the 5’UTR region. Psychosexual variab...

Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common cause of hirsutism and menstrual irregularity in adolescent girls and young women. It is often accompanied by obesity and insulin resistance and is associated to lifelong co-morbidities, including subfertility, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, pre-menopausal cancer, depression, low health-related Qol, and pregnancy and offspring complications. PCOS in adolescent girls is commonly driven by fat excess in subcutaneo...

Background and methods: Sellar and suprasellar tuberculomas are extremely rare in children and most often patients present with headache, vomiting, visual disturbances, and hypofunction of the pituitary gland. Here, we report a girl with hypothalamic obesity, that recovers after antituberculosis treatment.Findings: An 11-year old girl presented with headache, fever and anorexia that progressively evolved into an encephal...

Introduction: Hypoglycemia is a significant cause of morbidity in children, yet is challenging to diagnose and treat due to its heterogeneity.Aim: To describe the diagnoses and clinical characteristics of children with hypoglycemia referred to a tertiary pediatric center.Methods: This retrospective study included 155 children (86 males, aged 0-18 years) diagnosed with hypoglycemia ...