ESPE Abstracts

Background: Hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia (HH) is the most frequent cause of severe and persistent hypoglycaemia in infancy. Prompt recognition and successful management are critical to ensure prevention of hypoglycaemic brain injury and neurological sequelae. The incidence of HH varies from 1:50,000-1:2,500, and mutations in at least 12 different genes involved in β-cell insulin release have been described. Recently, the spectrum of genetic causes for HH has been exten...

Background: Noonan syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by a short stature, congenital heart defects, and characteristic facial features. Gain-of-function mutations of multiple genes in the Ras/mitogen activated protein kinase pathway have been identified in 70–80% of patients with NS. Recently, leucine-zipper-like transcription regulator 1 (LZTR1), which has not previously been associated with the pathway, was reported as a new causative...

Introduction: Heterozygous mutations in IHH are known to cause Brachydactyly type A1 (BDA1), in which the typical clinical features are bilaterally short-ening or absence of the middle phalanges of most digits of hands and feet, shortness of 1st proximal bone and short stature; althougt short stature is considered part of BDA1, in most reported cases is not always present or unrelevant compared to the stature of unaffected relatives. Recently heterozygous mutations ...

Introduction: Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) is caused by haploinsufficiency of the SHOX gene, located in the pseudoautosomal region (PAR 1) of the short arm of the X and Y chromosomes. The gene is expressed in highest levels in bone tissue and its product likely controls the chondrocyte apoptosis. Deletions and duplications are most frequent, point mutations are responsible for minority of the cases. The main clinical symptoms of LWD include disproportionate short stature...

Background: The exposure to environmental toxicants has been estimated to contribute directly to 3% of human neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs). Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), which are widespread persistent organic pollutants, have been implicated mainly because of their endocrine disruptive nature. Several studies have reported the above relations between maternal serum, the placenta barrier and the breast milk levels of OCPs and NDDs.Aim: The a...

Introduction: An age-related progression from C-cell hyperplasia to medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is associated with various germ-line mutations in the rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene that could be used to identify the optimal time for prophylactic surgery. In 207 patients from 145 families there was a significant age-related progression from C-cell hyperplasia to MTC. Thus, early diagnosis and prevention are particularly crucial....

Backgound: Alopecia areata (AA) or Alopecia Totalis (AT) is an autoimmune disease directed at the hair follicle, either limited to patchy hair loss over the scalp (focalis), or as total loss of scalp hair (totalis) or as total loss of both scalp and body hair (universalis). Management can be challenging, and despite multiple treatment modalities, no therapy still stands. While localized AA may respond well to topical corticosteroids, many patients require more aggressive secon...

Background: Congenital GH deficiency (GHD) can be isolated (IGHD) or combined with other pituitary hormone deficiencies (CPHD). The identification of mutations has clinical implications for the management of patients and genetic counseling1.Objective: To prospectively conduct a molecular-genetic analysis in genes associated with IGHD or CPHD.Method: Forty patients with IGHD (n=8) or CPHD (n=32) were stu...

Background: Body image (BI) is subjective picture of one’s own physical appearance established both by self-observation and by noting the reactions of others. Different BI scales used for screening of the Binge Eating symptoms that strongly linked to obesity.Objective and hypotheses: We supposed to get differences in the own body image perception in overweight and lean children.Method: BI questionnaire (BIQ) and own body satis...

Background: rhGH therapy may improve linear growth in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Poor bone health and abnormal body composition are recognised complications in paediatric IBD.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the effects of rhGH on bone health and body composition.Method: Sub-analysis of 13 children with IBD (12CD; 1UC) in a randomized controlled trial. Either rhGH (0.067 mg/kg per day) as daily s.c. inj...