ESPE Abstracts

Background: Childhood obesity is commonly associated with signs of endothelial dysfunction, characterized by impairment of insulin signaling and vascular NO availability. Recently both these features have been associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, however the role of ER stress in the mechanism/s leading to vascular dysfunction in childhood obesity remains still to be established.Objective and Hypotheses: To evaluate ER stress and insulin-sti...

Objective: The programmed cell death 1 protein (PD1) is a T lymphocyte membrane receptor, which when bound to its ligand PD – L1 inactivates the cytotoxic T lymphocyte, thereby down regulating the immune response. Cancer may upregulate PD – L1 on the cell surface, further downregulating the immune response. Nivolumab, a so called check point inhibitor, is a PD1 antibody, and when bound to PD1 keep the cytotoxic T lymphocyte active. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte activation b...

Background: The increase of global childhood obesity has led to an increase of associated co-morbidities also at a young age. The pro-inflammatory state and insulin resistance are two master regulators of several complications, including hypertension and pre-diabetes frequently connected in a complex crosstalk.Aim: To evaluate the relationship between glucose alterations and blood pressure and the pathogenetic involvemen...

Introduction: Aromatase excess syndrome (AEXS) is a rare, autosomal dominant disorder, characterized by enhanced extraglandular aromatization of androgens and estrogen excess. Genomic rearrangements in chromosome 15q21 are found to result in overexpression of the aromatase gene CYP19A1. In males it is characterized by pre- or peripubertal gynecomastia, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, advanced bone age and short adult height. Only a few female patients have been...

Progeria syndromes are rare in children and include several diseases which lead to premature ageing already in children. Therefore, the pediatrician may be confronted with diseases which are normally seen only in persons with advanced age. We report about two children with progeria, in whom diabetes type 2 become manifest early and with a fulminant course in one patient. The first boy was known with Cockayne syndrome, which belongs to the progeria syndromes. He suffered from l...

Objective: To describe clinical, laboratory and genetic characteristics of 42 short children from 34 consanguineous Turkish families.Design: Descriptive case series.Methods: After collecting clinical information, DNA samples were analysed in three European laboratories. In 18 children (12 families) suspected of a genetic defect in the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor ...

Background: The BoneXpert method for automated determination of bone age from hand X-rays has always included a determination of the Bone Health Index (BHI) from the cortical thicknesses in the metacarpals.Objective and hypotheses: The aim was to extend this so-called digital X-ray radiogrammetry method into adults, and present reference curves for BHI and three other indices: the metacarpal index, the Exton-Smith index and the volume-per-area (proportio...

Background: The BoneXpert method for automated determination of bone age (BA) from hand X-rays was introduced in 2009, covering the Greulich-Pyle BA range up to 17 years for boys and 15 years for girls.Objective and hypotheses: To present an extension of the BA range of the automated method up to 19 years for boys and 18 years for girls and to validate it against manual rating.Method: The extension was developed based on images fro...

Background: In adults, autonomously functioning thyroid nodule (AFTN) rarely require cytologic evaluation and hyperthyroidism is often treated with radiojod (131J). In children and adolescents with AFTNs thyroid carcinoma was identified in about 10%.Results: An 17-year-old adolescent presented with symptoms of hyperthyroidsm. She suffered from agitation and headache. Thyroid function tests revaled a suppressed TSH (0.10 mIU/ml (reference range 0.51–...

Introduction: McCune–Albright syndrome (MAS) is a rare disease defined by café-au-lait spots, gonadotropin-precocious puberty and fibrous dysplasia. It could be associated with others endocrinopathies: thyroid involvement as a common feature. The prevalence is very low, being outstanding the neonatal diagnosis, especially in males.Case presentation: A male term newborn with a café-au-lait extensive spot involving the back, arms, legs and s...