ESPE Abstracts

Introduction:Up to 20% of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) develops low-grade optic pathway gliomas(OPGs) that can result in neuroendocrinopathy.The aim of the study was to identify prognostic factors for developing neuroendocrinopathies in patients with NF1 and OPGs before any treatment.Methods: Records of 117 children with NF1 and OPGs followed at 4 Italian centers between 1997-20...

Background: Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) is a rare life-threatening disorder. Data on PAI in children are scanty, with the exception of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD).Objective and hypotheses: Evaluate etiology of PAI in a large cohort of children and characterize clinical presentation in subjects with PAI not due to 21-OHD.Method: Children followed in eight tertiary centers wer...

A 8 years and 7 months old male presented with short stature related to his target height. No history of bones fractures. The patient was 120.7 cm (- 1.77 SDS). Physical exam demonstrated peculiar facies, relative macrocephaly, delayed tooth eruption and pectus carinatum. He referred during the clinical evaluation diffuse bone pain and weakness, mostly exacerbated by sport activity. A first diagnostic investigation had already been made showing low serum alkaline phosphatase a...

Newer studies have indicated that vitamin D has more widespread effects than the classical effects on bone and calcium-phosphate homeostasis. The presence of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in the testis and male reproductive tract indicates a role for vitamin D in male reproduction. Indeed, vitamin D deficiency and global knock out models of VDR or CYP27B1 in rodents have shown that vitamin D and calcium are important regulators of male reproductive function. Several groups have...

Introduction: The main role of Vitamin D (VitD) is the regulation of calcium, which is also regulated by the parathyroid hormone (PTH), and phosphate metabolism. The main source of the more biologically active 25-hydroxy-Vitamin D3 (25OHVitD3) comes from the action of ultraviolet light on the skin.Aim: To determine if there are differences in concentrations of 25OHVitD3, calcium and PTH in school-aged children throughout...

Background: Early catch-up growth, between birth and age two years, in infants born small-for-gestational-age (SGA) is a risk factor for the development of cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. The basis and mechanisms underpinning catch-up growth in SGA newborns are unknown.Objectives: We aimed to investigate the catch-up predictive ability of cord blood miRNAs in SGA infants.Methods: MicroRNA PCR Human Panels were used to study ...

Background: The placenta plays a key role in regulating fatty acid (FA) transport from maternal to fetal circulation. An unfavourable FA profile in the placenta, reflecting an inadequate nutritional status during pregnancy, may cause changes in placental DNA methylation and negatively affect fetal growth and metabolic health of the offspring.Objectives: We aimed to study the association of an unfavourable placental FA profile with placental DNA methylati...

Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated that hypertension may begin early in the life. Under physiological conditions, the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) is highly variable due to variations in salt intake and other factors, making it difficult to interpret results. We measured aldosterone and renin, and compared them with sodium and potassium excretion in a normotensive pre-pubertal population.Methods: A cross-sectional study was ...

Background: Hyperphosphatemic familial tumoral calcinosis (HFTC) is a condition characterized by hyperphosphatemia and abnormal deposit of phosphate and calcium most often around the hips, shoulders and elbows and rarely in the brain.Case presentation: A four-year-old-girl from Arabian origin was referred to the regional paediatric endocrine clinic from the Orthopedics Team due to: recurrent calcinosis of the right calcaneus and incipient left wrist pain...

Background: SOX2 is an early developmental transcription factor implicated in pituitary development; heterozygous SOX2 mutations have been reported in patients with a severe ocular phenotype and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HH) with/without associated abnormalities. SOX2 physically interacts with β-catenin, a member of the Wnt-signalling pathway, via its carboxyl-terminus and it represses in vitroβ-catenin mediated activation.<p class="abstex...