ESPE Abstracts

Background: Minipuberty denotes a transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) hormone axis in infancy. This activation provides an opportunity to examine the gonadal function in infants suspected of hypogonadism before the axis is silenced during childhood. However, female minipuberty remains poorly elucidated. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate dynamic changes in luteinizing hormone (LH), follic...

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents is contributing to the increasing diagnosis of insulin resistance (IR) in these individuals. However, it remains a worldwide problem to establish diagnostic criteria of IR in the developmental-age population. IRIHOMA and the IRIBelfiore are the well-known indices used in clinical practice. The aim of the study was to compare the usefulness of IRIBelfiore and IRIHOMA in the early dia...

Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) is a group of seven transcription factors, including p65 (RelA), c-Rel, RelB, p50/p105 (NF-κB1), and p52/p100 (NF-κB2). Upon activation by a wide variety of stimuli, NF-κB translocates to the nucleus, where it modulates the expression of target genes involved in cell growth, survival, and death.Previous evidence indicates that NF-κB regulates bone growth and development. Mice deficient in both the N...

Background: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) permits the observation of blood pressure (BP) in a nonmedical environment. In adults, ABPM is better related to renal damage and cardiovascular morbidity than office BP readings. In early stages of type 1 diabetes (T1DM), the role of ABPM is still controversial.Objective and hypotheses: To detect blood pressure abnormalities using 24-h ABPM in children and adolescents with T1DM and to determine the...

Background: Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumors (SLCT) account only for 1% of all ovarian neoplasia, occur more commonly in the second or third decade of life and seldom secrete tumor markers. The experience in adolescence is limited.Objective and hypothesis: To report the hormonal and biological profile of a SCLT in a young adolescent. Ovarian tumor markers as well as FDG-PET scanning might be helpful in diagnosing ovarian malignancy in case of normal ultrasound...

Background: Emerging data suggest that ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring for 24 h may be efficient in the diagnosis of hypertension in adults, children and adolescents. Additionally, in adults, it may predict the existence of some early BP abnormalities related to cardiovascular risk: (a) elevated BP load (>25%) and (b) non-dipping (BP decrease in night-time <10%).Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the presence of early BP abnormalitie...

Background: Ovarian and uterine development in relation to hormonal feedback mechanisms (E2, LH, FSH, and inhibin) has rarely been studied. Therefore, the age specific and longitudinally adequate replacement dose of estradiol to achieve normal maturation in terms of ovarian and uterine development during infancy, childhood and adolescence remains not well known. However, aromatase deficiency offers an excellent model to study the relevant estradiol dose needed to ac...

Background: The hallmark of successful treatment of cryptorchid boys is fertility. However, reported incidences of normal spermiograms for unilateral cryptorchid patients range from 83% to 22%.Aim of the study: Because, cryptorchid testis has always abnormal histology, performing testicular biopsy it is possible to differentiate between cryptorchid and a normal testicular histology thus validating obtained clinical diagnosis. We hypothesize that in a poo...

Obesity—defined as excess fat mass which impacts on physical health—is a complex and multifactorial disease where numerous environmental factors (overeating and/or reduced physical activity) act in concert with genetic factors. Understanding molecular mechanisms of obesity has rapidly improved in recent years due to the development of faster, more specific genetic screening tools (1). Rare genetic obesities are distinguished from more-common polygenic obesities where...

Background: About 85–90% of children born small for gestational age (SGA) experience a catch-up growth that occurs mostly during the first year of life and results in a full stature recovery by the age of 2. The remaining 10–15% do not undergo compensatory growth, achieving - if untreated - an adult height approximately 20 cm below their peers.Objective: The aim of this prospective one-center study was to investigate the relation between bone m...