ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: The conventional approach to the treatment of Beta- thalassemia major (BTM) is based on the correction of hemoglobin status through regular blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy for iron overload. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) remains the only currently available technique that has curative potential. No previous study compared the long-term growth and endocrinopathy changes among large cohorts of BTM patients o...

Purpose: Therapeutic goals in the adolescent male with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism(HH) are virilization, optimal adult height, normal bone mass, body composition, psychosocial development, and fertility. Until recently, only testosterone was used to treat adolescent males with HH. However, this treatment did not cover all treatment goals and adverse effects on fertility were reported. Therefore, gonadotropin therapy can be used in addition to testosterone in...

Introduction: The Newborn Screening Programme (NBS) enables earlier diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism (CH). However, cases of central congenital hypothyroidism (CCH) are missed in countries which use thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) based screening strategy. Understanding the pathogenic aetiology of CCH is particularly important because many patients have additional pituitary hormone deficiencies. New genes have been implicated in CCH, including the rece...

Background: We report the first case of Wolfram syndrome with heterozygous polymorphisms of WFS1 and PTF1A genes.Case description: 16 years-old girl presented with diabetes mellitus at 12 years of age with HbA1c of 8.4 %. The IA-2, Islet cell, Insulin antibodies (Ab) were negative. GAD Ab were positive 26 U/ml (nl< 4). C-peptide level was normal 1.33 ng/ml (1.1-4.4 ng/ml) even after 4 years of diagnosis. She was initi...

Exposure to abdominal radiation for childhood cancer has been associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal polyps and neoplasia. These patients have a similar risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) as those with two or more first-degree relatives with CRC. There has been an inconsistency in clinical practice guidelines, partly due to limited evidence that treatment-associated colorectal cancer has a preceding screen-detectable phase. The previous recommendation fr...

Background: A broad spectrum of human diseases, including abnormalities in steroidogenesis, are caused by mutations in the NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) (1-2). Cytochrome P450 proteins perform several reactions, including metabolism of steroids, drugs and other xenobiotics. Therefore, genetic variations in POR can impact many different metabolic pathways by changing the activities of cytochromes P450 (1). In 2004 the first human patients with defe...

Background: Over 800 different mutations in GCK gene have been reported in the Human Gene Mutation Database, the vast majority of which result in monogenic diabetes (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, MODY type 2). The missense mutation p.Leu122Val is listed in that database as "disease-causing". However, the National Center for Biotechnology Information ClinVar database (Variation ID 585919) reports that this mutation is of "uncertain ...

Background: Kinase suppressor of Ras 2 (KSR2) gene codes for a scaffold protein modulating intracellular pathways that involve MEK/BRAF cascade and AMPK signaling. KSR2 plays an important role in energy balance regulation, and KSR2 mutations were reported to be associated with obesity and insulin resistance in mice and humans. In transfected cells, several KSR2 mutations lead to impaired fatty acid oxidation, which improved under met...

Background: Pain represents one of the most stressful experiences for children undergoing medical therapies (Kortesluoma, 2008), but is under represented in literature for what concerns pediatric endocrinology. Children consider Injections one of the most painful, frighteningand distressing procedures (Fassler, 1985). The treatment for patients with Growth Hormone Deficiency requires daily subcutaneous injection, performed by parents or patients themselves. Th...

Purpose: Patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) show low fitness levels before GH treatment is started. Muscular strength, flexibility and postural stability are related to health and quality of life. Since it is widely recognized that physical activity increases GH secretion and GH could ameliorate fitness, if a high adherence to treatment is documented (1), the purpose of this study is to investigate any difference on posturographic parameters and mus...