ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Mutations in the GH1 promoter are a rare cause of isolated GH deficiency (IGHD). In order to find the molecular cause of short stature due to IGHD, three siblings (2 M) born to consanguineous parents without mutations in the GHRHR and GH1 coding regions were screened for mutations in the GH1 promoter and locus control region. All patients harbored two variants (c.−123T>C and −161C>T) in homozygous state in the GH1 promoter, not found in 100 co...

Background: Isolated Growth Hormone Deficiency (IGHD) is usually associated with a delayed bone age. A genetic cause for IGHD is more frequently found in patients with familial cases and/or consanguineous parents.Objective and hypotheses: To diagnose the genetic cause of IGHD and clarify the unusual clinical presentation of advanced bone age in one patient born to consanguineous parents.Method: Sanger sequencing of GH1, <e...

Case Report: Patient 1: a 3.6-yr-old girl presented with very severe hypertriglyceridemia (serum triglyceride level >1000mg/dL) in random sampling in the first year of life. She presented with recurring episodes of abdominal pain, and splenomegaly. There is no history of consanguineous marriage. Maternal and paternal family had history of coronary events at an early age. A genetic panel showed homozygous variant chr8:19.953.365 C>T (p.Ala162Val) in the l...

Background: Impairment of the chromatin remodeling factors ATRX and DAXX and telomeres abnormality play a role in cancer biology, influencing the clinical outcomes. However, their roles in adrenal tumorigenesis require broader investigation.Aim: To evaluate ATRX and DAXX genotype and expression, telomere length, and the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), as well as their clinical significance, in primary adrenoc...

Abnormal DNA methylation contributes to tumor progression and is emerging as a prognostic marker in several types of cancers. To investigate whether DNA methylation is associated with pediatric adrenocortical tumor (pACT) presentation and patient prognosis, we analyzed the methylation profile of 57 tumors (MethylationEPIC BeadChip Array-Illumina) and patients’ clinicopathological features and outcome. The study comprehended 40 girls and 17 boys, with median age at diagnos...

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: Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is frequent in adrenocortical tumors (ACTs). This pathway and DAX1, a negative regulator of SF1 expression, control adrenal stem/progenitor cells, which can be involved in ACTs formation.Objective: To analyse the association between the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and the expression of a stem cell marker (NANOG), STAT3, DAX1 and SF1 in ACTs.Methods: Patients:...

Background: The aetiology of congenital hypopituitarism (CH) is unknown in the majority of patients. In our cohort of 200 cases, it was possible to establish the genetic cause in only 13 patients (6.5%). Copy number variants (CNVs) have been implicated as the cause of genetic syndromes with previously unknown aetiology.Objective: To study the presence of CNVs and its relevance in patients with CH of unknown cause associated with complex phenotypes.<p...

Introduction: Higher evening cortisol level has been previously described in very preterm infants, possibly reflecting increased Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA) tone or alterations in HPA regulation throughout the day. These relatively subtle differences in HPA axis function in preterm compared to full-term children may become meaningful in terms of metabolic risk later in life if sustained over time. Still, only a few studies have investigated wheth...

Children diagnosed with adrenocortical tumors (ACT) have variable prognosis depending on disease presentation at diagnosis. Available therapeutic options render excellent outcome for a subset of patients, but limited improvement in the survival of those diagnosed with non-localized/advanced disease. ACT DNA methylation was recently demonstrated to be a robust and independent prognostic biomarker. Aiming to identify potential therapeutic targets for these children, we compared ...