ESPE Abstracts

Background: Pubertal induction in girls with hypogonadism through estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) aims at the development of secondary sexual characteristics, cognitive functions, uterine growth and maturation, bone mass accrual and linear growth. To date, the best induction regimen, capable of assuring both physiological gradual progression through Tanner stages and effective uterine development, is still to be established.Patients a...

Background: Early predictors of cardiovascular risk using anthropometric and laboratory variables available in the general practice in obese children are poorly identified.Objective and hypotheses: To identify best predictors of early cardiovascular risk in obese children between anthropometric and laboratory parameters.Method: Cardiovascular risk was determined by measuring intima-media thickness of the right common carotid artery...

Background: A reduced GH response to different stimulation tests have been documented in both children and adults with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), independently from obesity. Previous reports suggested the hypothesis of an age dependent derangement of the hypothalamus–pituitary axis occurring in PWS subjects.Objective and hypotheses: In this longitudinal study we re-evaluated the GH responsiveness to a combined test after long-term GH therapy ...

Introduction: Growth velocity is reduced in patients with GH deficiency and this may result in an increase in Body Mass Index (BMI). Treatment performed with Growth Hormone (GH) while accelerating growth velocity, might reduce BMI. The objective of this study was to evaluate BMI in patients with GHD at diagnosis, 1 y and 2 y after started treatment with GH and to compare if there is difference between the BMI of the patients with and without pituitary abnormalities.<p clas...

Background: Precocious puberty (PP) in girls is most frequently an idiopathic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-dependent PP, being thelarche the typical first sign. It is well established that increased dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) levels are associated with premature adrenarche and may characterize PP too. However, its relationship with signs of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis activation and estrogen exposure is still to be elucidate...

Background: Cyclic treatment with bisphosphonates (BP) is now considered a ‘standard care’ for children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Vitamin D is a necessary nutrient for bone health for all children but especially for those with OI. In the literature few studies have considered the relationship between bone mineral density, vitamin D and pubertal stage in children treated with BP for OI.Objective and hypotheses: The purpose of this study...

Background: The role of retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) in the insulin resistance associated with obesity is still unclear and various studies have analyzed the role of its gene polymorphisms as a potential key to understanding the mechanisms involved.Aim: The current study aimed to analyze the relationship between RBP4 levels, the distribution of two SNP (rs3758539 and rs10882280) and the metabolic, anthropometric para...

Background: Several visfatin, retinol binding protein 4(RBP4) and high affinity receptor for RBP4, STRA6 (stimulated by retinoic acid) single nuclear polymorphisms’ (SNP) have been investigated regarding their relationship with obesity with controversial results.Aim: To analyze the association of two specific SNP for visfatin, RBP4 and STRA6 with anthropometric markers of obesity in children.Material and method: A case control...

Background: Steroid responsive encephalopathy with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT) is a clinically and electrographically heterogeneous steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with thyroid autoantibodies.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate, whether children and adolescents with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT) lacking acute clinical manifestation of SREAT show electroencephalogram (EEG) alterations, and to compare EEGs of HT patients with those...

Background: Menarche is a milestone in human sexual development as it denotes the achievement of fertility. Few studies have evaluated the age at menarche (AAM) in chronic respiratory disease.Objective: The main aim of this study is to investigate AAM and menarcheal determinants in girls affected by Cystic Fibrosis or Asthma, and to compare their AAM with healthy girls’ one.Subjects and method: The study was conducted on 1207 ...