ESPE Abstracts

Background: Trisomy 21 is associated with an increased susceptibility to respiratory infections.Objective and hypotheses: For a more detailed characterization of the adaptive immune response, we analyzed the cellular and humoral immunity to specific pathogens in blood samples of 40 children with Down’s syndrome in comparison to 51 age-matched controls.Method: We quantitatively analyzed lymphocyte subpopulations using flow cyto...

Background: Calculation of a urinary steroid metabolite ratio (uSMR) may be a useful method of improving diagnostic yield when investigating disorders of steroid hormone synthesis. Our aim was to investigate the range of uSMR in children with suspected disorders of steroid hormone synthesis.Methods: Ten ratios were calculated on steroid metabolite data analysed by GC-MS in urine samples collected between 2008 and 2010 from 94 children who were undergoing...

Background: Human GH is a heterogeneous protein hormone consisting of several isoforms, the most abundant being 22 kDa- and 20 kDa-GH. The availability of analytical methods to measure these GH isoforms might represent a valuable diagnostic tool to investigate GH secretion in short stature.Objective and hypotheses: Aim of the present study was to measure circulating levels of 22 kDa- and 20 kDa-GH in children with different diagnosis of short stature suc...

Background: MEHMO (microcephaly, epilepsy, hypogenitalism, mental retardation, obesity) is a rare disorder with X-linked inheritance. Only three families with this disorder were described previously, with the linkage to a region on X chromosome. No specific gene has been identified so far.Aims and objectives: The aim was to identify the genetic etiology in two unrelated Slovak male probands (4.5 and 1.5 years old respectively) with the clinical diagnosis...

Background: Among their metabolic effects, GH and its mediator IGF1 have been reported to influence hematopoiesis. Indeed, GH/IGF1 axis promotes erythropoiesis and GH deficiency (GHD) has been associated with a normochromic and normocytic anemia both in adults and in children. In contrast, in vivo data on the effects of GH/IGF1 axis on leukocytes and platelets are scanty.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the effects of 4-years GH replacement...

Background: Differences in sexual development (DSD) are rare diagnoses, which affect the chromosomal, anatomical or gonadal sex differentiation. Although comprehensive counseling of patients and parents/carers is necessary to ensure a positive coping with the diagnosis and a well-informed decision-making, standardised programmes are lacking. Empower-DSD is a government-funded project, which developed an age-adapted multidisciplinary education programme to impr...

Background: Within the government-funded project Empower-DSD, modular training programmes for children and young adults aged 6-24 years with the diagnoses CAH, Turner-syndrome, Klinefelter-syndrome or XX-/XY-DSD (including MRKH) and their relatives were developed to improve diagnosis-specific knowledge, skills and empowerment. Overall, 105 trainings were offered between August 2020 and September 2022 in 5 centres with DSD expertise in Germany.<p class="abs...

Introduction: The external masculinisation score (EMS) has been utilised as an objective numerical description of the external genitalia in undermasculinised patients with DSD in several studies. However, data on longitudinal change in EMS in the routine clinical setting are lacking.Objectives: To determine the longitudinal change in EMS and its determinants in a cohort of boys with XY DSD in one specialist centre.<p...

Background: Complication rates following hypospadias surgery are variable and given that hypospadias may be associated with a genetic or an endocrine condition, hypospadias outcome may depend on several clinical factors that require exploration.Aim: To perform a systematic review of cases of hypospadias operated at one tertiary centre to identify clinical determinants of optimal outcome.Methods: Retrospective review of clinical rec...

Background: The increase of global childhood obesity has led to an increase of associated co-morbidities also at a young age. The pro-inflammatory state and insulin resistance are two master regulators of several complications, including hypertension and pre-diabetes frequently connected in a complex crosstalk.Aim: To evaluate the relationship between glucose alterations and blood pressure and the pathogenetic involvemen...