ESPE Abstracts

A 13 months old infant, presented with failure to thrive, untreated congenital hypothyroidism and pseudo-hypertrophy of limb muscles (i.e. Kocher-Debre-Semelaigne syndrome). The child had delayed motor and mental development. Thyroxin replacement therapy, as well as nutritional support, was initiated.Two to three weeks after treatment introduction, the motor and cognitive developments were accelerated with striking improvement as if global growth was sto...

Background: Obesity is a worldwide epidemic affecting adults and children. Social changes throughout history have contributed to modifications in nutrition and physical activity levels. These changes in lifestyle affected health, increasing the number of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Obese children already have a low grade systemic inflammation as well as markers of increased cardiovascular risk. The endothelial function is an important and early marker of atheroscler...

Background: Apparent mineralocorticoids excess syndrome (AME) is an unusual cause of hypertension, caused by genetic mutation of type 2 11β-hidroxysteroid desydrogenase (11BHSD2) enzime, which metabolizes cortisol(F) to cortisone(E). Patients with AME born from consanguineous parents, are small for gestagional age (SGA) and could have nephrocalcinosis, hypokalemia and high plasma cortisol/cortisone relation (F/E).Objective: To tell the clinical and ...

Background and Aims: Turner Syndrome (TS), 45X0, is the most common chromosomal pathology affecting females, occurring in 1:2500 to 1:5000 female infants. The typical phenotype includes short stature, gonadal dysgenesis leading to sexual infantilism, low-set ears, low rear hairlin, mamary hypertelorism, neck webbing, gothic palate, irregular rotation of the elbows, shield chest, shortening of the 4th metacarpal, low hairline, shortening of lower extremities, renal disorders a...

Background: Homozygous aggrecan (ACAN) mutations have been described in a few skeletal dysplasias whilst more recently, heterozygous ACAN mutations have been reported in few families presenting with idiopathic short stature with advanced bone maturation and premature growth cessation.Case presentation: We describe two novel heterozygous ACAN stop mutations, detected using a skeletal dysplasia NGS panel and confirmed by Sanger sequencing...

Background: To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted to assess the impact of 21 hydroxylase deficiency and hidrocortisone treatment on electrocardiographic measures in children with 21-hydroxylase-deficient congenital adrenal hyperplasia.Objective and hypotheses: The purpose of this study is to compare the12-lead electrocardiographic measures such as PWd, QT interval, QTd, Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratio in patients of 21-hydro...

The growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) system is essential for optimal human growth and energy homeostasis. Deficiency of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2), a protease involved in the liberation of free IGF-1, leads to problems in growth and bone density in humans and mice. Patients with PAPP-A2 deficiency also present lower body mass and mild glucose intolerance. The present study aimed to determine the influence of 1 month of high carbohydr...

Background: In vitro studies suggest a broader role for aldosterone, beyond elevating blood pressure. Clinical data support the notion that aldosterone can directly alter the function of the immune system and can participate in low-grade inflammation which leads to blood pressure elevation and end organ damage.Objective and hypothesis: To assess in humans, whether aldosterone plasma levels and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) expression associate...

Background: Recent work revealed two pathways in androgen biosynthesis, namely the classic and an alternative, the backdoor pathway. In this alternative pathway dihydrotestosterone is produced from 17-hydroxyprogesterone without the intermediacy of testosterone using mostly enzymes that are specific to the backdoor path. In the human ovary, regulation of androgen production plays a crucial role in normal physiology and in pathologies such as the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS...

Background: The MAMLD1 gene (Xp28) is thought to cause disorder of sex development (DSD) in 46, XY patients, mostly presenting with hypospadias, and, recently, also gonadal dysgenesis. However, there is some controversy about the role of MAMLD1 in sex development because i) some MAMLD1 variants are also detected in normal individuals, ii) others are not present in all affected DSD individuals of the same family; iii) several MAMLD1 mutations...