ESPE Abstracts

Background and Aims: Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common chromosomal abnormality in men, but because of its highly variable phenotype and clinical unawareness, it remains largely under-diagnosed. Cardinal features include tall stature, gynecomastia, hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, azoospermia and infertility. Learning and behavioral problems are also common. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) helps to prevent or ameliorate many of the comorbiditie...

Precocious Puberty is defined by the onset of pubertal development at an age 2-2,5 standard deviations earlier than the normal population. Central Precocious Puberty (CPP) is diagnosed when the hypothalamic-pituitary axis is activated. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (Gn-RH analogues) are the main treatment option, but sometimes controversial. Whether this treatment influences children's body mass index (BMI) and a different BMI progression is still unclear.<p...

Background: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a relatively common monogenic recessive disorder with an incidence of 1/15 000 in most populations. It has been suggested that CYP21A2 deficiency is relatively common because it may confer a survival advantage to be a carrier. Carriers of CYP21A2 mutations typically do not have clinical symptoms but have a defined phenotype. The cortisol response to ACTH stimulation has been shown to be both...

Introduction: Nelson’s syndrome is a potentially severe complication of bilateral adrenalectomy, a radical procedure performed in the treatment of hypercortisolism in Cushing’s disease (CD). We report a case of CD in pediatric age submitted to bilateral adrenalectomy with subsequent Nelson’s syndrome.Case report: Male, 5-year-old, referred to a Pediatric outpatient clinic because of growth failure, rapid weight gain and high blood pressure...

Background: Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a rare clinical entity, characterized by the association of hipogonadotropic hypogonadism and hypo/anosmia, with an estimated prevalence of 1:8000 in males and 1:40 000 in females.Method: Retrospective study of cases of KS diagnosed in paediatric age. Genetic analysis was performed by PCR and DNA sequencing of KAL1, FGFR1, GNRHR, GNRH1, PROK2, PROKR2, KISS1R, TAC3, TACR3, and FGF8 genes.Results...

Background: Neonatal diabetes (ND) is a rare condition (1:160.000-260.000 live births) associated with diabetes onset within the first 6 months of life. It can be permanent (PNDM) or transient (TNDM), and several genes can be implicated in both, namely KCNJ11. Clinical phenotypes usually correlate to the causal gene. KCNJ11 mutations are usually associated with PNDM whilst the most frequent cause of TNDM is disordered imprinting in the 6q24 locus.Objecti...

Background: Noonan syndrome (NS) is a frequent autosomal dominant disorder characterized by facial dysmorphisms, heart defects, short stature and learning disabilities. It is caused by mutations in genes within the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway, thus called RASopathies. The RAS/MAPK pathway can also impact the signal transduction of hormones involved in body weight, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism features scarcely studied only in animal models. This study aimed to describe me...

Introduction: The diagnosis of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) is a challenge due to the complexity of its pathophysiology and the variety of clinical manifestations. Female newborns (NB) with classical forms present virilization of the external genitalia while in boys it is usually normal. Salt-losers boys and girls are highly susceptible to develop acute adrenal insufficiency and death in the first weeks of life; for these reasons, Neonatal Screening (NS) programs have ...

Background: Age at onset of puberty exhibits a remarkable variation mirroring nutritional, environmental, socioeconomic and genetic factors. While large genome-wide association studies identified more than hundred genetic loci associated with age at menarche in girls, knowledge on loci associated with age at pubertal onset in boys is sparse. FSHB/FSHR genetic variants have been shown to affect pubertal timing in girls and reproductive parameters in men.<p class="a...

Background: Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) deficiency is the commonest monogenic form of non-syndromic obesity. MC4R is a seven transmembrane G-protein coupled receptor implicated in central regulation of body weight. The loss-of-function mutations in MC4R gene will contribute to early-onset obesity associated with hyperinsulinemia, hyperphagia and “binge eating”. We aim to determine the prevalence of MC4R variants in a Pediatrics...