ESPE Abstracts

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the most frequent etiology in Italian diabetic children and adolescents. Data on type 2 (T2D) and monogenic diabetes (MD) prevalence are scanty.Objective and hypotheses: To estimate the prevalence of T1D, T2D, secondary diabetes, and MD in a pediatric population of Italian diabetic patients.Method: Data on 3,076 patients (diabetes onset January 2007–December 2012, age at diagnosis <18 y...

Introduction: Monogenic diabetes (MD) accounts for at least 3% of all pediatric diabetes cases. MD is often misdiagnosed as type 1 or type 2 diabetes, because of its wide phenotypic spectrum. While clinical and biochemical parameters can suggest MD, a definitive diagnosis requires genetic analysis. We conducted a broad study to diagnose MD cases. Then, with the gained knowledge, we designed a new diagnostic to...

Despite the fact that patients with diabetes and medical staff are doing their best to achieve tight glycemic control, most patients all over the world do not achieve the goal. Good glycemic control is crucial to prevent diabetes related complications as well as hypoglycemic episodes, seizure, coma and death. The Diabetes wiREless Artificial Pancreas ConsortiuM (DREAM) was established by three diabetes centers in Slovenia, Germany and Israel, with a goal to reduce the risk of ...

Background: Rates of pediatric obesity are on a concerning upward trajectory globally, with the prevalence approaching 1 in 5 children and adolescents aged 2-19 years in the United States. As a direct consequence of this obesity surge, we will continue to experience a substantial adult cardiometabolic burden. Although public health measures to optimize lifestyle interventions and reduce culpable environmental exposures are the primary target for governments an...

Puberty is a crucial biological process normally occurring at a specific time during the lifespan, during which sexual and somatic maturation are completed, and reproductive capacity is reached. Pubertal timing is not only determined by genetics, but also by endogenous and environmental cues, including nutritional and metabolic signals. During the last decade, we have learned much regarding the essential roles of kisspeptins and the neuropeptide pathways that converge on these...

Background: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is largely produced by adipose tissue and is an important regulator of physiological and pathological angiogenesis in adults with obesity.Objective and hypotheses: To determine the nature of VEGF production and its connection to the formation of vascular complications in patients with childhood obesity.Method: In 87 children (42 boys and 45 girls) 9–17 years old with obesit...

Introduction: The leptin-melanocortin pathway is a well-studied pivotal player of body weight regulation and energy homeostasis. Pathogenic mutations of the genes involved in this pathway may result in early-onset severe obesity (ESO).Case Report: We hereby report the case of a 14-year-old girl who was referred to our pediatric outpatient clinic for the evaluation of ESO. Her parents were non-obese first cousins born in Morocco. At the t...

Background: Monogenic diabetes (MD) remains undiagnosed in more than 90% of the cases. However, precise, quick and cost-effective diagnosis is important to choose an adequate treatment and to avoid long-term complications.Objective and hypotheses: To develop and validate a diagnostic tool to improve diagnosis rate of MD in Switzerland, as well as to open new research directions.Method: Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 3...

Background and aims: Folate and vitamin B12 are methyl donors (MD) needed for the synthesis of methionine, which is the precursor of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the substrate of methylation in epigenetic, and epigenomic pathways. Low dietary intakes of folate and vitamin B12 are frequent, especially in pregnant women and in the elderly, and deficiency constitutes a risk factor for various diseases. The MD deficiency (MDD) leads to a decrease in SAM:SAH (S-ade...

Background: Patients with PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) hamartoma tumor syndrome and germ line mutations in PTEN frequently develop lipomatosis, for which there is no standard treatment. Rapamycin was shown to reduce the growth of lipoma cells with heterozygous PTEN deficiency in vitro, but concomitantly induced an up regulation of AKT phosphorylation.Objective and hypotheses: Since it was shown that resveratrol stabilizes PTEN,...