ESPE Abstracts

Background: Carriers of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) demonstrate increased secretion of cortisol precursors following ACTH stimulation, suggestive of impaired cortisol production, and compensatory increases in hypothalamic CRH secretion. Both cortisol and CRH have behavioural effects, and hypothalamic CRH hypersecretion has been associated with chronic states of anxiety and depression.Objective and hypoth...

Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased dramatically in the last decades and accounts for a significant increase in morbidity and mortality in adulthood.Objective and hypotheses: To determine the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in overweight and obese children and adolescents.Method: 350 (n=350) children and adolescents (153 males (M), 197 females (F)) were recruited to ...

Abstract: Combined Pituitary Hormone Deficiency (CPHD) is characterized by growth hormone and at least one other pituitary hormone deficiency. It is of varying etiology, extent and severity and it usually occurs sporadically with only 10% of cases being familial. Although pathogenic variants in more than 30 genes expressed during the development of the head, hypothalamus and/or pituitary have been identified so far to cause genetic forms of CPHD, the aetiology...

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that decreased 25-hydroxyvitamin [25(OH)D] concentrations are associated with components of the metabolic syndrome.Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic syndrome parameters in obese children and adolescents.Patients and methods: Two hundred thirty two (n=232) obese children and adolescents aged [mean ±S....

Background: Obesity-related insulin resistance is present in obese children and Matsuda index is a method proposed to evaluate insulin resistance, using data obtained from the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).Objective and hypotheses: To investigate whether the clinical indicators of family history of obesity and/or Type II diabetes, acanthosis nigricans, and increased waist circumference are associated with insulin resistance, as calculated by the Mat...

Background: Honey is known for its medicinal and health promoting properties. It contains phytochemicals with high phenolic and flavonoid content, which contribute to its high antioxidant activity. Recent studies performed in adult healthy subjects suggest that honey has a beneficial effect on plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations compared with monosacharides and disaccharides from different sources.Objective/hypotheses: To compare the effects ...

Background: Increased frequency of VDD/I has been found in warmer countries over the last years.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the response to vitamin D treatment in VDD/I among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.Method: Total 25OHvitamin D levels (VDL) were measured in 76 consecutive children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (36 males, mean age (S.D.) 13.6 (5.09) years, median disease duration ...

Background: The noncoding RNA growth-arrest-specific transcript 5 (Gas5) is abundant in cells whose growth has been arrested owing to lack of nutrients or growth factors. Gas5 is a riborepressor of the glucocorticoid receptor, influencing cell survival and metabolic activities during starvation by inhibiting the latter’s transcriptional activity.Aim: To determine the expression levels of Gas5 in blood samples of obese, overweight and lean children a...

Background: Non-compliance is a major issue for treatment failure in childhood obesity.Objective and hypotheses: To identify the barriers of adherence to weight management programs, of obese children and adolescents.Method: A descriptive, ongoing study based on phone recorded questionnaires with the use of information from the medical records. The study group consisted of 85 overweight and obese children and adolescents (M/F=46/39)...

Background: Obesity in childhood and adolescence represents a major health problem and its management requires a multidisciplinary approach.Objective and hypotheses: To assess the main eating habits of children and adolescents attending an Out-patient Clinic for the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Greece, as recorded before implementing any intervention.Method: We studied 1005 children and adolescents [age ra...