ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Variegated mosaic aneuploidy syndrome (MVA) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by a variable percentage of chromosomal gains and losses, resulting in multiple mosaic aneuploidies, which explains a great phenotypic variety and may predispose to the development of cancer. Bi-allelic mutations in CEP57 are the cause of MVA2. CEP57 encodes a centrosome protein involved in microtubule stabilization and is crucial for maintaining prope...

Rapid-onset obesity with central hypoventilation, hypothalamic, autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by respiratory failure and autonomic dysregulation with endocrine abnormalities. Some of these patients could also present with neuroendocrine tumors (ROHHADNET).Aim: To evaluate the clinical, biochemical, treatments and outcome in a cohort of pediatrics patients with ROHHAD-NET syndrome follow in a s...

Background: In North-Eastern Italy, a newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperlpasia (CAH) has been taking place since 2001 to diagnose the classical form of 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD). Thanks to the screening program based on 17-OHP levels in dried blood spots, early diagnosis of CAH is possible, allowing appropriate precocious treatment and reducing mortality rates. Unfortunately, a high false positive rate, especially in preterm, low-birth-wei...

Background: Preterm infants born VLBW can display auxological impairment and long term cognitive disabilities. These outcomes are influenced by the condition of being small for gestational age (SGA), but also by the extra-uterine growth restriction (EUGR). Aim of the study was to detect the influence of gestational age(GA), perinatal growth trend and enteral nutrition during the hospitalization on cognitive and auxological outcomes at peri-pubertal age (PPA).<...

Zinc (Zn) is a crucial trace mineral that regulates the expression and activation of biological molecules such as transcription factors, enzymes, adapters, channels, and growth factors, along with their receptors. Bioinformatics analysis of the human genome discloses that Zn may bind ~ 10% of all of the proteins found in the human organism. This remarkable finding highlights the physiological significance of Zn in molecules involved in cellular processes and thereby i...

Introduction: Vitamin D activity is controlled by its receptor (VDR). Increased risk of obesity and metabolic disturbances among certain VDR alleles has been proven. This study was conducted to assess the association between Cdx2 (rs11568820) polymorphism of VDR gene (genotypes: AG, GG) and genetic susceptibility to components of the lipid profile in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated during childhood.<stron...

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency in children is still a global health problem. Measuring free 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations could provide a better estimate of the vitamin D status than total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels.Objective: To assess the relationship between measured free vitamin D (m-f25(OH)D) and calculated free 25(OH)D (c-f25(OH)D), total 25(OH)D, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and other markers of phosphocalcic metabolism. Es...

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 2 plays a fundamental role in prenatal growth and development. The IGF2 gene is imprinted, with the paternally inherited copy being active and the maternal copy being silenced in most tissues. During development, the expression of IGF2 is sexually dimorphic in some tissues and this is thought to be involved in the development of some sexually dimorphic features. For example, IGF2 expression is reported to be higher in the male brain co...

Introduction: Childhood prolactinomas often occur as aggressive macro (1–4 cm) or giant (>4 cm) tumours, with little consensus regarding timing of optimal therapies.Aim: To highlight the phenotype and treatment outcome of childhood macroprolactinomas.Subjects and methods: Case-note review of 10 (five male) children (<18 years) (presenting to our centre between 2009 and 2017 with hyperprolactinaemia due to macro/giant-p...

Pituitary adenomas are usually benign tumours arising from the hormone-secreting cells of the anterior pituitary gland. These adenomas can result in excess hormone secretion and the development of characteristic syndromes, such as Cushing’s disease, acromegaly and hyperprolactinaemia, and/or mass effects on surrounding vital structures causing for example visual disturbances and pituitary hormone deficiencies. In children and young people under 19 years (CYP), the managem...