ESPE Abstracts

Background: Ectopic ACTH-producing tumors rarely occur in children, with <1% of all adolescents with Cushing Syndrome (CS). Many cases of ACTH-secreting ectopic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are reported in literature. In most patients, tumors secrete corticotropin-like peptides and/or corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-like peptide, which stimulate cortisol hyperproduction.Background: Ectopic ACTH-producing tumors r...

Deficiency of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2), a protease that regulates IGF-1 availability, causes postnatal growth failure and changes in bone size and density in humans and mice. The present study aimed to determine the effects of daily administration (from PND5 to PND35) of recombinant murine (rm) PAPP-A2, in comparison to rmGH and rmIGF1, on mouse auxology and bone microarchitecture in homozygous Pappa2 knock-out (ko/ko) mice of both sexes. Hormone treatm...

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: 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...

Introduction: Nephroblastoma or Wilms tumor is the most common pediatric abdominal malignancy. Typically, it is found in children younger than 5 years old, girls being more likely to have Wilms tumor than boys. The etiology of the disease is genetic, due to alteration in the development of the genitourinary tract.[1] Treatment is represented by surgery (unilateral nephrectomy), chemo- and radio-therapy. Paraneoplastic endocrine disorders may occur, but there a...

Background: A close association has been reported between obesity and renal damage in adults, but evidence in childhood is still limited.Methods: We retrospectively studied 396 children and adolescents with obesity. Clinical, biochemical, and instrumental evaluations were performed. Patients were stratified according to the metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) phenotypes. Kidney d...

Background: GH deficiency may not persist into adulthood. Thus, it is recommended to reassess it after reaching adult height. However, according to stimulation tests, they have poor specificity, reproducibility, and poor standardization of hormonal measurement, and they are expensive and involve risks.Objective and hypotheses: Establish if IGF1 would be a better reassessing method than stimulation tests in adult GH defic...

The proband is a Caucasian girl with primary amenorrhea and no breast development at the age of 16 11/12 yrs. Unrelated parents; an older brother in good health and a twin brother (GA 31 days; BW 1450g) with reported agenesis of the corpus callosum and socio-emotional behavioral problems. The mother (menarche 14 yrs. and bicornuate uterus) presented four early spontaneous abortions and one stillborn fetus (46, XX) in the 6th month of pregnancy; remaining negative family histor...

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is diagnosed in up to 60% of overweight children. Diagnosis and management of NAFLD is challenging due to the lack of non-invasive imaging biomarkers. Ultrasound (US) is the most widely non-invasive method used to identify liver steatosis, however it has low sensitivity to detect mild steatosis and to quantify hepatic fibrosis. Liver Elastography (LE) is a non-invasive methodology used to evaluate hep...

Introduction: Diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and idiopathic short stature (ISS) is not straightforward. Nowadays growth hormone (GH) stimulation tests play a key role in the diagnosis but they are controversial due to the lack of normative data, poor reproducibility and poor disease concordance.The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is also a tool in the study of patients with short stature. Structural alterations of the hypo...