ESPE Abstracts

Background-Aim: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders caused by defects in the steroidogenic pathway of the adrenal cortex. In their most severe forms, they produce adrenal insufficiency and virilization of external genitalia when involving the terminal enzymes of the cortisol and aldosterone synthesis pathway (21-hydroxylase (21-OHD, OMIM#201910) and 11-hydroxylase (11-OHD, OMIM#202010) deficiencies). Mutations of <e...

Introduction: Germline mutations in Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene (chromosome 10q23) lead to PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS), which includes Cowden syndrome. PTEN encodes a tumor suppressor protein that is a negative regulator of PI3K – Akt signaling pathway, taking part in multiple biological processes, including cellular cycle and regulation of metabolism.Materials and Methods:...

Background: The first three children reported to have biallelic mutations in RNPC3 presented with growth hormone (GH) deficiency and pituitary hypoplasia (MIM#618860). RNPC3 codes for a minor spliceosome protein required for U11/U12 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein formation and splicing of U12-type introns. The underlying mechanism causing GH deficiency in these patients is not fully understood. Moreover, whether the association of further ho...

Poland’s syndrome is characterised by unilateral absence or hypoplasia of the pectoralis muscle, associated with the ipsilateral malformation of the hand. The syndrome is usually sporadic and occurs in about 1:32.000 live births. Poland’s syndrome has been described associated with other abnormalities, including renal aplasia or hypoplasia, hemivertebra, Klippel-Feil syndrome and Moebius’ syndrome. In literature are reported six cases of Moebius syndrome associa...

Background: McCune–Albright syndrome (MAS) is a rare disease with a prevalence of <1 to 100 000. It is caused by early post-zygotic mutations in the GNAS1 gene. Classically it presents with precocious puberty, fibrous dysplasia and café-au-lait spots. Other endocrinopathies may be hyperthyroidism, GH excess, Cushing syndrome, and renal phosphate wasting.Case report: A 17-year-old girl diagnosed with MAS at the age of 11 on basis of all thre...

Background: The Topicon™ patch is a needle-free novel platform technology developed to achieve truly passive transdermal delivery of insulin. Here we report pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) studies comparing needle injection (s.c.) vs Topicon™ mediated patch delivery of the insulin analog glargine (LANTUS®) in streptozotocin-induced hairless rats.Objective and hypotheses: We sought to develop a convenient, af...

Background: Nonimmune neonatal goitrous hypothyroidism is a rare cause of neck mass and stridor. Retropharyngeal extension, described in 7% of cases of goitre spreading outside the thyroid bed, represents a diagnostic dilemma that requires a systematic multimodality imaging approach combined with hormonal and genetic analysis. We report the case of a one-week-old baby who presented with stridor and respiratory distress, without palpable neonatal goitre and whose biochemical pr...

Background: A mutation in EIF2S3 (NM_001415; Xp22.11) was previously associated with microcephaly and developmental delay in a single pedigree. EIF2S3 encodes the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit 3 (eIF2γ), the largest of three EIF2 subunits. EIF2 initiates protein synthesis by forming a ternary complex with GTP and initiator methionyl-tRNA which then binds to the 40S ribosomal subunit, enabling scanning of mRNA from the 5′ end to...

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common cause of preventable mental retardation in children, thus screening programs of CH have been established for better management of the disorder and preventing its related neurodevelopmental consequences. Evidences from different screening programs indicated that the rate of CH is higher in pre-term and low birth weight newborns than normal ones due to the incomplete development of hypothalamic–pituitary axis in ...

Background: Patients with Down’s syndrome have an increased prevalence of autoimmune disorders affecting both endocrine and non endocrine organs. The commonest autoimmune disease is related to the thyroid gland.Objective and hypotheses: To describe a child with down’s syndrome who has been treated of hypothyroidism But converted to hyperthyroidism few years later.Method: A 5-year old boy with Down’s syndrome presente...