ESPE Abstracts

Purpose: Patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) show low fitness levels before GH treatment is started. Muscular strength, flexibility and postural stability are related to health and quality of life. Since it is widely recognized that physical activity increases GH secretion and GH could ameliorate fitness, if a high adherence to treatment is documented (1), the purpose of this study is to investigate any difference on posturographic parameters and mus...

Purpose: Needs in terms of quality of life (QoL), consisting of physical, emotional and social domains, represent a hot spot in idiopathic short stature (ISS). Between ISS, it is estimated that 12% can have SHOX deficiency. Furthermore, SHOX deficiency can affect posture and GH treatment ameliorate their QoL. Although scientific research has investigated many fields of the physical domain, very few studies highlighted how this pathological condition may af...

Objective: There is no agreement about which index of adiposity and/or body composition is the most accurate in identifying the metabolic syndrome (METS). The aim of our study was to compare the accuracy of the different indexes in order to recognize the most reliable.Study Design: We evaluated 1332 obese children and adolescents (778 females and 554 males), aged 14.4 ± 1.8 yrs., Body Mass Index (BMI) standard devia...

Background: Pregnancy associated plasma protein (PAPP)-A2 is an insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein (BP) protease that regulates IGF-1 availability, affecting postnatal growth. We have recently reported the first mutations in human PAPP-A2 causing short stature and changes in bone size and mineral density. However, the IGF system is involved in diverse physiological functions and to date it is unknown how mutations in PAPP-A2, which significantly reduce f...

Introduction: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a rare entity in childhood. It is characterized by signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure with normal neurological examination (except for possible paresis of the sixth cranial nerve), cerebrospinal fluid study and neuroimaging. The association between HII and treatment with growth hormone (GH) was first described in 1993 by the Food and Drug Administration and it has later been demonstrated. Incidence ...

Background: Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) or autoimmune polyendocrinopathy type 1 (APS-1) is a rare monogenic autosomal recessive disease due to pathogenic variants in the AIRE gene. APECED usually begins during early childhood with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC), followed by hypopathyroidism (HP) and Addison’s disease (AD); however, other endocrine and non-endocrine components may occur with a different prevalen...

Background: Childhood NT1 has been associated with endocrine disorders like obesity and precocious puberty. These comorbidities may challenge the diagnosis, require tailored treatments and call for a multidisciplinary approach.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the impact of type 1 narcolepsy (NT1) on anthropometric and endocrine features in childhood/adolescence, focusing on weight, pubertal development and growth, and their follow up in treated and ...

Background: Differences of sex development (DSDs) (conditions with atypical development of chromosomal, gonadal or anatomic sex) are classified into three groups: sex chromosome DSD, 46,XYDSD and 46,XX DSD. Around 1 newborn in 5000 presents ambiguous genitalia with a major challenge for male or female assignment. The identification of a genetic cause can contribute to a correct diagnosis and to optimize both management and genetic counselling.<p class="abs...

Background: Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS) is a rare genetic syndrome characterized by postnatal growth retardation, intellectual disability, microcephaly, peculiar facial features, broad thumbs and big toes and other organs malformations. There are two forms: RSTS type 1 characterized by CREBBP gene mutations (16p13.3); RSTS type 2 dues to mutations/ deletions in EP300 gene (22q13.2). The type 2 is associated with mild phenotype with possible absence of the typical diagnost...

Background: A high proliferative status of thyroid follicular cells and goiter were observed in mutants mice with Pten−/− or Dream overexpression. In humans, patients with Cowden disease have goiters or other thyroid abnormalities associated with germ-line PTEN mutations.Objective and Hypotheses: The aim of this study was to investigate the tissue expression of PTEN and DREAM, as well as germ-line ...