ESPE Abstracts

Congenital adrenal insufficiency is a potentially life-threatening condition that can present soon after birth in many different ways. The classic presentation is a salt-losing crisis due to mineralocorticoid insufficiency, often between a week and two of life, but babies with predominant glucocorticoid insufficiency can present with other features such as prolonged jaundice, hypoglycaemia and hyperpigmentation. Most children with congenital adrenal insufficiency present to em...

Steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1, NR5A1) is a key regulator of adrenal and gonad development, and controls transcription of many genes in these endocrine axes. A role for SF-1/NR5A1 in human endocrine conditions was first established 15 years ago when rare individuals with adrenal hypoplasia and 46,XY DSD (testicular dysgenesis, Müllerian structures) were reported. Although it was felt that adrenal failure would be a key feature of SF-1 disruption, in the pa...

Introduction: Silver-Russell syndrome 5 (SRS5) is characterized by asymmetric intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), poor postnatal growth, macrocephaly at birth and feeding difficulties. Other possible features include triangular shaped face, prominent forehead, hypertelorism, epicanthus, micrognathia, brachydactyly, clinodactyly of the 5th hand finger, and syndactyly of the 2nd and 3rd toe fingers. Pathogenic variants of the HMGA2 gene, on chromoso...

Background: SRS is a typical epigenetic disease. Approximately 40% of patients can not be detected genetic and epigenetic disturbances.Objective and hypotheses: To analysis whether there is unknown genes or imprinted genes associated with pathogenicity of SRS and to detect the fine mapping SRS hypomethylation position through the Illumina Methylation 450K chip to detect genome-wide methylation differences.Method: To detect genome-w...

Background: Suboptimal glycaemic control in type 1 diabetes, measured by HbA1c, increases the risk for long-term complications.Aims and objectives: To calculate and compare glycaemic control in children with Type 1 Diabetes in Malta in 2013 and 2014. To identify any need to change the way services are structured and delivered.Methods: Almost all diabetic children less than 16 years of age in Malta fall under the same paediatric dia...

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is common, affecting up to one-fifth of females. PCOS is associated with significant comorbidity including metabolic dysfunction, pro-inflammation and mood disorders. Despite this, it is poorly understood, and diagnosis and management remain challenging in adolescents. Proteomics enables the better understanding of disease mechanisms and facilitates the identification of novel biomarkers.<st...

Background: Development of cystic fibrosis–related diabetes (CFRD) is associated with worse pulmonary function, poorer nutritional status, more chest infections and increased mortality. In cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, abnormality of the 1 hour glucose during Glucose Tolerance test (GTT) is reported to be a better predictor of early CFRD and is associated with decline in pulmonary function compared to the 2-hour glucose level during GTT. We report a case series of 4 pati...

Background: Survivors of childhood brain tumors (SCBT) are an emerging group that have premature mortality and morbidities that can negatively impact their quality of life and lifespan. Cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes are important causes of premature mortality in survivors, yet one of the major determinants of cardiometabolic risk i.e. visceral adiposity has not been determined in this group.Objective and hypotheses: This study is comparing...

Background: rhGH therapy may improve linear growth in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Poor bone health and abnormal body composition are recognised complications in paediatric IBD.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the effects of rhGH on bone health and body composition.Method: Sub-analysis of 13 children with IBD (12CD; 1UC) in a randomized controlled trial. Either rhGH (0.067 mg/kg per day) as daily s.c. inj...

The Silver-Russel syndrome (SRS) is characterized by an intrauterine growth retardation accompanied by postnatal growth deficiency. Affected individuals typically have proportionately short statue, finger deformities as well as typical facial features. About 10% of individuals with SRS have maternal uniparental disomy for chromosome 7 (UPD7) and 35%–50% showed hypomethylation of the parental imprinting center region 1 (ICR1) of chromosome 11p15.5. In the recent past also ...