ESPE Abstracts

Background: McCune–Albright Syndrome is a combination of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (BFD), café’-au-lait skin pigmentation and hyperfunctioning endocrinopathies. It results from postzygotic mutations in a-subunit of the Gsalfa protein and the consequent phenotype is a mosaic with high degree of clinical variability.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study is determine prevalence and characteristics of GH hypersecretion (GHH) in MA...

Background: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the site where proteins are folded. Perturbation of ER homeostasis activates a set of ER-to-nucleus signaling reactions known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). Metabolic stress causes UPR activation which contributes to the development of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. As UPR can be activated by nutrient and oxygen starvation, we postulated that intrauterine growth restriction may trigger UPR signaling and thereby con...

Background: Several studies have examined the relationship between type 1 diabetes and bone mass, which reported contradictory data on BMD, bone remodelling markers and bone quality. Nevertheless an incresead prevalence of osteopenia was observed among patients with duration of disease of >6 years.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study was to investigate the potential negative impact of type 1 diabetes on bone status in a group of children wi...

During development, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are born in the nasal placode and migrate to the hypothalamus, where they position to regulate sexual reproduction by pulsatile release of GnRH. Defective GnRH neuron development or action may lead to GnRH deficiency (GD) which is characterized by absent or delayed puberty. Several GD causative genes have been identified so far, but half of the cases are still idiopathic. The employment of complementary research...

Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons embryonically originate in nasal placode and migrate to hypothalamus, where they release GnRH to control reproduction. Defective GnRH neuron development or function leads to GnRH deficiency (GD), which is often associated to neurodevelopmental and neurological syndromes, including epilepsy, ataxia, intellectual disabilities and deafness. In addition, a register-based study showed correlation between delayed puberty and neurodevelop...

Background: Hypothalamic obesity (HO), due to midline congenital malformations, genetic diseases or hypothalamo-hypophysis tumours, is severe and difficult to treat. Patients are scarcely compliant to diet and physical activity, for disabilities often affecting them. Drugs have been rarely employed.Objective and hypotheses: Aim of the study was to treat hypopituitaric children and adolescents affected by severe HO with a multidisciplinary approach includ...

Background: An important issue in the management of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the best initial dose of levothyroxine (L-T4) in order to achieve optimal neurocognitive outcomes. Both European and American guidelines suggest an initial dose of 10–15 μg/kg per die but trials on long-term effects of different doses within this range are lacking.Objective and hypotheses: This was a multicenter randomized trial to ev...

Background: OTX2 is expressed in the human brain and plays a key role in the eye development. OTX2 mutations are reported in patients with ano/microphtalmia, optic nerve or optic chiasm hypoplasia, ocular coloboma and retinal dystrophies, associated in some cases with brain or pituitary abnormalities.Objective and hypotheses: Most of OTX2 mutations are nonsense or frameshift, more rarely missense mutations occur.Method: We...

Background: Puberty is characterised by important changes of brain networks. The glutamate system plays a main role in modulating the onset of puberty as shown for NMDA receptor agonists. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Metabotropic mGlu5 receptors (mGluR5) are tightly linked to NMDA receptors. The effect of mGluR5 blockade on neurohormonal mechanisms in puberty initiation were not studied yet.Objective and hypotheses: To invest...

Objective: to assess the prevalence of endocrinopathies in a pediatric population of Rett syndrome (RTT) patients.Design: retrospective observational double center study.Methods: 51 caucasian patients (47 girls, 4 boy) with genetically confirmed diagnosis of RTT were enrolled (mean age: 9.65±5.9 years, range: 1-18 years). The patients were referred from the Rett Center of two It...