ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Pituitary stalk thickening (PST) is a rare condition in pediatric patients. As there are few studies published in pediatric population, the definition has been difficult to establish. The etiologies involved in PST can be divided in neoplastic, congenital, inflammatory/infectious or autoimmune diseases. In children the most frequent causes are neoplastic, followed by congenital lesions. The inflammatory/infectious and autoimmune diseases are rare...

Background: RARβ cooperates with Nur77 to in-vitro regulate HSD3B2 transcription. NUR77 expression parallels HSD3B2 expression with a much lower level in androgen-producing adrenocortical tissues (childhood virilizing adrenocortical tumours (VAT), fetal zone (FeZ) and zona reticularis, ZR). RARβ is down-regulated in starved, hyperandrogenic H295R cells. However, the mechanisms regulating this expression pattern and the relevance of RARβ to huma...

Background: Gliomas are the most common subgroup of CNS tumours in children. Histologic grading is a means of predicting the biological behavior of these tumours and survival is strongly correlated with tumour gradation. The IGF system of ligands and receptors are known to play an important role in both normal and neoplastic growth. Recently, nuclear translocation of the type 1 IGF1R has been demonstrated in tumour tissues. Although the IGF1R expression has been described in C...

Background: Variants in SH2B1 or a 220–kilobase pair distal deletion of chromosome 16p11.2, including SH2B1, are associated with severe, early-onset obesity and hyperphagia. The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) agonist setmelanotide is being investigated in individuals with rare variants in genes in the MC4R pathway.Methods: This ongoing, Phase 2 study (NCT03013543) enrolled individuals aged ≥6...

GH and IGF1 regulate cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis playing a key role in growth, and leading to consider potential oncogenic effects of GH. To evaluate possible oncogenic risks in GHD patients who underwent GH replacement therapy, the SAGhE consortium was created. The data collected have not yielded definite conclusions and continuous surveillance is yet required. MiRNAs are regulators of gene expression, and are involved in many biological processes. We ai...

Background: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) caused by loss of function mutation in the NF1 gene; leads to the hyperactivation of RAS and its downstream mediators and contributes to tumour formation. The main manifestations of NF1 are café au lait macule, axillary and/or inguinal freckling. Neurofibroma plexiform is specific for NF1 and identified on the face and trunk. Urogenital presentation is infrequent in the penis. Identification of this lesion is essential because it...

Background: The social consequences of COVID-19 pandemic are universally known. In particular, the pediatric population is dealing with a radical lifestyle change. For some risk categories, such as overweight and obese children, the impact of home confinement has been greater than for others. Not only have the increased sedentary life, the wrong diet and social distancing stopped the chance of losing weight, but also worsened the general life conditions.<p...

Background: “Carney complex” is an autosomal dominant inheritance extremely rare genetic syndrome, usually determined by PRKAR1A (17q22-24) gene mutations. The clinical picture is characterized by speckled skin pigmentation; cardiac, cutaneous and mammary myxomas; schwannomas; endocrinopathies (acromegaly, Cushing syndrome due to primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease) and tumors of the endocrine glands.Case...

Introduction: Familial male-limited precocious puberty (or testotoxicosis) is a very rare genetic disorder with autosomal dominant transmission that causes gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty due to mutations activating the lutropin-chorionic gonadotropin receptor (LHCGR), which lead to elevated testosterone levels and suppressed gonadotropins. The age of onset is between 2-5 years essentially with penis and testes enlargement, linear growth accelerati...

Background: A combination of GH and a gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRH a) is hypothesized to improve adult height in children with a poor adult height prediction.Study design: In this multicenter study, 24 girls in early puberty (bone age ≤12.0 y),with a predicted adult height ≤151.0 cm and normal body proportions were treated with GH (Zomacton) 50 μg/kg per day and triptorelin (Gonapeptyl) 3.75 mg/month SC or IM (for 4 year...