ESPE Abstracts

Background: Until now, altered balance of Th1 and Th2 immune cells has been postulated to play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). However, recent studies on thyroid diseases have suggested a new role for Th17 cells that have been classified as a new lineage, distinct from Th1, Th2 and Treg cells. Despite wide interest, the role of Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases is still debated.<p class="abst...

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder worldwide. Evidence suggests dysfunction of the fronto-subcortical pathways and the dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems, as well as dysregulation of the stress system, i.e., the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the study was to examine i) the diurn...

Background: The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis responds to several acute or chronic environmental stessors, including those of social stress.Objective and hypotheses: To assess the HPA axis acute response during mental stress and mobile phone call exposure in healthy adolescents through salivary cortisol measurements and to investigate the modulatory effect of baseline biochemical or low-inflammation markers during this response....

Background: Treatment adherence to daily subcutaneous rhGH is a burden for GHD patients, with noncompliance reported in up to 77% of patients and significantly associated with reduced efficacy (Rosenfeld Endocr Pract 2008; Cutfield PLoS One 2011). Somavaratan, a novel rhGH fusion protein with t1/2 >100 h, demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in height velocity and IGF-I in prepubertal children with GH deficiency (GHD) in a multicenter, randomized, Pha...

Background: Mixed gonadal dysgenesis (MGD) is a disorder of sex development associated with a numerical sex chromosome abnormality. Reported genital phenotypes range from female external genitalia or mild clitoromegaly through all stages of ambiguous genitalia to hypospadias or a normal penis, depending on the proportion of monosomic cells.Case presentation: 18 years old girl, with a history of hypertension, ventricular septal defect and obesity presente...

Background: In Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (AITD) two types of TSH receptor antibodies (TSHR-Ab) may be distinguished: thyroid- stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) that promotes the production of thyroid hormones and thyroid- blocking immunoglobulin (TBI) inhibiting the activity of TSH what leads contrarily to hypothyroidism.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study was to compare mean TSI and TBI levels in large paediatric cohort with AITD and control...

Background: Primary generalized glucocorticoid resistance (PGGR) or Chrousos syndrome is a rare familial or sporadic condition caused by mutations in the hGR gene, which reduce tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids. A new case of PGGR caused by a novel heterozygous point mutation in the hGR gene, which resulted in threonine (T) to isoleucine (I) substitution at amino acid position 556 in the ligand-binding domain of the receptor, was recently reported in a patient with an adre...

Background: Childhood obesity predisposes to metabolic disorders. Low grade inflammation of adipose tissue (AT) associated with macrophage infiltration may lead to metabolic complications. Two macrophage activation states M1 (pro-inflammatory) and M2 (anti-inflammatory) exist in AT with surface markers CD40 (M1), CD206 (M2) and CD163 (M2). M1 polarization correlates with metabolic complications.Objective and hypotheses: To study the expression of CD40, C...

Background: Morbid childhood obesity predisposes to metabolic disorders such as diabetes type 2. In mice, heat-producing ‘brown-like’ (beige) adipocytes can suppress weight gain and metabolic disease through the action of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) localized in the mitochondria.Objective and hypotheses: To study the expression of UCP1 in the adipose tissue of lean&obese children and adolescents.Method: Paraffin embed...

Background: After 50 years of hGH use for GH deficient (GHD) children the definition of the adequate hGH substitution dose and response remain uncertain.Objective and hypotheses: We hypothesized that subjects with GHD caused by congenital pituitary defects constitute an ideal model for defining substitution dose of hGH. Consequently, an appropriate study group was formed and pertinent long-term data were retrospectively analyzed.Me...