ESPE Abstracts

Background: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive disorder with more than 90% of cases caused by defects in the steroid-21 hydroxylase (CYP21A2) gene. Such defects are the main cause of 21-hydroxylase enzyme deficiency that affects the biosynthesis of cortisol and aldosterone. The CYP21A2 gene is part of the RCCX module, which is located on chromosome 6p21.3, in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class III reg...

Primary Xanthomatous Hypophysitis (XH) is the rarest histological subtype of hypophysitis. Here we describe the case of a young 9-year-old girl diagnosed with this condition. The patient presented with a four-month history of an intermittent temporal-frontal headache that became gradually worse and constant for three days prior to admission. She did not have clinical signs or symptoms suggestive of increased intracranial pressure but had mild ataxia. On admission she was febri...

Background: Central precocious puberty (CPP) due to premature activation of GnRH secretion results in early epiphyseal fusion and to a significant compromise in the achieved final adult height as well as psychological consequences. So far only a limited number of genetic determinants have been associated with the pathogenesis in children with CPP. In this original research, rare sequence variants in MKRN3, DLK1, KISS1, and KISS1R genes were i...

Central precocious puberty (CPP) results from premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis through the activation of the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). Gain-of-function mutations of the KISS1 and KISS1R genes or loss-of-function mutations of the makorin RING-finger protein 3 (MKRN3) have been linked with CPP. Moreover intronic and intragenic variants harbouring the imprinted loci of MKRN3-MAGEL2 and DLK1 g...

Background: Central precocious puberty (CPP) results from premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and increasing evidence suggests a genetic origin. Premature activation of the GnRH secretion in CPP may arise either from gain-of-function mutations of the KISS1 and KISS1R genes or loss-of-function manner mutations of the MKRN3 gene leading to MKRN3 deficiency.Objective and hypotheses: To identify loss-of-...

The proband is a 12 yr old Caucasian European girl with grade 3 obesity, developmental delay and hyperphagia. She was born at term via an uncomplicated pregnancy and exhibited neonatal hypotonia, difficulty feeding, failure to thrive and delayed attenuation of milestones. At the age of 2 years she started developing hyperphagia and rapid excessive weight gain. Molecular analysis for Prader Willi syndrome and array CGH were negative. At the age of 10 yrs she was diagnosed with ...

Background and Aim: Metabolic Bone Disease of Prematurity(MBD) is a condition of reduced bone mineral content(BMC) compared to the expected for gestational age(GA). Preterm birth interrupts the physiological process of calcium(Ca) and phosphorus(P) deposition that occurs mostly in the 3rd-trimester of pregnancy, leading to an inadequate bone mineralization during intrauterine life(IUL). After birth, an insufficient intake of Ca and P carries on this alteration...

Introduction: Pharmacological doses of glucocorticoids (GC) reduce inflammation and preserve muscle function in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) but cause almost universal pubertal delay. Long term consequences of GC on androgen status in young men who have received testosterone for pubertal induction remain unknown.Objective: To determine the longer-term outcome after a 2-year pubertal induction regimen using...

Background: Prenatal treatment with dexamethasone (DEX) has been used since the mid 80’s to minimize virilisation of girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Long-term data on treatment safety and health outcome are still limited. It has been shown in animal models that prenatal dexamethasone treatment affects DNA methylation signatures as well as metabolism and behavior. We have previously shown that DEX affects working memory in children who were treated with DEX duri...

Background: Chromosomal imbalances are often due to sub microscopic deletions or duplications not evidenced by conventional cytogenetic methods.Objective and hypotheses: CGH array can help in the diagnosis of severe short stature, associated with mental retardation and dysmorphisms.Method: We describe the clinical case of a 13.1-year-old girl, born at 35 weeks, from a triplets pregnancy. She was 127.5 cm (<−5 SDS), 33 kg ...