ESPE Abstracts

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an emerging disease in the pediatric population. The association between T2D and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been described; this increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Recent evidence suggests that sizes and composition of HDL may be more important that HDL-C levels in predicting CHD. There is not data regarding the HDL subclasses distribution and composition in T2D youths with hepatic steatosis (HE).<p c...

Background: CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 3 (CRTC3) is found in adipocytes where it may promote obesity through disruption of catecholamine signaling. CRTC3 knockout mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity.Objective and Hypotheses: The goals of the present study were i) to assess whether CRTC3 is a soluble protein secreted by adipose tissue ii) to explore whether CRTC3 is detectable and quantifiable in the circulation, and iii) to ...

Background: Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is the major sex steroid carrier protein. Its production is negatively regulated by insulin and monosaccharides. The concentration of SHBG increases between 16 and 27 weeks gestation and is negatively associated with pre-gestational BMI and weight gain during pregnancy. The link of SHBG with cardiovascular risk is poorly understood.Objective and hypotheses: In obese pregnant women, we aimed to study the ass...

Background: It is well known that ingestion of a high fat diet (HFD) can induce rapid weight gain and metabolic imbalances. However, males and females are not equally susceptible to these effects. Furthermore, an individual may be more prone to gain weight during specific developmental periods.Aims and objectives: We aimed to analyse the response to the acute exposure to a HFD during pubertal/adolescent period and to determine whether males and females r...

Background: MKNR3 is a paternally expressed gene whose loss-of-function mutations cause Central precocious puberty (CPP). The precise molecular disruption produced by MKRN3 mutations remains unclear albeit protein structure suggests MKRN3 could play a role in proteasome ubiquitination. Circulating MKRN3 levels has been negatively associated to LH peak, estradiol and kisspeptin in idiopathic CPP and healthy controls. However, no literature data is available for...

A 5-year old boy was referred to our clinic for short stature reported since first years of life. At birth weight and length were normal, psychomotor development was regular, target height was 165.9 cm. At 7 months of life he was subjected to correction of cleft lip-palate. Since 3 years of life he suffered from headache, for which a fundoscopy was performed and revealed a Morning Glory Disc Anomaly (MGDA) of the right eye. At our first visit height was 98.2 cm (-2.5DS), body ...

Childhood obesity has become a major health issue in the last decades. Moreover, identifying a simple, feasible, and valid screening tool to select subjects at higher risk for obesity-related comorbidities has become a challenge. Current guidelines reccommend to use BMI percentile for overweight and obesity diagnosis. However, waist-to-height ratio (WHR) has been associated with the risk of metabolic derangement in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity. In addit...

Background: Basal levels of androgens, in particular 17-OHprogesterone (17OHP), are widely debated as predictors of non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCCAH) among patients with precocious pubarche (PP). So many authors suggested the execution of ACTH stimulation test in all children with PP. The aim of our study was to identify clinical and biochemical predictors of NCCAH in children with PP.Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 92 pat...

Background: Menarche is a significant event in the reproductive life of a woman and represents the late event in puberty indicating that a sexually immature child has become reproductively capable. Even though the timing of puberty onset is approximately conserved in different populations, the puberty starts across a wide range of ages in normal girls. However, in the last decades we are observing that girls are experiencing earlier breast development and earlier menarche, als...

Background: Recently, mutations of makorin RING-finger protein 3 (MKRN3) have been identified in familial central precocious puberty (CPP). Serum levels of this protein decline before the pubertal onset in healthy girls and boys and are lower in patients with CPP compared to prepubertal matched pairs. The aim of the study is to investigate longitudinal changes in MKRN3 circulating levels in patients with CPP before and during GnRHa treatment.Me...