ESPE Abstracts

Background: Child growth is a dynamic process and influenced by various environmental factors. When measured at short intervals, growth of healthy children shows certain characteristic patterns, which have rarely been studied, but are of great importance for clinical purposes. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the University of Potsdam.Aim: To see whether measurements of height using photographic display...

Background: The usefulness of corticotrophin (ACTH) test in diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency and/or other enzymic defects in children and adolescents with serum levels of 17-OHP (before 2000 h) >2 ng/ml is known.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the usefulness of ACTH test in diagnosis of non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCCAH) and heterozygosity of CYP21 gene molecular defects in children and adolescents with clinical hyperand...

Background: Precocious puberty (PP) in girls is most frequently an idiopathic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-dependent PP, being thelarche the typical first sign. It is well established that increased dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) levels are associated with premature adrenarche and may characterize PP too. However, its relationship with signs of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis activation and estrogen exposure is still to be elucidate...

Background: The internet provides a multitude of health information. Understanding disorders/differences of sex development (DSD) can be difficult for families partly due to their complexity and relatively low prevalence. Consequently, families may use the internet to gain understanding of their child's condition, however the quality of this information has not been formally assessed.Aims: To assess the quality, vali...

Background: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in pediatric age might have peculiar course and prognosis.Objective and hypotheses: To compare clinical, biochemical and ultrasound (US) features at diagnosis, histological grading and outcome in two groups of children and young adults with DTC.Method: Clinical, biochemical and imaging characteristics of 63 patients with DTC, diagnosed between 1999 and 2014 in our hospital, were retro...

Background: Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 2 (APS2) is a complex disorder characterised by the obligatory occurrence of Addison disease in combination with thyroid autoimmune disorder and/or type 1 diabetes. APS 2 is the most common autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome and is primarily manifest in adult age. Premature ovarian failure (POF) is defined as sustained amenorrhea before the age of 40 years, FSH levels higher than 40 UI/l and hypoestrogenism associated with infe...

Background: Coping skills are very important for the management of developmental changes among young people, and especially so, for adolescents with chronic diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1DM).Objective and hypotheses: To study the various coping behaviours in a sample of children and adolescents with T1DM and to evaluate their association with metabolic control and duration of disease.Method: The study population consisted of ...

Background: The adequacy of cortisol response in NCCAH has not been fully elucidated.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate cortisol response to ACTH stimulation test in children and adolescents with NCCAH and possible heterozygosity for CYP21 gene molecular defects.Method: Data of ACTH stimulation test from 146 children and adolescents with clinical hyperandogenism were evaluated retrospectively. Cortisol responses to ACTH stimulat...

Background: Chronic hemolytic anemias may compromise growth through multiple mechanisms. To date, no data exist on growth and body composition (BC; bone, muscle and fat mass) of children and adolescents with chronic hemolysis.Purpose: To evaluate growth and BC of patients with thalassemia intermedia (not on regular transfusions; thal-intermedia), alpha-thalassemia and congenital spherocytosis....

Background: Childhood obesity is often associated with insulin resistance (IR), which is a key risk factor for the development of comorbidities. The etiologic relation between insulin resistance and obesity is still not completely understood.Objective: In this study a multiplatform metabolomics approach was applied for the first time to elucidate the metabolic alterations in obese children with or without IR. Metabolomics is the revolutionary strategy of...