ESPE Abstracts

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is an extremely rare condition (estimated incidence 1:4–8 million), caused by mutations in LMNA gene, which leads to premature aging. Median life expectancy is shortened to 13 years due to vascular complications such as stroke or myocardial infarction. We present below the history of a child born with a pathogenic LMNA variant c.433G>A (p.Glu145Lys). A male patient was referred due to failure to thrive and low growth velocit...

Background: Following a phase of feeding difficulties and underweight in early life, children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) develop hyperphagia and a tendency towards severe obesity. Growth hormone therapy (GH) has been approved in PWS to compensate their growth failure but may exert also additional effects on muscle component and body composition as well.Objectives: We aimed to test if an early initiation of GH thera...

Background: Bone age evaluation is a basic tool to manage the treatment of girls with Turner syndrome (TS). The current standard of care is to involve an experienced medical staff to use the Tanner Whitehouse 3 (TW3) or Greulich-Pyle (GP) method for manual evaluation of the bone age. As this is time consuming and may be partially influenced by the evaluator’s skills, automated systems may prove more efficient.Objective and hypothesis: The aim of thi...

Background: Recently a heterozygote mutations in the gene ACAN coding the protein aggrecan has been described as a cause of familiar short starture combined with accelerated bone age. The aggrecan is an extracellular proteoglycan in cartilage of growth plates and plays an important role in biological and biomechanical properties of cartilage.Objective and hypotheses: To provide a genetic screening of ACAN within the families with familiar short stature a...

Background: Isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) is a relatively common disorder. Current diagnostic protocols require a brain MRI of the hypothalamus and the hypophysis after establishment of the diagnosis, with the aim of identifying structural defects and specifically rule out an underlying space-occupying lesion. An MRI scan is costly and requires general anesthesia in young children. Data on the contribution of brain MRI in diagnosing children with I...

Background: Triple A syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by adrenal failure, alacrima, achalasia, and a variety of neurological features. In 70% of the families it is caused by mutations in the AAAS gene. Linkage analyses indicated genetic heterogeneity and exome sequencing revealed two further genes causing triple A-like syndromes.Objective and hypotheses: To summarise the genotypes and phenotypes of classic triple A s...

Introduction: C-type natriuretic peptide receptor encoded by NPR2 gene stimulates chondrocyte differentiation and hypertrophy and extracellular matrix production within the growth plate. The phenotypical spectrum of NPR2 mutations is broad, from severe autosomal recessive acromesomelic dysplasia to milder autosomal dominant growth disorders. Some children with NPR2 variants are treated with growth hormone (GH), however, with the inco...

Introduction: Congenital central hypothyroidism (CCH) is a rare disease with inappropriate thyroid hormone secretion due to impaired TSH stimulation. TSH levels are not elevated; the patients are not diagnosed in TSH-based newborn screening. Biallelic variants in TRHR gene (encoding TRH receptor) are one of four genetic defects known to cause isolated CCH (THRH, THSB, IGSF1, TBL1X). The phenotype is variable but generally mild (neon...

Introduction: Familiar short stature (FSS) is a common variant of growth with heterogeneous etiology. Children with FSS are often excluded from further check-up and treatment. However, significant number of children with FSS comply even with the European criteria for growth hormone (GH) therapy – patients with SHOX-deficiency, growth hormone deficiency (GHD) or these born short for gestational age (SGA). The aim of the study was to identify genetic etiology of short statu...

Introduction: The new technologies in diabetology improved not only HbA1c, but also ‘Time in range’, ‘Glycemic variability Index ‘/GVI/, and ‘Patient’s Glycemic Status’ /PGS/. Parents of children and patients with diabetes demonstrated impatience for artificial pancreas systems /APS/. They initially created ‘Nightscout’ platform for remote monitoring of the glucose sensors and then – Do It Youself Open Source Artificial Pancrea...