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We report final height data of patients with Turner's syndrome collected by the Italian Study Group for Turner's Syndrome. One hundred and thirty-five patients reached their final height during GH therapy with different therapeutic regimens (dose and combination). They were divided into 3 groups: group A, 74 patients with high doses of GH (1 IU/kg/week) for at least 2 yr; group A1, GH alone and estrogen therapy added not before 14 yr of chronological age (47 patients, of whom 30 were treated for >4 yr and 10 for >6 yr); group A2, GH plus ethinyl estradiol (17 patients) or GH plus oxandrolone (10 patients); group B, 51 patients with low doses of GH (0.5 IU/kg-week) and high doses of GH for less than 2 yr; and group C, 10 patients with high doses of GH with spontaneous menarche. In contrast to the patients of groups B and C, the patients of group A showed a significantly higher final height (mean, 147.5+/-6.5 cm) than their projected height (mean, 142.9+/-6.4 cm). They showed also a significantly higher final height compared to the subjects of groups B (mean, 145.6+/-5.7 cm) and C (mean, 143.0+/-5.3). Among the patients of group A, the best results were obtained in the patients of group A1 treated with GH alone at high doses and for a longer period (4 yr, 149.3+/-6.4 cm; 6 yr, 153.8+/-4.0 cm). Karyotype, GH secretion, and birth weight did not influence the efficacy of GH therapy. A low target height and a high prevalence of a spontaneous ovarian activity or menarche may negatively influence the effect of GH therapy. Estrogens did not improve final height when added to GH therapy. The use of small doses of oxandrolone was not effective in our experience. GH therapy provides a satisfactory auxological result, especially with high doses of GH alone, given for a long period of time. Optimization of the treatment would seem to require the identification of the ideal age for starting therapy, and this is only possible with a specially designed multicenter study.

Background and aims: Evaluation of incidence and correlates of severe hypoglycemia (SH) and diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) in children and adolescents with T1DM. Methods and results: Retrospective study conducted in 29 diabetes centers from November 2011 to April 2012. The incidence of SH and DKA episodes and their correlates were assessed through a questionnaire administered to parents of patients aged 0e18 years. Incidence rates and incident rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated through multivariate Poisson regression analysis and multilevel analysis. Overall, 2025 patients were included (age 12.4 � 3.8 years; 53% males; diabetes dura- tion 5.6 � 3.5 years; HbA1c 7.9 � 1.1%). The incidence of SH and DKA were of 7.7 and 2.4 events/ 100 py, respectively. The risk of SH was higher in females (IRR Z 1.44; 95%CI 1.04e1.99), in pa- tients using rapid acting analogues as compared to regular insulin (IRR Z 1.48; 95%CI 0.97e2.26) and lower for patients using long acting analogues as compared to NPH insulin (IRR Z 0.40; 95% CI 0.19e0.85). No correlations were found between SH and HbA1c levels. The risk of DKA was higher in patients using rapid acting analogues (IRR Z 4.25; 95%CI 1.01e17.86) and increased with insulin units needed (IRR Z 7.66; 95%CI 2.83e20.74) and HbA1c levels (IRR Z 1.63; 95% CI 1.36e1.95). Mother' sa ge was inversely associated with the risk of both SH (IRRZ 0.95; 95%CI 0.92e0.98) and DKA (IRR Z 0.94; 95%CI 0.88e0.99). When accounting for center effect, the risk of SH associated with the use of rapid acting insulin analogues was attenuated (IRR Z 1.48; 95%CI 0.97e2.26); 33% and 16% of the residual variance in SH and DKA risk was ex- plained by center effect. Conclusion: The risk of SH and DKA is mainly associated with treatment modalities and strongly depends on the practice of specialist centers.

Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is a rare disease that is characterized by delayed/absent puberty and/or infertility due to an insufficient stimulation of an otherwise normal pituitary–gonadal axis by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) action. Because reduced or normal luteinizing hormone (LH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels may be observed in the affected patients, the term idiopathic central hypogonadism (ICH) appears to be more appropriate. This disease should be distinguished from central hypogonadism that is combined with other pituitary deficiencies. Isolated ICH has a complex pathogenesis and is fivefold more prevalent in males. ICH frequently appears in a sporadic form, but several familial cases have also been reported. This finding, in conjunction with the description of numerous pathogenetic gene variants and the generation of several knockout models, supports the existence of a strong genetic component. ICH may be associated with several morphogenetic abnormalities, which include osmic defects that, with ICH, constitute the cardinal manifestations of Kallmann syndrome (KS). KS accounts for approximately 40% of the total ICH cases and has been generally considered to be a distinct subgroup. However, the description of several pedigrees, which include relatives who are affected either with isolated osmic defects, KS, or normo-osmic ICH (nICH), justifies the emerging idea that ICH is a complex genetic disease that is characterized by variable expressivity and penetrance. In this context, either multiple gene variants or environmental factors and epigenetic modifications may contribute to the variable disease manifestations. We review the genetic mechanisms that are presently known to be involved in ICH pathogenesis and provide a clinical overview of the 227 cases that have been collected by the collaborating centres of the Italian ICH Network.

Secreted phosphoprotein 1, also known as Osteopontin (Opn), is a proinflammatory cytokine involved in the TH1 response and is highly expressed in the islets and pancreatic lymph nodes of non-obese diabetic mice before the onset of diabetes. In humans, typing of the +1239A/C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 3'UTR of the Opn gene (SPP1) showed that +1239C carriers displayed higher Opn serum levels than +1239A homozygotes and a higher risk of developing autoimmune/lymphoproliferative syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. The aim of this work is to evaluate whether +1239A/C is also associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We typed +1239A/C in an initial cohort of 184 T1DM patients and 361 controls, and confirmed our data in a second cohort of 513 patients and 857 controls. In both cohorts, +1239C carriers displayed a significantly higher risk of T1DM than +1239A homozygotes (combined cohorts: OR=1.63, 95%CI: 1.34–1.97). Clinical analysis did not detect any differences between patients carrying or not +1239C in terms of gender distribution and age at T1DM diagnosis. These data suggest that SPP1 variants marked by +1239C are associated with T1DM development in the Italian population. The predisposing effect may depend on its effect on Opn levels.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the age of immigrants' children at diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) according to their country of birth. Immigration from developing countries to a westernised area causes rapid changes in the environmental conditions, and we investigated whether the location of birth, either inside or outside Italy, is associated with age at diagnosis of diabetes. Out of a prevalent hospital-based cohort of 5718 T1DM children cared for in 2002 in 47 Italian Pediatric Diabetes Units, we recruited 195 children (M: 97) of immigrants from developing countries--119 were born in Italy and 76 outside the European Union. Children with only one immigrant parent (no. 42) were also included. Age at diagnosis of T1DM, and other variables were compared with those of Italian children. Children of immigrated families born in Italy developed T1DM at a median age of 4.0 yr (IQR 2.2-6.9), whereas those born in developing countries and that had immigrated to Italy after birth developed T1DM at a median age of 7.9 yr (IQR 5.1-10.7, p < 0.001). Among the children born in Italy, 77 had parents who were both immigrants and the children's median age at diagnosis was 3.8 yr (IQR 2.1-6.3); 42 had only one immigrant parent and, when it was the father (no. = 23), median age was even younger (2.9 yr, IQR 2.0-8.2). Ten children had immigrated in their first yr of life and their median age was 9.1 yr (IQR 5.0-10.6). The median age of the Italian children was 6.6 yr (IQR 3.6-9.5). Results show that the outbreak of T1DM is earlier in immigrants' children born in Italy than in original countries.

Purpose: We examined auxological changes in growth hormone (GH)-treated children in Italy using data from the Italian cohort of the multinational observational Genetics and Neuroendocrinology of Short Stature International Study (GeNeSIS) of pediatric patients requiring GH treatment. Methods: We studied 711 children (median baseline age 9.6 years). Diagnosis associated with short stature was as determined by the investigator. Height standard deviation score (SDS) was evaluated yearly until final or near-final height (n = 78). Adverse events were assessed in all GH-treated patients. Results: The diagnosis resulting in GH treatment was GH deficiency (GHD) in 85.5 % of patients, followed by Turner syndrome (TS 6.6 %). Median starting GH dose was higher in patients with TS (0.30 mg/kg/week) than patients with GHD (0.23 mg/kg/week). Median (interquartile range) GH treatment duration was 2.6 (0.6–3.7) years. Mean (95 % confidence interval) final height SDS gain was 2.00 (1.27–2.73) for patients with organic GHD (n = 18) and 1.19 (0.97–1.40) for patients with idiopathic GHD (n = 41), but lower for patients with TS, 0.37 (−0.03 to 0.77, n = 13). Final height SDS was >−2 for 94 % of organic GHD, 88 % of idiopathic GHD and 62 % of TS patients. Mean age at GH start was lower for organic GHD patients, and treatment duration was longer than for other groups, resulting in greater mean final height gain. GH-related adverse events occurred mainly in patients diagnosed with idiopathic GHD. Conclusions: Data from the Italian cohort of GeNeSIS showed auxological changes and safety of GH therapy consistent with results from international surveillance databases.