Dear Friends and Colleagues,

On behalf of the programme organising committee, the local organising committee and 

Turkish paediatric endocrinologists, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to Istanbul and the

47th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE).

The theme of the meeting will be ’Paediatric Endocrinology and Public Health’ and the

programme organising committee is preparing an exciting programme highlighting various

relations of paediatric endocrinology and diabetology topics with emphasis on public health

issues. Whether you are a basic science or clinical researcher or clinician, you will find the 

scientific programme interesting with plenary lectures, symposia, meet the expert sessions,

free communications and posters.

The Istanbul Lütfi Kirdar Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC) and its Rumeli fair and

exhibition hall, are the centrepiece of a complete conference valley. The venue is located in the

heart of the city within easy walking distance to all official ESPE meeting hotels. The main ICEC

building features a 2000 seat auditorium and a total of 21 meeting rooms with capacities rang-

ing from 60 to 600. The Rumeli fair and exhibition hall offers enough space to accommodate

poster and other exhibitions during the meeting.

Istanbul, the former capital of the three successive empires Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman;

is a fascinating mixture of the past and present, old and new, modern and traditional. The

museums, churches, palaces, mosques and bazaars, and the sights of natural beauty seem

inexhaustible. Istanbul is fast becoming a popular international congress and exhibition desti-

nation giving visitors an exciting mixture of a unique city, the bridge between Europe and Asia,

and a thriving metropolis of millions of people – exotic yet distinctively western.

Thus, once again, welcome to the 

47th Annual ESPE meeting in Istanbul!

Sincerely yours

Atilla Büyükgebiz

President ESPE 2008

Preliminary Scientific Programme

Plenary lectures

These sessions will feature international speakers within the following topics:

·  Cultures and Genes in Human Evolution

·  Caught Between Genes and Environment: The Growing Pandemic of Obesity 

  and the Associated Chronic Diseases     

·  RNA Mediated Inheritance 

·  Sexual Differentiation, Development and Behavior: Lessons from Aromatase Mutations     

·  Genomics of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus 

·  Recommendations and Unanswered Questions in the Management of Thyroid Nodules 

·  The Aquaporin Water Channel

Parallel Symposia

Informative lectures will be presented with the following Symposia topics:

·  Iodine as an Essential Nutrient for Development and Growth

·  Neonatal Screening

·  Hyperandrogenism in Adolescent Girls

·  Evolution for the Paediatric Endocrinologist

·   Long Term Consequences of Early Feeding

·  Salt Balance

·  ESPE-ISPAD Symposia: A cure for Diabetes

·  Systems Biology and Child Health (Recent Progress in Paediatric Endocrinology)

·  ESPE Consensus Meeting on ISS and GnRH Agonist Treatment

Plenary Lectures, Symposia, Free Communications, Poster Presentations, Interactive Sessions,

New Technology/Research Methodology and Meet the Expert Sessions will allow both clini-

cians and basic researches to hear the most recent developments and future perspectives of

the field. For continuous updates on the Scientific Sessions, please refer to: www.espe2008.org

Abstract and Membership Policy

Deadline for abstract submission and travel grant application is in early April 2008. 

(date to be announced on the meeting website). ESPE aims at a high profile in the scientific

and ethical contents of abstracts. Therefore, ESPE requires that an ESPE member ensures these

two aspects. An abstract is eligible if at least one author is an ESPE member OR if it is spon-

sored by an ESPE member, who confirms that the scientific and ethical aspects of the abstract

comply with ESPE standards. For further information please visit: www.espe2008.org