Obesity has been consistently associated with inflammation but the influence of HDL on this association remains under study. Our study analyzes the influence of obesity-related parameters in the ...relationship of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) with HDL-cholesterol and HDL-phospholipid in male and female adolescents. The study sample population comprised 350 males and 401 females aged 12 to 16 years. Information regarding anthropometric parameters, HDL-cholesterol, HDL-phospholipid, adiponectin, leptin, insulin, and hs-CRP concentrations was available. hs-CRP levels were inversely related to HDL-cholesterol and HDL-phospholipid in males but not in females, and were positively related to leptin concentrations in both sexes but were not related to adiponectin levels. In regression analyses, HDL-phospholipid and leptin appeared significantly associated to hs-CRP in males in a model explaining 14.3% of hs-CRP variation. In females, only leptin appeared related to hs-CRP concentrations. After adjusting by leptin and adiponectin, males in the highest hs-CRP tertile showed significantly lower levels of HDL-cholesterol and HDL-phospholipid than those in tertiles 1 and 2, while no significant differences in HDL-cholesterol and HDL-phospholipid concentrations by hs-CRP tertile were observed in females. In summary, high hs-CRP levels were associated with lower plasma HDL-cholesterol and HDL-phospholipid concentrations in male adolescents irrespective of adipokines, while in females, HDL-related parameters are not associated with hs-CRP concentrations.
Summary
Background
Nesfatin‐1, an anorexigenic peptide, has been associated with food intake and thermogenesis, with discordant findings in humans and scarce studies in children to date.
Objectives
...The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of obesity with nesfatin‐1 levels in two cohorts of children.
Methods
Plasma nesfatin‐1 concentrations were analyzed in 6‐ to 9‐year‐olds (n = 140) and 12‐ to 16‐year‐old children (n = 96), including children with obesity and their sex‐ and age‐matched normal‐weight counterparts. Anthropometric measurements were assessed. Cholesterol and triglycerides were determined enzymatically, insulin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay using a commercial kit and nesfatin‐1, leptin and hs‐CRP concentrations were determined using commercial ELISA kits.
Results
Nesfatin‐1 concentrations were significantly lower in younger (P = .001) and older (P = .009) girls with obesity than in their normal‐weight counterparts, without showing significant differences in boys. Nesfatin‐1 showed a negative significant (P < .010) correlation with weight and BMI in girls but not in boys. A significant positive correlation of nesfatin‐1 levels with insulin, HOMA, and leptin levels appears in girls after adjusting by age and BMI. A significant positive correlation (P = .003) was observed between nesfatin‐1 and fat mass in older children.
Conclusions
Our study shows lower concentrations of nesfatin‐1 related to obesity in girls but not in boys at two different ages. The existence of a sex‐specific association between nesfatin‐1 concentrations and presence of obesity highlights the need of an analysis by gender of the relationship of nesfatin‐1 with obesity.
Scope
Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disorder of genetic origin, with no definitive treatment. Unintentional weight loss (UWL) is a clinical feature of symptomatic ...HD subjects. To prevent UWL, a customized HD diet is designed and its impact on plasma miRNA HD footprint and neurological parameters is examined.
Methods and results
Eleven participants are included, BMI ≤ 18 kg m–2 or UWL of 5% in 6 months or 10% in a year. Diet design is based on nutritional surveys and interviews of participants and caregivers and on published literature review. Twelve‐month dietary intervention, with follow‐up every 3 months, induces high diet adherence, which manages to curb UWL in all participants (73% gained weight). Noticeable increases in fat mass and leptin levels are obtained. The results also show significant decrease in the expression of 19 miRNAs, which are previously reported to be upregulated in HD‐patients versus healthy controls: revealing hsa‐miR‐338‐3p, hsa‐miR‐128‐3p, hsa‐miR‐23a‐3p, and hsa‐miR‐24‐3p as potential HD‐biomarkers. The diminished expression of hsa‐miR‐100‐5p reflects the general maintenance of the functional status. Cognitive status is improved in six of 11 participants, while only three present better motor‐score values.
Conclusion
A customized HD‐diet prevents UWL and modified miRNAs HD‐footprint. The normalization of miRNA values suggests its potentially use as HD‐biomarkers.
In 11 diagnosed Huntington's disease (HD) patients with symptoms, a year of customized dietary intervention induces: A) high diet adherence, which managed to curb unintentional weight loss in all participants; B) significantly modified the miRNA footprint of the disorder, leading the system to normalization; and C) general maintenance of neurological parameters.
Objective
The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between obesity and plasma adropin levels in two cohorts of children at two different ages.
Methods
Adropin concentrations were ...measured in 71 prepubertal and 41 pubertal children with obesity and their age‐ and sex‐matched normal weight counterparts (69 prepubertal and 42 pubertal children). Information was available in these children on insulin levels, lipid profile, and leptin levels. Adropin levels were measured by using a commercial enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit.
Results
Plasma adropin levels were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in prepubertal than pubertal children. Adropin concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in prepubertal girls than in prepubertal boys but significantly lower (P < 0.001) in pubertal girls than in pubertal boys. Prepubertal boys and girls with obesity had significantly higher adropin levels (P < 0.001) than their normal weight counterparts. In contrast, no differences in adropin levels were observed in pubertal children when comparing children with obesity and normal weight boys and girls.
Conclusions
An important decrease in adropin levels in pubertal children compared with prepubertal children was shown as well as a differing association of adropin with obesity depending on age. These findings suggest a possible relationship between adropin levels and centrally regulated sex hormones involved in pubertal development.
Objectives To analyze the association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy school children, and to evaluate whether changes in body ...mass index (BMI) category throughout childhood affect hs-CRP levels. Study design We measured serum hs-CRP levels, lipid profile, insulin levels, and leptin levels in 683 prepubertal children and 748 adolescents. A total of 272 children participated in the study in both cohorts, prepubertal (baseline; age 6-8 years) and adolescents (follow-up; age 12-16 years). Results Compared with their normal weight (NW) counterparts, hs-CRP levels were significantly higher in obese and overweight (OW) adolescents and obese prepubertal children. The highest hs-CRP levels were seen in children who were OW at baseline and at follow-up, and the lowest levels in those who transitioned from OW at baseline to NW at follow-up. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels decreased across the hs-CRP tertile in both prepubertal children and adolescents, with significant differences ( P < .001) in concentrations between the highest and lowest tertiles in 6- to 8-year-old boys and girls and in 12- to 16-year-old boys. The hs-CRP levels were also significantly associated with leptin levels in both prepubertal children and adolescents, with a significant increase across hs-CRP tertiles ( P < .001). Conclusions The shift from OW to NW throughout childhood is associated with a decrease in hs-CRP level to below that observed in children who maintain NW throughout childhood. Leptin levels were strongly associated with hs-CRP levels in our population independent of BMI. Our findings suggest that an obesity-related chronic inflammatory state may be reversible by improving weight status.
Background
The association of sex hormones with C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels has been reported. However, this association remains unexplored in children in whom important anthropometric and ...hormonal changes are taking place.
Objectives
To analyze the association between high‐sensitivity CRP (hs‐CRP) and testosterone, estradiol and sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) levels in a population‐based sample of adolescents, and to evaluate the influence of leptin levels on this association.
Materials and Methods
The sample population of this cross‐sectional study was comprised of 338 male and 385 female adolescents, aged 12–16 years. Information on anthropometric variables, hormone, leptin, and hs‐CRP levels was available.
Results
In male adolescents in our study, higher age is significantly associated with higher testosterone levels and with lower leptin and SHBG concentrations across the range of age studied. No significant changes in leptin and SHBG levels by age are observed in females. In males, leptin correlates negatively with testosterone levels (−0.263, p < 0.001), showing a stronger correlation after adjusting by body mass index (BMI) (−0.424, p < 0.001). A significant correlation between hs‐CRP and testosterone levels is observed in males after adjusting by BMI, but the correlation disappears after adjusting by leptin. No association between testosterone and hs‐CRP was observed in females. The negative association between hs‐CRP levels and SHBG remains significant after adjusting by leptin in both sexes but disappears in males after adjusting by BMI.
Conclusion
The negative association between hs‐CRP and testosterone concentrations observed in 12‐ to 16‐year‐old males seems to be related to leptin levels which are closely negatively related to testosterone levels in males independently of BMI.
The association between obesity and higher non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels has been established in adults. In contrast, lower NEFA levels have been described in children with obesity although ...the reason behind this association remains unclear. Leptin, which regulates body weight and plays a role in lipolysis, could be involved in this relationship. We evaluated the influence of leptin in the association between obesity and NEFA concentrations in children, analyzing two cohorts including 684 6- to 8-year-olds and 836 12- to 16-year-old children, respectively. After adjusting by leptin, insulin levels remained significantly higher in adolescents with obesity as compared with levels in those without obesity. However, insulin levels showed no differences between prepubertal children with and without obesity. The significantly lower NEFA concentrations observed in 6- to 8-year-old girls with obesity disappeared when comparing NEFA levels between girls with and without obesity after adjusting by leptin. We report an influence of leptin levels on the association between obesity and insulin and NEFA in young children that is not observed in adolescents. Our findings add information about factors that may contribute to explain the lower NEFA levels described in prepubertal children with obesity.
Circadian rhythms, which are governed by a circadian clock, regulate important biological processes associated with obesity. SNPs in circadian clock genes have been linked to energy and lipid ...homeostasis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the associations of CLOCK and REV-ERBα SNPs with BMI and plasma lipid levels in pre-pubertal boys and girls. The study sample population comprised 1268 children aged 6-8 years. Information regarding anthropometric parameters and plasma lipid concentrations was available. Genotyping of CLOCK SNPs rs1801260, rs4580704, rs3749474, rs3736544 and rs4864548 and REV-ERBα SNPs rs2017427, rs20711570 and rs2314339 was performed by RT-PCR. The CLOCK SNPs rs3749474 and rs4864548 were significantly associated with BMI in girls but no in boys. Female carriers of the minor alleles for these SNPs presented lower BMI compared to non-carriers. A significant association of the REV-ERBα SNP rs2071570 with plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and Apo B in males was also observed. Male AA carriers showed lower plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and Apo B levels as compared with carriers of the C allele. No significant associations between any of the studied REV-ERBα SNPs and plasma lipid levels were observed in females. In summary, CLOCK and REV-ERBα SNPs were associated with BMI and plasma lipid levels respectively in a sex-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that sex-related factors may interact with Clock genes SNPs conditioning the effects of these polymorphisms on circadian alterations.
Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 2018, 62, 1800619
DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201800619
In 11 genetic‐diagnosed Huntington's disease patients with symptoms, one year of customized dietary intervention induced A) high ...diet adherence, which managed to curb unintentional weight loss in all participants; B) a significantly modified miRNA footprint of the disorder, leading the system to normalization; and C) general maintenance of neurological parameters. Further details can be found in article number 1800619 by Nieves González and co‐workers.
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