Percentile reference values for anthropometric body composition indices in European children from the IDEFICS study

INTRODUCTION: To characterise the nutritional status in children with obesity or wasting conditions, European anthropometric reference values for body composition measures beyond the body mass index (BMI) are needed. Differentiated assessment of body composition in children has long been hampered by the lack of appropriate references. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study is to provide percentiles for body composition indices in normal weight European children, based on the IDEFICS cohort (Identification and prevention of Dietary-and lifestyle-induced health Effects in Children and infantS). METHODS: Overall 18 745 2.0-10.9-year-old children from eight countries participated in the study. Children classified as overweight/obese or underweight according to IOTF (N = 5915) were excluded from the analysis. Anthropometric measurements (BMI (N = 12 830); triceps, subscapular, fat mass and fat mass index (N = 11 845-11 901); biceps, suprailiac skinfolds, sum of skinfolds calculated from skinfold thicknesses (N = 8129-8205), neck circumference (N = 12 241); waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio (N = 12 381)) were analysed stratified by sex and smoothed 1st, 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 97th and 99th percentile curves were calculated using GAMLSS. RESULTS: Percentile values of the most important anthropometric measures related to the degree of adiposity are depicted for European girls and boys. Age-and sex-specific differences were investigated for all measures. As an example, the 50th and 99th percentile values of waist circumference ranged from 50.7-59.2 cm and from 51.3-58.7 cm in 4.5-to < 5.0-year-old girls and boys, respectively, to 60.6-74.5 cm in girls and to 59.9-76.7 cm in boys at the age of 10.5-10.9 years. CONCLUSION: The presented percentile curves may aid a differentiated assessment of total and abdominal adiposity in European children

Cystic mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung: a case report

Mucinous cystic tumors of the lung are uncommon, the preoperative pathologic diagnosis is difficult and their biological behavior is still controversial. We report the case of a patient with a clinically benign cystic lesion that post-operatively showed to be consistent with an invasive adenocarcinoma arising in a mucinous cystadenoma of the lung

Racial differences in central adiposity in a longitudinal cohort of black and white adolescent females

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Central adiposity is related to chronic disease risk in adolescents. Racial differences in waist circumference have been identified using cross-sectional data from this age group. We tested for racial differences in age-related growth in waist circumference in a longitudinal cohort of black and white adolescent girls.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed 9 years of publicly available data from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, for 2379 girls (1213 black and 1166 white) enrolled at age 9-10 years in 1987-1988 and followed annually. Individual growth trajectories of waist circumference were constructed for girls with >3 annual measures. Mixed models were used to compare changes in waist circumference during adolescence between black and white females. BMI and age at menarche were included in the models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At each age, black females had significantly higher waist circumference. Mean annual increase in waist circumference was significantly higher for black females compared to white females (1.46 cm/yr vs. 1.36 cm/yr, respectively). After adjusting for BMI, the mean annual increase in waist circumference for white females was significantly higher than for black females (0.08 cm/yr vs. -0.07 cm/yr, respectively). These relationships remained significant after adjusting for age at menarche.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Black females had significantly steeper increases in waist circumference over adolescence than white females. After adjusting for BMI and age at menarche, however, the annual increase in waist circumference for black females was significantly shallower than for their white peers. These data suggest racial differences in the deposition of fat over the adolescent period.</p

Search for CP violation in D0 and D+ decays

A high statistics sample of photoproduced charm particles from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab has been used to search for CP violation in the Cabibbo suppressed decay modes D+ to K-K+pi+, D0 to K-K+ and D0 to pi-pi+. We have measured the following CP asymmetry parameters: A_CP(K-K+pi+) = +0.006 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.005, A_CP(K-K+) = -0.001 +/- 0.022 +/- 0.015 and A_CP(pi-pi+) = +0.048 +/- 0.039 +/- 0.025 where the first error is statistical and the second error is systematic. These asymmetries are consistent with zero with smaller errors than previous measurements.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Astroglial Inhibition of NF-κB Does Not Ameliorate Disease Onset and Progression in a Mouse Model for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Motor neuron death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is considered a “non-cell autonomous” process, with astrocytes playing a critical role in disease progression. Glial cells are activated early in transgenic mice expressing mutant SOD1, suggesting that neuroinflammation has a relevant role in the cascade of events that trigger the death of motor neurons. An inflammatory cascade including COX2 expression, secretion of cytokines and release of NO from astrocytes may descend from activation of a NF-κB-mediated pathway observed in astrocytes from ALS patients and in experimental models. We have attempted rescue of transgenic mutant SOD1 mice through the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway selectively in astrocytes. Here we show that despite efficient inhibition of this major pathway, double transgenic mice expressing the mutant SOD1G93A ubiquitously and the dominant negative form of IκBα (IκBαAA) in astrocytes under control of the GFAP promoter show no benefit in terms of onset and progression of disease. Our data indicate that motor neuron death in ALS cannot be prevented by inhibition of a single inflammatory pathway because alternative pathways are activated in the presence of a persistent toxic stimulus

Association between anthropometric indices and cardiometabolic risk factors in pre-school children

ABSTRACT: The world health organization (WHO) and the Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants- study (IDEFICS), released anthropometric reference values obtained from normal body weight children. This study examined the relationship between WHO [body mass index (BMI) and triceps- and subscapular-skinfolds], and IDEFICS (waist circumference, waist to height ratio and fat mass index) anthropometric indices with cardiometabolic risk factors in pre-school children ranging from normal body weight to obesity. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 232 children (aged 4.1 ± 0.05 years) was performed. Anthropometric measurements were collected and BMI, waist circumference, waist to height ratio, triceps- and subscapular-skinfolds sum and fat mass index were calculated. Fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homeostasis model analysis insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), blood lipids and apolipoprotein (Apo) B-100 (Apo B) and Apo A-I were determined. Pearson’s correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis and the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were run. Results: 51 % (n = 73) of the boys and 52 % (n = 47) of the girls were of normal body weight, 49 % (n = 69) of the boys and 48 % (n = 43) of the girls were overweight or obese. Anthropometric indices correlated (p 0.68 to AUC < 0.76). Conclusions: WHO and IDEFICS anthropometric indices correlated similarly with fasting insulin and HOMA-IR. The diagnostic accuracy of the anthropometric indices as a proxy to identify children with insulin resistance was similar. These data do not support the use of waist circumference, waist to height ratio, triceps- and subscapular- skinfolds sum or fat mass index, instead of the BMI as a proxy to identify pre-school children with insulin resistance, the most frequent alteration found in children ranging from normal body weight to obesity