Disparity in circulating adiponectin multimers between term and preterm infants

Aims: To study circulating levels and distribution of adiponectin multimers [low molecular weight (LMW)-, medium molecular weight (MMW)- and high molecular weight (HMW)-adiponectin] in preterm and full-term infants. Methods: Total serum adiponectin and its multimers were measured in 40 healthy infants at the age of one month and associations with anthropometric parameters [body weight and length, body mass index (BMI)], weight gain and metabolic indices (glucose, insulin) were examined. Twenty of the infants were born preterm (gestational age 33.2±1.6 weeks). Results: LMW-adiponectin level and its fractional ratio to total adiponectin were significantly higher in full-term than in preterm infants (P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively), whereas, MMW-adiponectin level and its ratio were significantly lower (P=0.03 and P=0.01, respectively). HMW-adiponectin did not differ significantly between full-term and preterm infants and accounted for almost 60% of total adiponectin levels in both groups. HMW-adiponectin, but not MMW adiponectin or LMW adiponectin, correlated significantly with anthropometric measurements, similarly to total adiponectin; in addition, HMW adiponectin correlated significantly with weight gain. Conclusions: HMW adiponectin is the most prevalent form in infants. Circulating levels and distribution of MMW- and LMW-adiponectin differ between full-term and preterm infants, but the role of these adiponectin multimers needs to be studied further.Peer Reviewe

Increased circulating High-Sensitivity Troponin T concentrations in children and adolescents with obesity and the metabolic syndrome: A marker for early cardiac damage?

Objective. Childhood obesity is associated with an increased risk for atherosclerosis mediated by the pathogenetic mechanisms that lead to the development of the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). High-Sensitivity Troponin T (hs-TnT) is a specific marker of ischemic myocardial damage, whereas a minimal elevation of this biomarker has been found in adults with a high-risk for cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that hs-TnT might be altered in obese children with and/or without the Mets. Materials and Methods. Fifty-seven (34 males) obese and 25 non-obese (6 males) children were assessed at the Childhood Obesity Clinic of our department. Obesity was defined using the IOTF criteria. Metabolic syndrome was defined with the IDF criteria. Hs-TnT was measured using an electrochemiluminescence-based assay. Results. The entire group of obese children had significantly higher hs-TnT concentrations [4.1 +/- 3.4 ng/L] (p=0.029) than the non-obese ones [3.0 +/- 0.2 ng/L), however, in both groups the levels of the cardiac biomarker were within the normal range. Comparison of the obese children with or without the MetS and the non-obese, revealed that those with the MetS had significantly higher hs-TnT (6.7 +/- 7.1 ng/L) than the obese without MetS (3.7 +/- 2.1 ng/L) [p=0.044], and the non-obese [p=0.014]. Hs-TnT did not differ between the obese without MetS and the non-obese. Conclusions. Circulating concentrations of hs-TnT in obese children with the MetS are higher than those of the obese without the MetS and the non-obese, suggesting that it is obesity-related metabolic changes rather than obesity per se linked to increased hs-TnT in children. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Increased Serum Concentrations of High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) Protein in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) has been suggested to be involved in the immune dysfunction and inflammation reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We aimed to assess HMGB1 serum concentrations (SCs) in high-functioning ASD children compared to typically developing (TD) controls and to explore their associations with the autism spectrum quotient (AQ), the empathy quotient (EQ), and the systemizing quotient (SQ). The study involved 42 ASD children and 38 TD children, all-male, aged between 6.1 and 13.3 years old. HMGB1 SCs were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Groups were comparable regarding age, general IQ, birth weight, and maternal age at birth. ASD children showed significantly higher HMGB1 SCs compared to TD children (1.25 ± 0.84 ng/mL versus 1.13 ± 0.79 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.039). The Spearman’s rho revealed that HMGB1 SCs were positively correlated with the AQ attention to detail subscale (rs = 0.46, p = 0.045) and with the SQ total score (rs = 0.42, p = 0.04) in the ASD group. These results show that HMGB1 serum concentrations are altered in ASD children, and suggest that inflammatory processes mediated by HMGB1 may be associated with specific cognitive features observed in ASD

Correlation of NT-proBNP levels and cardiac iron concentration in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia major

Iron-induced cardiotoxicity remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia major. Heart failure in these patients, which may be reversible but has a poor prognosis, is characterized by myocardial iron deposition-related early diastolic dysfunction. Amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a sensitive biomarker for the detection of asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction. In this study, we prospectively evaluated plasma NT-proBNP levels in 187 adult patients aged 19-54 years with beta-TM. Possible correlations with the proposed recently cardiac iron concentration based on an equation derived from heart T2* assessment by MRI: [Fe] = 45.0 x [T2*](-1.22) with [Fe] in milligrams per gram dry weight and T2* in milliseconds were explored. We found that: 143 patients had no cardiac hemosiderosis, defined as [Fe]<1.1 mg/g dry weight, corresponding to T2*>20 ms and 44 patients had cardiac hemosiderosis, defined as [Fe]>1.2 mg/g dry weight. The main results of the study showed that: a) NT-proBNP levels were markedly increased in thalassemic patients (152.2 +/- 190.1 pg/mL, ranged from 6.0 to 1336.0 pg/mL compared to normal control levels 40.1 +/- 19.7 pg/ml, p<0.001, b) NT-proBNP levels were significantly higher in patients with cardiac hemosiderosis compared to patients without cardiac hemosiderosis (185.1 +/- 78.0 vs 128.9 +/- 20.2 pg/mL, p<0.05), c) NT-proBNP levels correlated with [Fe] values (r = 0.387, p<0.001). This correlation was significant in patients with cardiac hemosiderosis (r = 0.520, p<0.001), but not in patients without cardiac hemosiderosis (p>0.1), and d) no significant correlation was found between NT-proBNP levels and left ventricular ejection fraction values, (p>0.3). Our study demonstrated for first time the significant association of NT-proBNP levels and cardiac iron concentration in patients with beta-thalassemia major linking blood chemistry and imaging techniques. Multicenter studies of these parameters during iron chelation therapies are needed to validate their association and further exploit its clinical use. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Circulating adipocyte fatty acid binding protein levels in healthy preterm infants: Positive correlation with weight gain and total-cholesterol levels

Background: Adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (a-FABP) has been suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Preterm infants are at risk for the later development of insulin resistance, and, possibly, other components of metabolic syndrome. Aim: To determine circulating levels of a-FABP in preterm infants and examine possible associations of a-FABP with metabolic indices (serum lipids, glucose, and insulin levels, and homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]), levels of leptin and adiponectin, anthropometric parameters and weight gain. Study design: Prospective cohort study. Subjects: 55 healthy preterm (mean [SD] gestational age 32.8 [1.8] weeks) and 23 fullterm infants (reference group). Outcome measures: Serum a-FABP, lipids, glucose, insulin, leptin and adiponectin levels at 31.9 [10.4] days of life. Results: Serum a-FABP levels did not differ significantly between preterm and fullterm infants. A-FABP levels. correlated positively with total-cholesterol [total-C] in both preterm and fullterm infants (beta=0.33: p=0.01 and beta=0.33; p=0.04, respectively). In addition to total-C, weight gain correlated independently with a-FABP levels in preterm infants (beta=0.36, p = 0.01). Conclusions: An association between a-FABP levels and indices of insulin resistance was not present in infants studied. As the development of insulin resistance in children born prematurely is possibly associated with weight gain in early postnatal life, follow-up of our study population is necessary to demonstrate whether a-FABP levels, shown to correlate with weight gain in preterm infants, are a predictive marker for the later development of insulin resistance in these infants. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved