Validity and reliability of the international fItness scale (IFIS) in preschool children

Objectives Examine the validity and reliability of parent-reported International FItness Scale (IFIS) in preschoolers. Method A cross-sectional study of 3051 Spanish preschoolers (3-5 years). Fitness was measured by PREFIT battery and reported by parents using an adapted version of the IFIS. Waist circumference was evaluated, and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was calculated. Seventy-six parents of randomly selected schoolchildren completed the IFIS twice for a reliability assessment. Results ANCOVA, adjusted for sex, age and WHtR, showed that preschoolers who were scored by their parents as having average-to-very good fitness had better levels of measured physical fitness than those preschoolers who were classified as having very poor/poor fitness levels (18.1laps to 22.1laps vs 15.6laps for cardiorespiratory fitness; 6.6 kg to 7.5 kg vs 5.3 kg for muscular fitness-handgrip-; 71.7 cm to 76.4 cm vs 62.0 cm for muscular fitness-standing long jump-; 17.2s to 16.2s vs 18.2s for speed/agility; and 11.2s to 15.6s vs 8.7s for balance; p < 0.001). The weighted kappa for concordance between parent-reported fitness levels and objective assessment was poor (kappa <= 0.18 for all fitness measures). Overall, the mean values of the abdominal adiposity indicators were significantly lower in high-level fitness categories reported by parents than in low-level fitness categories (p < 0.05). The test-retest reliability ranged from 0.46 to 0.62. Conclusions The reliability of the parent-reported IFIS are acceptable, but the concordance between parents reported and objectively measures fitness levels is poor, suggesting that parents' responses may not be able to correctly classify preschoolers according to their fitness level.The PREFIT project takes place thanks to the funding linked to the Ramon y Cajal grant held by Ortega FB (RYC-2011-09011)

El estatus socioeconómico influencia la condición física en adolescentes europeos : el estudio HELENA

Introduction: The influence of socioeconomic status on health-related fitness is not clear. Aim: To examine the influence of socioeconomic status on health-related fitness in adolescents. Methods: A total of 3,259 adolescents (15.0 ± 1.3 y) from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Ado- lescence Cross-Sectional Study (HELENA-CSS) partici- pated in the study. Socioeconomic status was assessed by the family affluence scale (FAS). Speed-agility, muscular strength and cardiorespiratory fitness were assessed. Covariates included total body fat, physical activity and pubertal status. Results: Adolescents with high FAS had significantly higher fitness levels than their peers of lower FAS cate- gories except for speed-agility and handgrip in boys. Overall, the associations observed presented a medium to large effect size. Conclusion: These results suggest that socioeconomic status is positively associated with physical fitness in European adolescents independently of total body fat and habitual physical activityIntroducción: La influencia del estatus socioeconómico sobre la condición física en relación con la salud no está clara. Objetivo: Examinar la influencia del estatus socioeconómico sobre la condición física en relación con la salud en adolescentes. Metodología: Un total de 3259 adolescentes (15,0 ± 1,3 años) del “Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence Cross-Sectional Study” (HELENA-CSS) participaron en el estudio. El estatus socioeconómico fue medido con una escala de riqueza familiar “family affluence scale (FAS)”. Se midieron velocidad-agilidad, fuerza muscular y capacidad aeróbica. Las covariables incluidas fueron grasa corporal total, actividad física y estadio madurativo. Resultados: Los adolescentes con alto FAS tuvieron significativamente mayores niveles de condición física que aquellos con bajo FAS exceptuando los tests de velocidad-agilidad y fuerza de prensión manual en chicos. En general, las asociaciones observadas presentaron un efecto del tamaño de la muestra (effect size) entre medio y largo. Conclusión: Estos resultados sugieren que el estatus socioeconómico esta positivamente asociado con la condición física en adolescentes Europeos independientemente de la grasa corporal total y el nivel de actividad física

Identification of germline cancer predisposition variants in pediatric sarcoma patients from somatic tumor testing

Genetic predisposition is an important risk factor for cancer in children and adolescents but detailed associations of individual genetic mutations to childhood cancer are still under intense investigation. Among pediatric cancers, sarcomas can arise in the setting of cancer predisposition syndromes. The association of sarcomas with these syndromes is often missed, due to the rarity and heterogeneity of sarcomas and the limited search of cancer genetic syndromes. This study included 43 pediatric and young adult patients with different sarcoma subtypes. Tumor profiling was undertaken using the Oncomine Childhood Cancer Research Assay (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Sequencing results were reviewed for potential germline alterations in clinically relevant genes associated with cancer predisposition syndromes. Jongmans¿ criteria were taken into consideration for the patient selection. Fifteen patients were selected as having potential pathogenic germline variants due to tumor sequencing that identified variants in the following genes: CDKN2A, NF1, NF2, RB1, SMARCA4, SMARCB1 and TP53. The variants found in NF1 and CDKN2A in two different patients were detected in the germline, confirming the diagnosis of a cancer predisposition syndrome. We have shown that the results of somatic testing can be used to identify those at risk of an underlying cancer predisposition syndrome

Polyamines are present in mast cell secretory granules and are important for granule homeostasis.

Mast cell secretory granules accommodate a large number of components, many of which interact with highly sulfated serglycin proteoglycan (PG) present within the granules. Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) are absolutely required for the survival of the vast majority of living cells. Given the reported ability of polyamines to interact with PGs, we investigated the possibility that polyamines may be components of mast cell secretory granules.Spermidine was released by mouse bone marrow derived mast cells (BMMCs) after degranulation induced by IgE/anti-IgE or calcium ionophore A23187. Additionally, both spermidine and spermine were detected in isolated mouse mast cell granules. Further, depletion of polyamines by culturing BMMCs with α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) caused aberrant secretory granule ultrastructure, impaired histamine storage, reduced serotonin levels and increased β-hexosaminidase content. A proteomic approach revealed that DFMO-induced polyamine depletion caused an alteration in the levels of a number of proteins, many of which are connected either with the regulated exocytosis or with the endocytic system.Taken together, our results show evidence that polyamines are present in mast cell secretory granules and, furthermore, indicate an essential role of these polycations during the biogenesis and homeostasis of these organelles