The Assessment of the Neutrophil-lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-lymphocyte Ratio in Dyslipidemic Obese Children

Objective:Childhood obesity is one of the most important children’s health problems that is gradually increasing all over the world. Dyslipidemia which coexists with obesity is a risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases in adulthood. In this study, the usability of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting dyslipidemia, a serious complication of obesity, in children were investigated.Method:Two hundred and seven cases aged between 11-17 years who were diagnosed with obesity at the Pediatrics Clinic of our hospital and 50 cases with no disorders whose complete blood count was performed for routine purposes were retrospectively investigated. The genders, ages, and examination findings of the cases were recorded. In obese children, leukocyte, hemoglobin, platelet, mean platelet volume, neutrophil and lymphocyte levels were evaluated in the complete blood count performed at the first admission. The NLR and the PLR were calculated. Preprandial blood glucose and preprandial insulin, serum aminotransferase values, and the lipid profile were recorded.Results:While dyslipidemia was determined in 99 (47.82%) of 207 cases who were diagnosed with obesity, it was not determined in 108 (52.18%) cases. The systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and preprandial insulin level were higher in cases with dyslipidemia than the group without dyslipidemia. The PLR average of the dyslipidemic group was 112.75±39.11, the PLR average of the non-dyslipidemic group was 104.78±31.38, and the PLR average of the control group was 110.20±39.35, and there was no statistically significant difference between the PLR averages of the groups (p=0.353). The NLR average was 1.52±0.69 in the dyslipidemic group, 1.66±0.81 in the non-dyslipidemic group, and 1.72±1.26 in the control group. No statistically significant difference was observed between the NLR averages of all three groups (p=0.295).Conclusion:In this study, no relationship was determined between the PLR and NLR and dyslipidemia in obese children

Re-examining the characteristics of pediatric multiple sclerosis in the era of antibody-associated demyelinating syndromes.

Background: The discovery of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-IgG and anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4)-IgG and the observation on certain patients previously diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) actually have an antibody-mediated disease mandated re-evaluation of pediatric MS series. Aim: To describe the characteristics of recent pediatric MS cases by age groups and compare with the cohort established before 2015. Method: Data of pediatric MS patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2021 were collected from 44 pediatric neurology centers across Turkiye. Clinical and paraclinical features were compared between patients with dis-ease onset before 12 years (earlier onset) and >= 12 years (later onset) as well as between our current (2015-2021) and previous (< 2015) cohorts. Results: A total of 634 children (456 girls) were enrolled, 89 (14%) were of earlier onset. The earlier-onset group had lower female/male ratio, more frequent initial diagnosis of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), more frequent brainstem symptoms, longer interval between the first two attacks, less frequent spinal cord involvement on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and lower prevalence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-restricted oligoclonal bands (OCBs). The earlier-onset group was less likely to respond to initial disease-modifying treatments. Compared to our previous cohort, the current series had fewer patients with onset < 12 years, initial presentation with ADEM-like features, brainstem or cerebellar symptoms, seizures, and spinal lesions on MRI. The female/male ratio, the frequency of sensorial symptoms, and CSF-restricted OCBs were higher than reported in our previous cohort. Conclusion: Pediatric MS starting before 12 years was less common than reported previously, likely due to exclusion of patients with antibody-mediated diseases. The results underline the importance of antibody testing and indicate pediatric MS may be a more homogeneous disorder and more similar to adult-onset MS than previously thought