Ecological Factors and Childhood Eating Behaviours at 5 Years of Age: findings from the ROLO longitudinal birth cohort study

Individual differences in children eating behaviours have been linked with childhood overweight and obesity. The determinants of childhood eating behaviours are influenced by a complex combination of hereditary and ecological factors. This study examines if key ecological predictors of childhood overweight; maternal socio-economic status (SES), children’s screen time, and childcare arrangements, are associated with eating behaviours in children aged 5-years-old

Associations of body mass and fat indexes with cardiometabolic traits

Background Body mass index (BMI) is criticized for not distinguishing fat from lean mass and ignoring fat distribution, leaving its ability to detect health effects unclear. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare BMI with total and regional fat indexes from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in their associations with cardiometabolic traits. Duration of exposure to and change in each index across adolescence were examined in relation to detailed traits in young adulthood. Methods BMI was examined alongside total, trunk, arm, and leg fat indexes (each in kilograms per square meter) from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at ages 10 and 18 years in relation to 230 traits from targeted metabolomics at age 18 years in 2,840 offspring from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Results Higher total fat mass index and BMI at age 10 years were similarly associated with cardiometabolic traits at age 18 years, including higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, higher very low-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, higher triglycerides, and higher insulin and glycoprotein acetyls. Associations were stronger for both indexes measured at age 18 years and for gains in each index from age 10 to 18 years (e.g., 0.45 SDs [95% confidence interval: 0.38 to 0.53] in glycoprotein acetyls per SD unit gain in fat mass index vs. 0.38 SDs [95% confidence interval: 0.27 to 0.48] per SD unit gain in BMI). Associations resembled those for trunk fat index. Higher lean mass index was weakly associated with traits and was not protective against higher fat mass index. Conclusions The results of this study support abdominal fatness as a primary driver of cardiometabolic dysfunction and BMI as a useful tool for detecting its effects

Rapid interferon independent expression of IFITM3 following T cell activation protects cells from influenza virus infection

<div><p>Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) is a potent antiviral protein that enhances cellular resistance to a variety of pathogens, including influenza virus. Classically defined as an interferon-stimulated gene, expression of IFITM3 on cells is rapidly up-regulated in response to type I and II interferon. Here we found that IFITM3 is rapidly up-regulated by T cells following their activation and this occurred independently of type I and II interferon and the interferon regulatory factors 3 and 7. Up-regulation of IFITM3 on effector T cells protected these cells from virus infection and imparted a survival advantage at sites of virus infection. Our results show that IFITM3 expression on effector T cells is crucial for these cells to mediate their effector function and highlights an interferon independent pathway for the induction of IFITM3 which, if targeted, could be an effective approach to harness the activity of IFITM3 for infection prevention.</p></div

Mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and trajectories of cardiometabolic risk factors during childhood and adolescence: A prospective cohort study

Background Mitochondria are organelles responsible for converting glucose into energy. Mitochondrial DNA is exclusively maternally inherited. The role of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups in the aetiology of cardiometabolic disease risk is not well understood. Methods Sex-specific associations between common European mitochondrial DNA haplogroups (H, U, J, T, K, V, W, I and X) and trajectories of cardiometabolic risk factors from birth to 18 years were examined in a prospective cohort. Cardiometabolic risk factors measured from birth/mid-childhood to 18 years included body mass index (BMI), fat and lean mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), non-HDL-c and triglycerides. Fractional polynomial and linear spline multilevel models explored the sex-specific association between haplogroups and risk factor trajectories. Results Among a total of 7,954 participants with 79,178 repeated measures per outcome, we found no evidence that haplogroups U, T, J, K and W were associated with cardiometabolic risk factors compared to haplogroup H. In females, haplogroup V was associated with 4.0% (99% CI: -7.5, -0.6) lower BMI at age one but associations did not persist at age 18. Haplogroup X was associated with 1.3kg (99% CI: -2.5, -0.2) lower lean mass at age 9 which persisted at 18. Haplogroup V and X were associated with 9.3% (99% CI: -0.4, 19.0) and 16.4% (99% CI: -0.5,33.3) lower fat mass at age 9, respectively, although confidence intervals spanned the null and associations did not persist at 18. In males, haplogroup I was associated with 2.4% (99% CI: -0.5, 5.3) higher BMI at age 7; widening to 5.1% (99% CI: -0.5, 10.6) at 18 with confidence intervals spanning the null. Conclusions Our study demonstrated little evidence of sex-specific associations between mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and cardiometabolic risk factors

Mean trajectories of HDL-c, Non-HDL-c and log triglycerides in females and males, by haplogroup.

99% confidence intervals for all haplogroups are displayed in grey. Detailed results with confidence intervals are provided in S16 & S17 Tables in S1 File. Note the different age range on the X axis for each outcome. HDL-c, high density lipoprotein cholesterol.</p

Mean trajectories of SBP, DBP and pulse in females and males, by haplogroup.

99% confidence intervals for all haplogroups are displayed in grey. Detailed results with confidence intervals are provided in S15 Table in S1 File. SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure.</p

S1 File -

BackgroundMitochondria are organelles responsible for converting glucose into energy. Mitochondrial DNA is exclusively maternally inherited. The role of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups in the aetiology of cardiometabolic disease risk is not well understood.MethodsSex-specific associations between common European mitochondrial DNA haplogroups (H, U, J, T, K, V, W, I and X) and trajectories of cardiometabolic risk factors from birth to 18 years were examined in a prospective cohort. Cardiometabolic risk factors measured from birth/mid-childhood to 18 years included body mass index (BMI), fat and lean mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), non-HDL-c and triglycerides. Fractional polynomial and linear spline multilevel models explored the sex-specific association between haplogroups and risk factor trajectories.ResultsAmong a total of 7,954 participants with 79,178 repeated measures per outcome, we found no evidence that haplogroups U, T, J, K and W were associated with cardiometabolic risk factors compared to haplogroup H. In females, haplogroup V was associated with 4.0% (99% CI: -7.5, -0.6) lower BMI at age one but associations did not persist at age 18. Haplogroup X was associated with 1.3kg (99% CI: -2.5, -0.2) lower lean mass at age 9 which persisted at 18. Haplogroup V and X were associated with 9.3% (99% CI: -0.4, 19.0) and 16.4% (99% CI: -0.5,33.3) lower fat mass at age 9, respectively, although confidence intervals spanned the null and associations did not persist at 18. In males, haplogroup I was associated with 2.4% (99% CI: -0.5, 5.3) higher BMI at age 7; widening to 5.1% (99% CI: -0.5, 10.6) at 18 with confidence intervals spanning the null.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated little evidence of sex-specific associations between mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and cardiometabolic risk factors.</div