Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Transcriptome Highlights Specific Expression Profiles in Severe Pediatric Obesity: A Pilot Study.

The prevalence of pediatric obesity is rising rapidly worldwide, and "omic" approaches are helpful in investigating the molecular pathophysiology of obesity. This work aims to identify transcriptional differences in the subcutaneous adipose tissue (scAT) of children with overweight (OW), obesity (OB), or severe obesity (SV) compared with those of normal weight (NW). Periumbilical scAT biopsies were collected from 20 male children aged 1-12 years.

Links between Childhood Obesity, High-Fat Diet, and Central Precocious Puberty.

In recent years, the existing relationship between excess overweight and central precocious puberty (CPP) has been reported, especially in girls. Different nutritional choices have been associated with different patterns of puberty. In particular, the involvement of altered biochemical and neuroendocrine pathways and a proinflammatory status has been described in connection with a high-fat diet (HFD).

Reference intervals for thyroid biomarkers to enhance the assessment of thyroid status in childhood and adolescence.

Objectives: The determination of assay-dependent upper and lower reference limits (URL, LRL) of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) during childhood and adolescence, is challenging.

Methods: Thyroid hormones were measured via the Abbott Alinity system in 502 euthyroid children partitioned in the following age groups: ≤2, 2.1-10, and 10.

The Effect of Healthy Lifestyle Strategies on the Management of Insulin Resistance in Children and Adolescents with Obesity: A Narrative Review.

Childhood obesity is characterized by an increased risk of several metabolic derangements including insulin resistance (IR). The strongest recommendations to prevent obesity and related complications are a balanced and adequate diet and practicing physical activity from early childhood. In this review, we propose to present the effects of healthy lifestyle strategies, including physical exercise and dietary approaches, on the management of IR and related metabolic derangements.

Benefits of Physical Exercise as Approach to Prevention and Reversion of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children and Adolescents with Obesity.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an important health concern during childhood; indeed, it is the most frequent cause of chronic liver diseases in obese children. No valid pharmacological therapies for children affected by this condition are available, and the recommended treatment is lifestyle modification, usually including nutrition and exercise interventions. In this narrative review, we summarized up-to-date information on the benefits of physical exercise on NAFLD in children and adolescents with obesity.

Use of Physical Activity and Exercise to Reduce Inflammation in Children and Adolescents with Obesity.

Childhood obesity is a leading public health problem worldwide, as it is increasingly prevalent and therefore responsible for serious obesity-related comorbidities, not only in childhood but also in adulthood. In addition to cardio-metabolic obesity-related disorders, recent evidence suggests that excess adipose tissue in turn is associated with immune cell infiltration, increased adipokine release, and the development of low-grade systemic inflammation obesity. Exercise is considered a non-pharmacological intervention that can delay obesity-related comorbidities, improving cardiovascular fitness and modulating the inflammatory processes.

Adipose Tissue Immunomodulation and Treg/Th17 Imbalance in the Impaired Glucose Metabolism of Children with Obesity.

In the last few decades, obesity has increased dramatically in pediatric patients. Obesity is a chronic disease correlated with systemic inflammation, characterized by the presence of CD4 and CD8 T cell infiltration and modified immune response, which contributes to the development of obesity related diseases and metabolic disorders, including impaired glucose metabolism. In particular, Treg and Th17 cells are dynamically balanced under healthy conditions, but imbalance occurs in inflammatory and pathological states, such as obesity.

Th17 and Treg Balance in Children With Obesity and Metabolically Altered Status.

Chronic low-grade inflammation and activation of the immune system are hallmark pathogenic mechanisms involved in metabolic dysfunction and are related to obesity. In particular, the involvement of regulatory and pro-inflammatory lymphocyte subpopulations has been reported in adults. We evaluated the Th17/Treg lymphocyte balance in obese and normal weight children, in relation with their metabolic status.