Adipokines and C-reactive protein in relation to bone mineralization in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Aim: To investigate bone mineral density (BMD) in obese children with and without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); and the association between BMD and serum adipokines, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP).

Methods: A case-control study was performed. Cases were 44 obese children with NAFLD.

Procalcitonin in pediatrics.

Over the past two decades, the body of literature on the clinical usefulness of procalcitonin (PCT) in adults has grown rapidly. Although this approach has led to increased insight, it has also prompted debate regarding its potential use in diagnosis and management of severe infection. Clinicians, however, are less familiar with the use of PCT in pediatric populations.

Thyroid function in childhood obesity and metabolic comorbidity.

Childhood obesity is a worldwide health problem and its prevalence is increasing steadily and dramatically all over the world. Obese subjects have a much greater likelihood than normal-weight children of acquiring dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and impaired glucose metabolism, which significantly increase their risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Elevated TSH concentrations in association with normal or slightly elevated free T4 and/or free T3 levels have been consistently found in obese subjects, but the mechanisms underlying these thyroid hormonal changes are still unclear.

Pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A clinical and laboratory challenge.

The true prevalence of pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is unknown. Challenges in determining the population prevalence of NAFLD include the type of test (and the reference intervals used to define normal and abnormal), the type of population (general population, hospital series), the demographic characteristics of the population sampled, and the nature of the study design. The natural history of pediatric NAFLD remains uncertain.

Consequences of Helicobacter pylori infection in children.

Although evidence is emerging that the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is declining in all age groups, the understanding of its disease spectrum continues to evolve. If untreated, H.

Acylated and nonacylated ghrelin levels and their associations with insulin resistance in obese and normal weight children with metabolic syndrome.

Background: Ghrelin, a peptide mainly derived from the stomach, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of food intake, energy metabolism, and storage, as well as in insulin sensitivity. Ghrelin circulates in acylated (A-Ghr) and nonacylated (NA-Ghr) forms, and their potential differential associations with insulin resistance (IR) in childhood obesity remain undefined.

Objective: We investigated the associations of ghrelin forms with IR in normal weight and obese children and the impact of metabolic syndrome (MS) on their plasma values.