Pharmacoeconomics of obesity management in childhood and adolescence.

The level of fatness of a child at which morbidity acutely increases is operationally determined by calculating the body mass index (BMI). An increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease in adults has been found in subjects whose BMI had been > 75(th) percentile as adolescents. Childhood obesity seems to substantially increase the risk of subsequent morbidity whether or not obesity persists into adulthood.

Endothelin(A) receptor blockade reduces ischemia/reperfusion injury in pig pancreas transplantation.

Objective: The effect of prophylactic administration of a selective endothelin(A) receptor antagonist (ET(A)-RA) on ischemia/reperfusion injury in an experimental model of graft pancreatitis after pancreas transplantation was evaluated.

Summary Background Data: It is well established that endothelin-1 (ET-1), a powerful vasoconstrictor, plays an important role in the development of pancreatitis. Recent studies have shown a beneficial effect of endothelin receptor antagonists in the therapy for experimental pancreatitis.

Serum insulin-like growth factor I reference values for an automated chemiluminescence immunoassay system: results from a multicenter study.

Background: Analysis of insulin-like growth factor I in serum (S-IGF-I) is an integral component in the diagnosis of GH-related disorders and is going to be of interest in the diagnosis and follow-up of many disorders. The objective of the present study was to develop cross-sectional reference values for S-IGF-I measured by an automated chemiluminescence immunoassay (Nichols Advantage).

Methods: The study included samples from 3,961 healthy subjects (2,201 males, 1,760 females) aged 1 month to 88 years.

Muscular levels of proinflammatory cytokines correlate with a reduced expression of insulinlike growth factor-I in chronic heart failure.

Objective: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is associated with metabolic abnormalities leading to a catabolic syndrome in advanced stages of the disease. To assess the role of proinflammatory cytokines for the local expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in this process, muscular and systemic levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and IGF-I were analyzed in an animal model of CHF.

Methods: Ligation of the left coronary artery or sham operation was performed in adult Wistar Kyoto rats.

No influence of surgical stress on postoperative leptin gene expression in different adipose tissues and soluble leptin receptor plasma levels.

Unlabelled: As part of the postsurgical stress response, plasma leptin levels increase in-between 12 h postoperatively.

Objective: To study the kinetics of leptin gene expression in different adipose tissues before and after severe surgical trauma in children and adults.

Methods: In 22 adults and 23 children with cardiac and 19 adult patients with abdominal surgery, we measured plasma leptin concentrations preoperatively, 4 and 10-17 h postoperatively and quantified leptin mRNA expression by TaqMan real-time PCR in adipose tissue taken at the beginning and the end of surgery from subcutaneous, intrathoracic, omental and mesenteric fat.

Re-assessment of growth hormone secretion in young adult patients with childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency.

Objective: Patients with childhood-onset GH deficiency (coGHD) need retesting in late adolescence or young adulthood to verify whether they need to continue GH treatment. For this purpose the Growth Hormone Research Society (GRS) recommends the insulin tolerance test (ITT), or as an alternative the arginine + growth hormone releasing hormone test (ARG + GHRH test) as a diagnostic tool in adolescents and adults. However, there are no standardized cut-off levels based on normal GH secretion for determining GHD vs.

Regulation of circulating soluble leptin receptor levels by gender, adiposity, sex steroids, and leptin: observational and interventional studies in humans.

Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone important in energy homeostasis and diverse physiological processes. A circulating soluble form of the leptin receptor [soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R)] is the main leptin-binding protein and determinant of free leptin index (FLI), the presumed biologically active form of leptin. We performed observational and interventional studies to elucidate the regulation of sOB-R and FLI in humans.

A rapid, quantitative immunofunctional assay for measuring human leptin.

Background: We have developed a rapid, sensitive and quantitative in vitro assay for leptin based upon its ability to bind to the soluble extracellular domain of the leptin receptor (sOB-R). Such an assay is theoretically capable of differentiating between physiologically active leptin molecules from those with modified, either enhanced or reduced, binding activity.

Methods: A preparation of sOB-R was immobilized to capture leptin from serum samples or standards.

Circulating IGF-I levels in childhood are related to both current body composition and early postnatal growth rate.

Rapid infancy growth predicts childhood obesity and earlier rate of maturation. We examined whether early growth rates might also influence levels of hormones relating to growth and weight gain by measuring IGF-I, IGF-II, and leptin levels in 497 normal 5-yr-old children who were followed closely from birth. IGF-I levels at 5 yr were unrelated to cord blood IGF-I levels at birth (r = 0.