Abnormal Glucose Metabolism and Body Composition Changes in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Survivors During Their Adolescence.

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors (ALL-S) face an increased risk of abnormal glucose metabolism (AGM). This study aimed to assess glucose metabolism in 141 ALL-S. All underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and were classified into AGM and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) groups.

Overdiagnosis of adrenal insufficiency in children with biliary atresia.

Serum cortisol mainly binds to the cortisol-binding globulin (CBG). Children with biliary atresia (BA) may have low serum CBG levels; thus, low serum total cortisol (TC) levels and adrenal insufficiency (AI) may be overdiagnosed. This study aimed to assess adrenal function in children with BA.

Glucose metabolism in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Background: Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease in children. Overproduction of inflammatory cytokines in SJIA resembles that in adult onset Still disease. Chronic inflammation causes insulin resistance and consequently leading to abnormal glucose metabolism.

Beta cell function, incretin hormones, and incretin effect in obese children and adolescents with prediabetes.

Background: Defects of incretin hormones and incretin effect may be underlying mechanisms of abnormal glucose metabolism in youth.

Objective: To assess incretin hormone dynamics during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and incretin effect in obese children with prediabetes in comparison with those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT).

Methods: Overweight and obese children were enrolled and classified according to OGTT results as NGT and prediabetes.

Short-term effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue treatment on leptin, ghrelin and peptide YY in girls with central precocious puberty.

Objectives: To determine appetite-regulating hormone levels in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) before and after 20 weeks of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRH-A) treatment.

Methods: Eighteen newly diagnosed CPP girls were enrolled. Body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis and GnRH-A test were performed with fasting serum leptin, ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY) measurements at baseline (before) and after 20 weeks of GnRH-A treatment.

DUOX2 variants are a frequent cause of congenital primary hypothyroidism in Thai patients.

Objective: To identify the genetic etiologies of congenital primary hypothyroidism (CH) in Thai patients.

Design And Methods: CH patients were enrolled. Clinical characteristics including age, signs and symptoms of CH, pedigree, family history, screened thyroid-stimulating hormone results, thyroid function tests, thyroid imaging, clinical course and treatment of CH were collected.

Serum Kisspeptin and Its Relation to Metabolic Parameters and Glucose Metabolism in Prepubertal and Pubertal Obese Children.

Objective: Kisspeptin, a puberty control neuropeptide, has been discovered to have an additional role in metabolism and glucose homeostasis regulation. This study aimed to determine the association of serum kisspeptin with metabolic parameters and glucose metabolism in obese children. A cross-sectional study of 270 obese children was conducted.

Masked hypertension and its associations with glycemic variability metrics in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Background: Masked hypertension defined as having normal office blood pressure (BP) but hypertension detected by continuous BP monitoring has been observed in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, no study has evaluated whether masked hypertension is associated with glycemic variability (GV) in these patients. We hypothesized that masked hypertension might be associated with high GV in patients with T1D.

Skewed X chromosome inactivation in girls and female adolescents with autoimmune thyroid disease.

Objective: Skewed X chromosome inactivation (XCI) was associated with female predominance in adult autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD). In normal females, skewed XCI is increased with age. Whether early-onset skewed XCI is associated with childhood ATD remains unknown.

Under-recognized Hypoparathyroidism in Thalassemia.

Objective: Symptomatic hypoparathyroidism [symptomatic hypocalcemia without elevated serum parathyroid hormone (PTH)] in patients with thalassemia is relatively rare. Asymptomatic mild hypocalcemia without elevated PTH, which is considered hypoparathyroidism, may be more common but under-recognized.

Methods: Sixty-six transfusion-dependent thalassemic patients and 28 healthy controls were enrolled.

Serum glypican 4 level in obese children and its relation to degree of obesity.

Objective: Previous adult studies have demonstrated associations of serum glypican 4 (Gpc4) and obesity parameters and insulin sensitivity. However, an association of serum Gpc4 and glucose metabolism remains contradictory. Study of serum Gpc4 in obese children has not been conducted.

Acute Effects of Blood Transfusion on Insulin Sensitivity and Pancreatic β-Cell Function in Children with β-Thalassemia/Hemoglobin E Disease.

Objective: To assess the acute effects of blood transfusion on insulin sensitivity and pancreatic β-cell function in thalassemia patients.

Methods: Fifty children and adolescents with β-thalassemia/HbE disease were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Hemoglobin, serum ferritin and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were performed prior to, and one week after blood transfusion.

Effect of Iron Chelation Therapy on Glucose Metabolism in Non-Transfusion-Dependent Thalassaemia.

Aims: To compare insulin sensitivity, β-cell function and iron status biomarkers in non-transfusion-dependent thalassaemia (NTDT) with iron excess during pre- and post-iron chelation.

Methods: Subjects with NTDT, aged older than 10 years, with serum ferritin >300 ng/ml, were included. Iron chelation with deferasirox (10 mg/kg/day) was prescribed daily for 6 months.

Effects of correction of vitamin D insufficiency on serum osteocalcin and glucose metabolism in obese children.

Objectives: Osteocalcin (OCN) and vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) have been shown to be associated with abnormal glucose metabolism (GluMet). Whether correction of VDI affects serum OCN is unknown. This study evaluated the effects of correction of VDI on OCN and GluMet, and determined the associations of OCN with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) and GluMet.

Gonadal function of beta-thalassemics following stem cell transplantation conditioned with myeloablative and reduced intensity regimens.

Gonadal dysfunction is a complication following stem cell transplantation (SCT). There have been no reports of gonadal function in stem-cell-transplanted thalassemic survivors who received a reduced intensity conditioning regimen (RIC). We evaluated gonadal function in 47 β-thalassemic patients following SCT with either myeloablative or reduced intensity regimen.

Acute effects of blood transfusion on growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels in children with thalassemia.

Background/aim: Children with β-thalassemia have chronic anemia and growth retardation. Impaired growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis function has been demonstrated. Growth improvement has been demonstrated following optimal blood transfusion.

High prevalence of "biochemical" adrenal insufficiency in thalassemics: is it a matter of different testings or decreased cortisol binding globulin?

Context: High prevalence of "biochemical" adrenal insufficiency (AI) in thalassemics has been reported. However, "clinical" AI is rare.

Aim: The aim was to determine whether cortisol binding globulin (CBG) or tests used in assessing adrenal function contributed to the abnormally high prevalence of biochemical AI.

Subcutaneous gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (triptorelin) test for diagnosing precocious puberty.

Background: A test involving 100 microg of intravenous gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a gold standard for confirming the diagnosis of central precocious puberty (CPP). However, intravenous GnRH for testing is commercially limited.

Objective: To develop subcutaneous GnRH agonist (GnRH-A) testing and define a peak luteinizing hormone (LH) cutoff value in diagnosing CPP.

Childhood virilization and adrenal suppression after ingestion of methandienone and cyproheptadine.

We report a combination of precocious pseudopuberty and adrenal insufficiency in a 4 year-old boy who had received an off-label 'appetite stimulant' syrup and excessive virilization in a 2 year-old girl who had received the same medication. Both patients presented with excessive virilization for a period of approximately 1-2 years. The syrup contains cyproheptadine and methandienone, a derivative of testosterone.

Serum free cortisol index, free cortisol, and total cortisol in critically ill children.

Background: In critical illness, serum total cortisol (TC) may not adequately reflect adrenal function because of reduced cortisol-binding globulin (CBG).

Aim: To evaluate adrenal function of critically ill children, using free cortisol index (FCI), calculated free cortisol (cFC), and TC levels.

Methods: Thirty-two critically ill and 36 healthy children were included.