Kidney Damage in Pediatric Obesity: Insights from an Emerging Perspective.

The role of obesity as a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adulthood has been well established. Over the last years, kidney damage (KD) has emerged as a significant consequence of obesity since childhood. Indeed, a complex interplay of metabolic factors, including insulin resistance (IR), hypertension, oxidative stress, adipose tissue dysfunction, and systemic inflammation, might affect renal hemodynamics, contributing to CKD development over time in at-risk young patients.

Selective internal radiation therapy across Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages of hepatocellular carcinoma: literature review.

Background And Objective: Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) represents an endovascular treatment option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its use is widely recognized in the intermediate and advanced HCC, but it has become more prevalent in recent years in different Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages. The aim of this review is to summarize the role of SIRT and its clinical implications through different stages of HCC.

Extracellular Vesicles from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Exhibit a Unique MicroRNA and CircRNA Signature.

Extracellular vesicles (EV) have emerged as promising cell-free therapeutics in regenerative medicine. However, translating primary cell line-derived EV to clinical applications requires large-scale manufacturing and several challenges, such as replicative senescence, donor heterogeneity, and genetic instability. To address these limitations, we used a reprogramming approach to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) from the young source of cord blood mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (CBMSC).

The natural history of untreated X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus with mutation in the vasopressin V2 receptor gene.

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) results from the kidneys' inability to concentrate urine. We describe a 6-month-old male with a history of poor weight gain who presented with an incidental finding of hypernatremia (155 mEq/L) during an episode of acute gastroenteritis. The arginine vasopressin (AVP) test, along with molecular analysis revealing the M272R mutation in the AVP receptor 2 (AVPR2) gene, confirmed the diagnosis of congenital NDI.

Severe Obesity Defined by Percentiles of WHO and Cardiometabolic Risk in Youth with Obesity.

The pediatric definition of severe obesity (OB) depends on the body mass index (BMI) references. We evaluated different BMI-derived metrics of the World Health Organization (WHO) system to define which cut-off is associated with the highest cardiometabolic risk (CMR); In this multicentric study, data were retrieved for 3727 youths (1937 boys; 2225 children, 1502 adolescents). OB was defined as BMI > 97th percentile (BMI), severe OB was defined as BMI > 99th percentile (BMI), BMI ≥ 120% of the 97th percentile (120% BMI), or BMI Z-score > 3 (WHO tables), or BMI ≥ the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) value crossing a BMI of 35 kg/m at the age of 18 (IOTF).

Role of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and of its genetics on kidney function in childhood obesity.

Objectives: Evidence linked metabolic associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) to kidney damage with the potential contribution of the I148M variant of the Patatin-like phospholipase containing domain 3 (PNPLA3) gene. We aimed at investigating the relationship of MASLD and of its genetics with kidney function in children with obesity.

Methods: A comprehensive evaluation including genotyping for the I148M PNPLA3 polymorphism was performed in 1037 children with obesity.

Effectiveness of Smartphone App for the Treatment of Pediatric Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Pediatric obesity treatment is based on high-intensity lifestyle counseling. However, high dropout rates and low effectiveness have been reported, even in specialized centers. Mobile health technologies have been used to overcome these limits with contrasting results.

Periodontitis in Psoriatic Patients: Epidemiological Insights and Putative Etiopathogenic Links.

Psoriasis, a systemic autoimmune disorder primarily affecting the skin, manifests through erythematous plaques and scales, impacting approximately 2-3% of the global population. Chronic periodontitis, a prevalent oral disease characterized by the destruction of tooth-supporting tissues, affects roughly 10-15% of adults worldwide. Emerging evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between psoriasis and chronic periodontitis, supported by epidemiological studies indicating a higher prevalence of periodontitis among individuals with psoriasis and vice versa.

Prognostic factors influencing outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing selective internal radiation therapy.

Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) has emerged as a viable endovascular treatment strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification, SIRT is currently recommended for early- and intermediate-stage HCC that is unsuitable for alternative locoregional therapies. Additionally, SIRT remains a recommended treatment for patients with advanced-stage HCC and portal vein thrombosis (PVT) without extrahepatic metastasis.

Basal knowledge in the field of pediatric nephrology and its enhancement following specific training of ChatGPT-4 "omni" and Gemini 1.5 Flash.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the baseline performance and improvement of ChatGPT-4 "omni" (ChatGPT-4o) and Gemini 1.5 Flash (Gemini 1.5) in answering multiple-choice questions related to pediatric nephrology after specific training.

Prevalence and determinants of failure to thrive in children with vesico-ureteral reflux.

Aim: To assess the prevalence and determinants of failure to thrive (FTT) among patients with vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR) and evaluating the effects of supplementation on growth in patients with urinary solute losses.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 1277 patients with VUR (mean age at diagnosis = 6.5 months).

Sex-Related Differences in Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity.

Background: Pediatric obesity is closely associated with cardiometabolic comorbidities, but the role of sex in this relationship is less investigated. We aimed to evaluate sex-related differences on cardiometabolic risk factors and preclinical signs of target organ damage in adolescents with overweight/obesity (OW/OB).

Methods: The main cross-sectional study included 988 adolescents (510 boys and 478 girls) with OW/OB aged 10-18 years.

A global survey on the use of the international classification of diseases codes for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease.

Background: With the implementation of the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the publication of the metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) nomenclature in 2020, it is important to establish consensus for the coding of MAFLD in ICD-11. This will inform subsequent revisions of ICD-11.

Methods: Using the Qualtrics XM and WJX platforms, questionnaires were sent online to MAFLD-ICD-11 coding collaborators, authors of papers, and relevant association members.

Kidney function evaluation in children and adolescents with obesity: a not-negligible need.

Unlabelled: The role of obesity as risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been well-recognized. As previously demonstrated in adults, emerging data highlighted the relevant impact of obesity on renal function since childhood. As a matter of fact, obesity also affects renal health through a complex pathogenic mechanism in which insulin resistance (IR) plays a pivotal role.