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Background Childhood obesity leads to an increased inflammatory response, which in the long term can lead to serious health problems such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, and may also increase the risk of obesity in adulthood. Our aim was to evaluate inflammatory markers associated with pediatric obesity in 30 healthy children (BMI between the 15th–85th percentiles) and 30 obese children (BMI > 95th percentile) and to determine the possible associations of these markers. Methods Anthropometric measurements of the children were obtained. The serum preptin, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels of thirty children with obesity and thirty healthy children were determined using ELISA. Results NLPR3, preptin, and PPARγ levels were greater obese children than in healthy children ( p  < 0.05). We have shown that high PPARγ levels may have an inhibitory effect on the inflammatory activation of NLRP3. Conclusions In our study, the changes observed in preptin, NLRP3 and PPARγ parameters were found to be closely associated with pediatric obesity. These molecules may play an important role in understanding the relationship between pediatric obesity and inflammation and may be used as biomarkers in determining obesity treatment and complications in future studies.

Background/Objectives: Obesity is associated with cardiovascular disease worldwide. An increased lipoprotein A (LpA) level is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in children. Genetic polymorphisms of the LPA gene may play an important role in susceptibility to obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of LPA rs10455872 polymorphism with the risk and clinical phenotypes of childhood obesity. Methods: This study included 103 children with obesity and 77 healthy controls. Genotyping of the LPA rs10455872 polymorphism was performed using real-time PCR. Results: The genotype distributions of the LPA rs10455872 polymorphism did not differ significantly between children with obesity and healthy children (p = 0.563). A marked difference in insulin levels was observed between children with obesity carrying the AG (16.90 IU/mL) and AA (25.57 IU/mL) genotypes. A marked difference was also observed in CRP levels between children with obesity with the AG (2.31 mg/L) and AA (4.25 mg/L) genotypes. After correcting for multiple comparisons using the false discovery rate (FDR), significant differences were found between AG and AA genotypes in vitamin B12 (adjusted p = 0.024). Serum iron showed a borderline association (adjusted p = 0.072). A statistically significant correlation was found between the metabolic syndrome index and body fat ratio among children with obesity with the AA genotype (p = 0.028). Conclusions: Although limited by the small number of children with obesity with the AG genotype, some differences were noted between the AG and AA genotypes. These exploratory findings require further investigation in adequately powered studies. In children with obesity with the AA genotype, the metabolic syndrome index increases as the body fat ratio increases.

Infertility is a problem concerning 10-15% of the individuals in the fertile period. This study investigated effects of proinflammatory factors as well as lipid hydroperoxides (LPO) levels upon in vitro fertilization (IVF) success. In this prospective, non-randomized, controlled clinical study, sera obtained from 26 fertile (group-1), 26 infertile women before (group-2) and after (group-3) IVF treatment were analyzed. Leptin, leptin receptor, resistin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). LPO was determined spectrophotometrically. Mann- Whitney U test, paired samples t test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test as well as Pearson correlation analysis by SPSS were performed for statistical analysis. TNF-α, resistin and LPO levels increased (P=0.020, P=0.003, P=0.001, respectively) in group-3 compared to group-2. A significant increase in LPO was noted both in group-2 and -3 compared to controls (P=0.000). LPO were higher in non-pregnants than pregnants in group-2. For pregnants, significant correlations were observed between leptin and resistin in group-2 and TNF-α and leptin in group-3. None of these correlations were found for the women, who could not conceive. LPO, leptin-resistin correlation, associations with TNF-α may be helpful during the interpretation of IVF success rates.

Background Childhood obesity leads to an increased inflammatory response, which in the long term can lead to serious health problems such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, and may also increase the risk of obesity in adulthood. Our aim was to evaluate inflammatory markers associated with pediatric obesity in 30 healthy children (BMI between the 15th-85th percentiles) and 30 obese children (BMI > 95th percentile) and to determine the possible associations of these markers. Methods Anthropometric measurements of the children were obtained. The serum preptin, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPAR[gamma]), nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels of thirty children with obesity and thirty healthy children were determined using ELISA. Results NLPR3, preptin, and PPAR[gamma] levels were greater obese children than in healthy children (p < 0.05). We have shown that high PPAR[gamma] levels may have an inhibitory effect on the inflammatory activation of NLRP3. Conclusions In our study, the changes observed in preptin, NLRP3 and PPAR[gamma] parameters were found to be closely associated with pediatric obesity. These molecules may play an important role in understanding the relationship between pediatric obesity and inflammation and may be used as biomarkers in determining obesity treatment and complications in future studies. Keywords: Child, Obesity, Preptin, NLRP3, PPAR[gamma]

ABSTRACT Background Although high‐dose biotin interference in automated immunoassays is now considered, there are very few studies showing biotin interference in manually operated research kits, especially with enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The aims of our study were to determine the effects of biotin interference on various parameters, including leptin, leptin receptor (LEPR), ghrelin, acylated ghrelin, deacylated ghrelin, ghrelin receptor (GHSR), kisspeptin (KISS1), kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R), preptin, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), nod‐like receptor pyrin domain‐containing 3 (NLRP3) and interleukin‐18 (IL‐18), which contribute to energy homeostasis in healthy and obese children. Methods Serum pools were prepared from healthy and obese individuals, and biotin concentrations in samples containing different amounts of biotin were measured via sandwich and competitive ELISA methods. In addition, possible biotin interactions were investigated by determining the concentrations of all the study parameters in serum pools containing different amounts of biotin. Results We found that the biotin‐competitive, ghrelin‐competitive, KISS1‐competitive, GHSR, leptin and LEPR ELISA kits were less affected by biotin interference and the results of these assay kits were more reliable. Unexpectedly, high levels were also measured in the biotin sandwich ELISA kit, indicating that biotin interference can also occur in manually operated assay kits. Conclusions Biotin exhibited an interference effect even in well‐functioning, qualified kits, and this negative effect was less common in competitive kits. Biotin interference was closely associated with the quality of the research kit, the parameters studied, and the presence of high biotin concentrations in the blood. In this study, we aimed for the first time to demonstrate biotin interference in ELISA research kits used in the analysis of pediatric obesity parameters other than routine testing. Our study revealed that biotin interaction may occur in manual ELISA kits and may cause erroneous test results. It will raise awareness among health professionals, researchers, and medical companies on this issue. By encouraging manufacturers developing medical products to take measures to reduce the effect of biotin interaction, it will prevent erroneous results in scientific studies and contribute to more precise measurements.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders of childhood and characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, and its etiology has not yet been determined precisely. Orexin A is thought to play an important role in different forms of learning, memory, and attention. Despite its importance in attention and learning, no study has investigated serum orexin levels in patients with ADHD. In the present study, we aimed to compare serum orexigenic neuropeptides such as orexin A and orexin B, neuropeptide Y, and ghrelin between drug naive children with ADHD and healthy children. Fifty-six drug-naive children with ADHD and 40 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. After comparison of serum orexin A and orexin B, neuropeptide Y, and ghrelin, we found that serum orexin A levels were significantly lower in the ADHD group (p = 0.001). Furthermore, serum orexin A levels were compared between ADHD subgroups. Orexin A levels were significantly lower in the inattentive subtype compared with the hyperactive subtype and combined subtype (p = 0.009). Our results indicate that orexin A might be a neurobiological etiological factor in ADHD, particularly associated with attention symptoms. The present study is the first to demonstrate decreased serum orexin A levels in drug-naive children with ADHD. Further studies are needed to confirm our results and to show the effects of treatments involving orexin A in patients with ADHD.

We aimed to measure flow-mediated dilation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), and to evaluate the effects of waist circumference (WC), and body mass index Z (BMI-Z) score on these parameters in obese children. This case-control cross-sectional study included 70 obese and 40 non-obese children aged 7-14 years who presented with various complaints and had no concomitant diseases. FMD and cIMT were measured in all subjects and correlated with anthropometric and biochemical factors. WC, BMI-Z score, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), triglyceride (TG) and insulin concentrations, and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) index were significantly higher, whereas high density lipoprotein (HDL) -cholesterol concentration was significantly lower in the obese than in the non-obese group. FMD values were significantly lower, whereas cIMT values were significantly higher in obese than in non-obese subjects. FMD negatively correlated with WC, BMI-Z score, serum insulin level, HOMA, systolic BP, triglyceride but positively with HDL-cholesterol. cIMT positively correlated with WC, BMI-Z score, serum insulin level, HOMA, systolic BP, triglyceride but negatively with HDL-cholesterol. Increased WC, BMI-Z score, serum insulin level, HOMA, systolic BP, triglyceride and decreased HDL-cholesterol in obese children contribute to endothelial dysfunction and early subclinical atherosclerosis compared to their normal weight peers.