ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: We previously reported that miglitol, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor (α-GI), increases energy expenditure by enhancing β3-adrenergic signaling of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and reduces obesity in dietary-induced obese mice (S Sugimoto et al, at the 9th joint meeting of Pediatric Endocrinology, 2013) (Nutrition & Metabolism). However, this report did not describe the mechanism by which miglitol enhances β3-adrenergic signaling....

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children is a diagnostic challenge. Presently recommended markers of liver steatosis and risk of progression to fibrosis are: ultrasound imaging (US) and liver aminotransferases (ALT and AST). Owing to the poor sensitivity of these tests, there is a need to search for biomarkers which could indicate early stages of NAFLD. The enhanced liver fibrosis test (ELF) based on the combination of serum concentration of hyal...

Background: Impaired glucose tolerance ((IGT), glucose ≥140mg/dl at 120’ in the oral-glucose-tolerance-test (OGTT)) is prevalent in childhood obesity. It is frequently reversed after weight loss, although an eventual role for metformin treatment has been postulated.Objective: To evaluate the benefits of metformin addition to conservative treatment on weight loss and IGT in obese children.Patients and methods: We studied ...

Background: Nutrition and growth in the postnatal phase seems to have an important role for the future risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. It has been suggested that circulating levels of adiponectin in the first 2 years of life are influenced by type of feeding in small for gestational age.Objective and hypotheses: Aim of our study was to evaluate if total and multimeric adiponectin levels in obese adequate for gestational age...

Background: Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) deficiency is characterized by severe, early-onset hyperphagic obesity and congenital adrenal insufficiency, the latter secondary to ACTH deficiency.Case: 3.5 years old female patient whose initial diagnosis was neurometabolic disease because of motor mental retardation, ataxia, and bilateral hyperintense lesions in the basal ganglia in magnetic resonance imaging, increased lactate-lipid peak in proton magnetic reso...

Aim: A decline in the age at menarche has been reported in recent years in several well-off populations. The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has increased during the last decades with some levelling off during the last years. The aim of the present study was to study the association between parameters of overweight and menarche in Norway.Material: Cross-sectional data from The Bergen Growth Study, collected in 2003–2006 from 4016 girl...

Background: HbA1c was recommended as diagnostic tool in adults at risk for diabetes. In obese patients, HbA1c shows an association even with other features of metabolic syndrome. However, its value in pediatric population for this purpose has yet to be established.Material and methods: We determined HbA1c (IFCC method) in 307 overweight/obese children and adolescents (age 11.4±3.2; range 3.0–17.9 and BMI 27.9±4.7; range 20.4–47.6) val...

Background: Determining fat mass (FM) using methods of body composition analysis is useful in diagnosis and treatment of obese adolescents who undergo life style intervention. The use of dual-energy X-ray absorption (DXA) is time-consuming, potentially harmful and expensive. Alternative methods for accurately estimating FM are needed.Objective and hypotheses: We evaluated single-frequency arm-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analysis at 50 kHz (sf-BIA) in ...

Background: Infantile obesity is nowadays a pandemic disease and needs a paediatrician interventional attitude. Since 1990 until 2010 it has trebled and the World Health Organization recommends prevention ‘as soon as possible’ even during the first year of life. A Spanish study (Aladino 2011) stimated the prevalence of overweight in boys as a 26.3% and in girls a 25.9% and the prevalence of obesity as a 22% and a 16.2% respectively. Our aim was to set up a new score ...

Background: Exposure to non-persistent pesticides may have an effect on prenatal growth and later risk of adiposity. Prenatal pesticide exposure has been found to be associated with lower birth weight and higher body fat percentage calculated from skinfolds at age 6–11 years. Body composition measured by using DXA in children prenatally exposed to pesticides has not previously been reported.Objective and hypotheses: To study the effects of prenatal ...

Background: Increased caloric intake in dietary obesity (DO) could be driven by central mechanisms regulating reward-seeking behavior. Leptin modulates the mesolimbic dopamine system and vice versa.Objective and hypotheses: We supposed D2 dopamine receptor agonists to influence weight gain and leptin level in genetically unmodified rats (GUR) with high caloric diet (HCD) as dietary obesity.Method: Male rats (n=48,...

Background: According to current literature 1-h glucose ≥155 mg/dl during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is considered an independent predictor of β-cell deterioration and future progression to prediabetes in obese individuals.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate whether determination of glucose level obtained 1-h after glucose load can improve predictive ability of prediabetes.Method: Ninety-eight overweight/...

Background: Obesity is a worldwide pathological epidemic. Children and adolescents are a major concern in this trend.Objective and hypotheses: To identify the dynamics of body composition in children with alimentary obesity in puberty.Methods: 105 children with alimentary obesity with BMI over 30 kg/m2 were examinated. Anthropometric parameters (height, weight, waist, and hip circumference (WC, CH)), BMI, biochemical par...

Background: The ‘catch-up growth’ phenomenon in children born small for gestational age (SGA) has been linked to early onset obesity with the subsequent emergence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The intima media thickness of the common carotid artery (CIMT) is a well-known marker of subclinical atherosclerosis.Objective and hypotheses: To determine the association between being born SGA and CIMT, a measure of atherogenesis and to investigate meta...

Introduction and aims: Obesity is often associated with elevated insulin levels and resistance to insulin action (IR). Insulin regulates the lipid metabolism. In overweight children, IR may well play a greater role than obesity in the development of lipid alterations. This study sought to ascertain whether there was any difference in lipid levels between obese and non-obese children, and to test for correlations between IR markers and BMI.Patients and me...

Background: Mannose binding lectin (MBL) is an important innate immune molecule and is previously found to be related to artery damage in some diseases as SLE rheumatoid arthritis and severe atherosclerosis. However, its role in artery change is still contradictory according to different studies. We found the carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) increased in obese children which indicated an early change of atherosclerosis.Objective and hypotheses:...

Background: BMI to screen children for cardiometabolic risk has numerous drawbacks. Hypertriglyceridemic-waist (HW) phenotype is recognized as an effective screening tool to identify adults but role in children is not known.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate HW-phenotype as an alternative for BMI in recognizing children (5–18 years) at risk for cardiometabolic risk factors.Method: Retrospective review of case records of chi...

Background: Childhood obesity and related co-morbidities are increasing world wide and consequently effective treatment interventions are much needed.Objective and hypotheses: The aim was to investigate concomitant changes in body composition in relation to changes in BMI–SDS during The Children’s Obesity Clinics Treatment (TCOCT) program. Hypothesis: reductions in body fat percentage may not be revealed by reductions in BMI–SDS.<p cla...

Background: Cystic fibrosis is associated with abnormal lipid metabolism and this anormality is commonly characterized by low cholesterol and hypertriglyceridemia. The increasing in life expectancy of cystic fibrosis patients has enhancing the interest for prevent the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases like dyslipidemias.Objective and hypotheses: Determine whether concentrations of cholesterol and triacylglycerol are related to nutritional status a...

Background: People with Down syndrome (DS) are considered to be atherosclerosis-free. However, obesity predispositions and thyroid gland dysfunction that accompanies this syndrome can influence on the heart ischemic risk. The aim of the study was the evaluation of lipid profile of children with DS and estimation of omega-3 supplementation effect on serum lipid profile.Materials and methods: The group constituted 69 children with DS (41 boys), average age...

Background: Platelet levels plays a key role for determining insulin resistance by a simple test. The degree of platelet activation may be assessed by platelet indices such as platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW).Objective and hypothesis: The aim of this study is to assess platelet count, MPV, and PDW as metabolic indicator in obese chlidren with or without insulin resistants.Methods: Tw...

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Despite the obesity epidemics, the incidence of childhood T2DM is not increased.Objective and hypotheses: To assess the β-cell reserve expressed as an oral glucose disposition index (GDIo), an independent predictor of developing T2DM.Method: A total of 80 adolescents (61.3% girls), aged from 10.0 to 17.6 years (mean age 13.59±2.34 y...

Background: Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is the major sex steroid carrier protein. Its production is negatively regulated by insulin and monosaccharides. The concentration of SHBG increases between 16 and 27 weeks gestation and is negatively associated with pre-gestational BMI and weight gain during pregnancy. The link of SHBG with cardiovascular risk is poorly understood.Objective and hypotheses: In obese pregnant women, we aimed to study the ass...