ESPE Abstracts (2014) 82 P-D-2-1-373

aDivision of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece; bDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece


Background: The noncoding RNA growth-arrest-specific transcript 5 (Gas5) is abundant in cells whose growth has been arrested owing to lack of nutrients or growth factors. Gas5 is a riborepressor of the glucocorticoid receptor, influencing cell survival and metabolic activities during starvation by inhibiting the latter’s transcriptional activity.

Aim: To determine the expression levels of Gas5 in blood samples of obese, overweight and lean children and adolescents.

Patients and Methods: One hundred (n=100) children and adolescents (males: 55, females: 45) were recruited to participate in the study. Of these, 35 were obese (age: 10.92±3.43 years; BMI: 27.44±3.98 kg/m2), 35 overweight (age: 10.85±1.58 years; BMI: 21.97±2.26 kg/m2), and 30 of normal BMI (age: 10.56±2.55 years; BMI: 19.36±1.95 kg/m2). Total RNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples and cDNA was prepared. RT-PCR was performed using the Light Cycler 480 Probes Master Kit, employing primers and TaqMan probes specifically designed for Gas5 and RPLP0 (used as control gene), on a Light Cycler 480 System (Roche). The Cp values obtained for Gas5 expression were normalized for those of RPLP0.

Results: The expression levels of Gas5 did not differ among obese (1.1637±0.1661), overweight (0.9304±0.1340), and normal-BMI (1.0352±0.1612) children.

Conclusion: This study did not reveal a difference in the expression levels of Gas5 in overweight and obese children compared with those of normal BMI. This is probably due to the stability of the milieu interieur. Further studies are necessary to determine whether the expression levels of Gas5 differ between patients with severe anorexia nervosa and their normal counterparts.

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