ESPE Abstracts

Background: The new adipokine/myokine meteorin-like (Metrnl) has been proposed to be of interest for obesity and metabolic disease through its potential role for brown/beige fat thermogenesis and macrophage activation in mice. METRNL was reported to be expressed in white adipose tissue (AT) and upregulated during adipogenesis and by exercise and.Aims: In this study we analysed the expression of METRNL during human adipogenesis and its regulation...

Background: The leptin signaling cascade is a crucial regulator of satiety and energy homeostasis in the hypothalamus, comprising extracellular leptin binding to its receptor, phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) and consecutively the generation of a central satiety signal via neuropeptide secretion. We identified three variants in the extracellular domains of the LEPR gene in two children with severe ...

Background: Rodent models of leptin inactivity show progressive obesity due to exaggerated food intake. In humans, only rare monogenic cases of leptin deficiency and almost absent circulating leptin levels have been identified. Recently, two cases of children with early onset massive obesity due to biofunctionally inactive leptin in the face of normal total levels have been identified.Objective and hypotheses: Here we aimed to identify leptin inactivity ...

Background: Evaluation of glucose metabolism is currently based on 2 h glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) or fasting glucose and insulin or A1c, as these are the only parameters where cutoff values exist. This does, however, not adequately reflect the degree of hyperinsulinemia due to insulin resistance in obese children.Objective and design: From frequent glucose and insulin levels during an oGTT of 64 healthy lean children (aged 7.7&#...

Background: Patients with PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) hamartoma tumor syndrome and germ line mutations in PTEN frequently develop lipomatosis, for which there is no standard treatment. Rapamycin was shown to reduce the growth of lipoma cells with heterozygous PTEN deficiency in vitro, but concomitantly induced an up regulation of AKT phosphorylation.Objective and hypotheses: Since it was shown that resveratrol stabilizes PTEN,...

Context: Childhood obesity is supposed to affect growth and development in children but there is uncertainty with regard to dynamics and potential causes. We analyzed differences in age-related growth patterns of obese and normal-weight children and their association with circulating endocrine and metabolic factors.Objective/Design: In a large German childhood cohort from Leipzig including 7986 children (22793 data sets) we compared cross-sectional and l...

Background/Aim: Serum NAMPT (nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase) levels are altered in adult patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, less is known about NAMPT serum levels children and adolescents and their association with parameters of liver function.Methods: Blood and anthropometric data of 416 children and adolescents who participated in the LIFE Child Study Leipzig were collected. Serum NAMPT (Adipogen) and cytokeratin-...

Background: The phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway is central for cell cycle control, differentiation, migration, and metabolism. Unrestricted growth of adipose tissue in particular is frequently seen in humans with germline PTEN and mosaic activating PIK3CA mutations, respectively.Objective and hypotheses: We assume that adipocytes from affected tissue show hyperproliferation and modified dif...

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents one of the most common obesity complications and can progress to non-alcoholic stetohepatitis (NASH). NASH is associated with lower insulin like growth factor I (IGF-1) and IGFBP-3, however no data are available regarding the growth hormone (GH)-IGF-I axis in early stage of NAFLD, characterised by hepatic steatosis.Objective and hypotheses: We aimed to investigate the GH-IGF-1 pathway in a ...

Background: Accumulation of fat mass in the development of obesity may result from hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia and is frequently associated with adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction in adults. However, the onset and mechanisms of AT dysfunction are not entirely understood.Objective and hypotheses: We assessed composition, function, lipolysis, and inflammation in 171 AT samples from lean and obese children and adolescents (aged 0 – 18 years) to evaluat...