Is serum C-terminal telopeptide cross-link of type 1 collagen a reliable parameter for predicting the risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws? A systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy

Clinical Oral Investigations - To determine the usefulness of Serum C-terminal telopeptide cross-link of type 1 collagen (sCTX) as a preoperative marker for predicting the risk of developing...     

Associations between anthropometric indicators in early life and low-grade inflammation,insulin resistance and lipid profile in adolescence

Background and aimsThe long-term relations between excessive adiposity in early childhood and unfavourable cardiometabolic profiles in later ages are not yet completely understood. We aimed to assess the associations between birth weight (BW) and BMI from 6 months to 6 years of age, with biomarkers indicative of low-grade inflammation, insulin resistance and lipid profiles in adolescence.Methods and resultsRetrospective school-based study with 415 Portuguese adolescents (220 girls), mean age of 14.08 ± 1.6 years old. Anthropometric data from birth to 6 years old was extracted from individual child health book records. Actual weight and height were measured and BMI calculated. Participants were classified at each time point as normal weight or overweight according to WHO reference values. Biomarkers were obtained from venous blood samples. Linear regressions were used to explore the associations between the biomarkers and early life anthropometric indicators. From 2 years onwards, BMI associated positively with the inflammatory score and HOMA-IR in adolescence. Children who were overweight/obese from 2 to 6 years of age presented significantly higher inflammatory score and HOMA-IR later in adolescence. TC/HDL ratio was also positively associated with BMI from the age of 5 years onwards. The associations between BMI and cardiometabolic outcomes remained positive in adolescence, with overweight adolescents presenting a higher inflammatory score, HOMA-IR and TC/HDL than normal weight adolescents.ConclusionA high BMI from an early age was consistently associated with worse inflammatory and lipid profiles and insulin resistance in adolescence. No associations were found between BW and the same studied outcomes.     

Sex differences in behavior and neuropharmacology of zebrafish

Sex is an important variable in biomedical research. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is increasingly utilized as a powerful new model organism in translational neuroscience and pharmacology. Mounting evidence indicates important sex differences in zebrafish behavioral and neuropharmacological responses. Here, we discuss the role of sex in zebrafish central nervous system (CNS) models, their molecular mechanisms, recent findings and the existing challenges in this field. We also emphasize the growing utility of zebrafish models in translational neuropharmacological research of sex differences, fostering future CNS drug discovery and the search for novel sex‐specific therapies. Finally, we highlight the interplay between sex and environment in zebrafish models of sex‐environment correlations as an important strategy of CNS disease modeling using this aquatic organism.