Is obesity a risk factor for psychopathology among adolescents?

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have documented the existence of psychopathology in obese adolescents, disagreement remains regarding the extent and nature of this psychopathology. The aim of the present study was to explore the type and frequency of psychopathology in a clinical as well as a non-clinical sample of obese adolescents, and in a normal weight control group. METHODS: The study sample consisted of a clinical study group of 30 obese adolescents, a non-clinical obese group of 30 obese adolescents, and a control group of 30 normal weight adolescents. Psychological assessment was performed using a non-structured psychiatric interview, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Children Depression Inventory (CDI), Rosenberg Self-esteem scale (SES) and the Eating Attitude Test (EAT). RESULTS: More than half of the clinical obese adolescents (16/30) had a DSM-IV diagnosis, often involving major depressive disorder (n = 10). The mean scores of anxiety-depression, social problems, social withdrawal and total problem in the CBCL scale of the clinical obese group were significantly higher than the non-clinical obese group and the normal weight control group. The mean total scores of the SES and the CDI of the clinical obese group were higher than the normal weight control group. The mean total score of EAT of the clinical obese group was significantly higher than the normal weight control group, and the mean score of EAT of the non-clinical obese group was significantly higher than the normal weight control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results support previously published reports which show a higher ratio of psychopathology (depression, behavioral problems, low-esteem) among clinical obese adolescents than among non-clinical obese adolescents. Findings provided evidence for a psychosocial at-risk population in a subgroup of obese adolescents.     

Wolcott–Rallison syndrome due to the same mutation (W522X) in EIF2AK3 in two unrelated families and review of the literature*

Ozbek MN, Senée V, Aydemir S, Kotan LD, Mungan NO, Yuksel B, Julier C, Topaloglu AK. Wolcott–Rallison syndrome due to the same mutation (W522X) in EIF2AK3 in two unrelated families and review of the literature. Wolcott‐Rallison syndrome (WRS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by an early‐infancy‐onset diabetes mellitus associated with a variety of multisystemic clinical manifestations. Here, we present six patients with WRS, carrying the same homozygous mutation (EIF2AK3‐W522X), from two unrelated Turkish families. This is the largest series of patients with the same mutation for this rare syndrome. In this communication we compare clinical features of these six patients with the other 34 patients who have been reported to date, and review the clinical features of WRS. All WRS patients presented first with symptoms of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, with a mean age at onset of 2 months. All patients had skeletal dysplasia or early signs of it, and growth retardation. Many of the patients with WRS have been reported to have developmental delay, mental retardation, and learning difficulties; in contrast, none of our patients showed abnormal development at age up to 30 months. Acute attacks of hepatic failure were reported in 23 cases out of 37 patients; in 15 of those 23 cases an acute attack of renal failure accompanied the liver failure. Exocrine pancreatic deficiency has been reported in only four cases other than our four patients. Central hypothyroidism was observed in six of 28 cases. We propose that central hypothyroidism is not a component of WRS, but rather a reflection of euthyroid sick syndrome. Four of our patients experienced severe neutropenia, compared to only five of the 27 other cases, suggesting that the W522X mutation may be specifically associated with neutropenia. Other than the consistent features of diabetes mellitus and epiphyseal dysplasia, WRS patients are otherwise characterized by extensive phenotypic variability that correlates poorly to genotype.     

Comparative Analyses of Turkish Variome and Widely Used Genomic Variation Databases for the Evaluation of Rare Sequence Variants in Turkish Individuals: Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism as a Disease Model

Objective:With the increasing use of whole-exome sequencing, one of the challenges in identifying the causal allele for a Mendelian disease is the lack of availability of population-specific human genetic variation reference databases. The people of Turkey were not represented in GnomAD or other publicly available large databases until recently, when the first comprehensive genomic variation database, Turkish Variome (TRV), was published. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether TRV or other publicly available large genomic variation databases can reliably be used for rare disease variant evaluation in Turkish individuals.Methods:Sixty non-disease-causing, non-synonymous variants (minor allele frequencies >1%) were identified in 58 genes that are known to be associated with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism from a large Turkish patient cohort. The allelic frequencies of these variants were then compared with those in various public genomic variation databases, including TRV.Results:Our cohort variants showed the highest correlations with those in the TRV, Iranome, and The Greater Middle East Variome, in decreasing order.Conclusion:These results suggest that the TRV is the appropriate database to use for rare genomic variant evaluations in the Turkish population. Our data also suggest that variomes from geographic neighborhoods may serve as substitute references for populations devoid of their own genomic variation databases.     

Wide QRS Complex and Lateral ST-T Segment Abnormality Are Associated With Worse Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients

BackgroundThe information on electrocardiographic features of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Our aim was to determine if baseline electrocardiographic features of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are associated with markers of myocardial injury and clinical outcomes.MethodsIn this retrospective, single center cohort study, we included 223 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Clinical, electrocardiographic and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Primary composite endpoint of mortality, need for invasive mechanical ventilation, or admission to the intensive care unit was assessed.ResultsForty patients (17.9%) reached the primary composite endpoint. Patients with the primary composite endpoint were more likely to have wide QRS complex (>120 ms) and lateral ST-T segment abnormality. The multivariable Cox regression showed increasing odds of the primary composite endpoint associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio 7.76, 95% CI 2.67–22.59; p < 0.001), acute cardiac injury (odds ratio 3.14, 95% CI 1.26–7.99; p = 0.016), high flow oxygen therapy (odds ratio 2.43, 95% CI 1.05–5.62; p = 0.037) and QRS duration longer than >120 ms (odds ratio 3.62, 95% CI 1.39–9.380; p = 0.008) Patients with a wide QRS complex (>120 ms) had significantly higher median level of troponin T and pro-BNP than those without it. Patients with abnormality of lateral ST-T segment had significantly higher median level of troponin T and pro-BNP than patients without.ConclusionsThe presence of QRS duration longer than 120 ms and lateral ST-T segment abnormality were associated with worse clinical outcomes and higher levels of myocardial injury biomarkers.     

Evaluation of styloid chain calcification related to temporomandibular joint disc displacement: a retrospective cohort study

Oral Radiology - The present study aimed to evaluate any relationship between elongated styloid process (ESP) and temporomandibular joint disc displacement (TMJD). Study design: A retrospective...     

Examination of fabrication conditions of acrylate-based hydrogel formulations for doxorubicin release and efficacy test for hepatocellular carcinoma cell

The objective of the present study was to develop 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate-co-polyethylene methacrylate [p(HPMA-co-PEG–MEMA)] hydrogels that are able to efficiently entrap doxorubicin for the application of loco-regional control of the cancer disease. Systemic chemotherapy provides low clinical benefit while localized chemotherapy might provide a therapeutic advantage. In this study, effects of hydrogel properties such as PEG chains length, cross-linking density, biocompatibility, drug loading efficiency, and drug release kinetics were evaluated in vitro for targeted and controlled drug delivery. In addition, the characterization of the hydrogel formulations was conducted with swelling experiments, permeability tests, Fourier transform infrared, SEM, and contact angle studies. In these drug-hydrogel systems, doxorubicin contains amine group that can be expected a strong Lewis acid–base interaction between drug and polar groups of PEG chains, thus the drug was released in a timely fashion with an electrostatic interaction mechanism. It was observed that doxorubicin release from the hydrogel formulations decreased when the density of cross-linking, and drug/polymer ratio were increased while an increase in the PEG chains length of the macro-monomer (i.e. PEG–MEMA) in the hydrogel system was associated with an increase in water content and doxorubicin release. The biocompatibility of the hydrogel formulations has been investigated using two measures: cytotoxicity test (using lactate dehydrogenase assay) and major serum proteins adsorption studies. Antitumor activity of the released doxorubicin was assessed using a human SNU398 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. It was observed that doxorubicin released from all of our hydrogel formulations which remained biologically active and had the capability to kill the tested cancer cells.     

The effects of Pilates on metabolic control and physical performance in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Physical activity is a substantial method in the management of children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus but it is not considered as a treatment for diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Pilates exercises on metabolic control and physical performance in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Thirty one sedentary patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, ranging in age from 12 to 17 (experimental group, n=17 and control group, n=14) were submitted to 12 weeks of Pilates training. Participants underwent tests to determine the physical performance and metabolic control before and after 12 weeks of Pilates session. At the end of study, there were significant alterations in physical performance of the study group. Peak power, mean power, vertical jump and flexibility of study group increased. There were no alterations for this parameters in the control group. There was no significant difference for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in both groups. Conclusions: Physical performance increased via Pilates exercises in the patients with type 1 DM. However there were no changes in metabolic control. In the present study, the positive effects of exercise on metabolic control could not be shown in patients with Type 1 DM.     

Distribution of gene mutations associated with familial normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

Objective: Normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nIHH) is characterized by failure of initiation or maintenance of puberty due to insufficient gonadotropin release, which is not associated with anosmia/hyposmia. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of causative mutations in a hereditary form of nIHH. Methods: In this prospective collaborative study, 22 families with more than one affected individual (i.e. multiplex families) with nIHH were recruited and screened for genes known or suspected to be strong candidates for nIHH. Results: Mutations were identified in five genes (GNRHR, TACR3, TAC3, KISS1R, and KISS1) in 77% of families with autosomal recessively inherited nIHH. GNRHR and TACR3 mutations were the most common two causative mutations occurring with about equal frequency. Conclusions: Mutations in these five genes account for about three quarters of the causative mutations in nIHH families with more than one affected individual. This frequency is significantly greater than the previously reported rates in all inclusive (familial plus sporadic) cohorts. GNRHR and TACR3 should be the first two genes to be screened for diagnostic purposes. Identification of causative mutations in the remaining families will shed light on the regulation of puberty.     

Effects of diode laser photocoagulation treatment on ocular biometric parameters in premature infants with retinopathy of prematurity

AIM:To investigate the effects of diode laser treatment on ocular biometric parameters in premature infants with retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).METHODS:Premature infants who received diode laser treatment for ROP(n=68)and premature infants with spontaneous regressed ROP without treatment(n=50)were performed longitudinal ocular biometric measurements including anterior chamber depth,lens thickness and axial length as follows:1 d prior to laser treatment,and 3,6,9,and 12 mo after the laser treatment.RESULTS:The mean birth weight,gestational age and initial examination time values were 936.53±302.07 g,26.66±2.42 wk,36.26±2.73 wk in the treatment group and 959.78±260.08 g,27.28±2.10 wk,36.56±2.54 wk in the control group.There was no statistically significant difference in these demographic characteristics of the groups.Anterior chamber depth,lens thickness and axial length demonstrated statistically significant linear increases during the study period in the two groups(P<0.001 for each).There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of anterior chamber depth after laser treatment.Measurements of the lens thickness at 9 th and 12 th months(9 th month 3.70±0.22 vs 3.60±0.21 mm,P=0.017;12 th month 3.81±0.21 vs 3.69±0.22 mm,P=0.002)and the axial length at 12 th month(19.35±0.79 vs 19.13±0.54 mm,P=0.031)after laser treatment were statistically higher in the treatment group.CONCLUSION:Diode laser retinal photocoagulation treatment in premature infants seems to increase the lens thickness and axial length.