Carla Márcia Moreira Lanna

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Haplotypes Associated with Childhood Obesity

Expansion of adipose tissue in obesity is associated with angiogenesis and adipose tissue mass depends on neovascularization. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the main angiogenic factor in the adipose tissue, and VEGF expression is tightly regulated at both transcriptional and translational levels. However, no previous study has tested the hypothesis that genetic polymorphisms in the VEGF gene could affect susceptibility to obesity. To test this hypothesis, we compared the distribution of genotypes and haplotypes including three VEGF genetic polymorphisms in obese children and adolescents with those found in healthy controls. We studied 172 healthy children and adolescents and 113 obese children and adolescents. Genotypes of three clinically relevant VEGF polymorphisms in the promoter region (C-2578A, G-1154A, and G-634C) of the VEGF gene were determined by TaqMan allele discrimination assay and real-time polymerase chain reaction. VEGF haplotypes were inferred using Haplo.stats and PHASE 2.1 programs. We found no differences in the distributions of VEGF genotypes and alleles (p > 0.05). However, the CAG haplotype was more frequent in the obese group than in the control group (4% versus 0%, respectively, in white subjects; p = 0.008; odds ratio = 10.148 (95% confidence interval: 1.098-93.788). Our findings suggest that VEGF haplotypes affect susceptibility to obesity in children and adolescents.

The effects of endothelial nitric oxide synthase tagSNPs on nitrite levels and risk of hypertension and obesity in children and adolescents

Obesity and the nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) gene polymorphisms are associated with nitrite levels and hypertension. However, no study has tested the hypothesis that NOS3 tagSNPs rs3918226, rs3918188, rs743506 and rs7830 affect nitrite levels and are associated with hypertension in childhood obesity. We investigated the association of these NOS3 tagSNPs and the haplotypes formed by them with hypertension and with nitrite levels in children and adolescents with obesity and with obesity plus hypertension. We studied 355 subjects: 174 healthy (controls), 109 normotensive obese, and 72 obese children and adolescents with obesity plus hypertension. Genotypes were determined by Taqman allele discrimination assay and real-time PCR. We compared the distribution of NOS3 tagSNP genotypes, alleles and haplotypes in the three groups of subjects. Nitrite levels were determined by ozone-based chemiluminescence. Nitrite levels were affected by the rs3918226 polymorphism (P<0.05) but not by NOS3 haplotypes. There was no association between the tagSNPs studied and hypertension in children and adolescents. Our findings show that the NOS3 tagSNP rs3918226 is associated with NO production in children and adolescents, and suggest that this polymorphism may have an impact on cardiovascular health. Further studies are needed to better clarify the effects of this polymorphism on cardiovascular risk.

Increased activity of MMP‐2 in hypertensive obese children is associated with hypoadiponectinemia

To compare the circulating levels of MMP‐2 and TIMP‐2 and the MMP‐2/TIMP‐2 ratio in control, obese, and obese hypertensive children and adolescents and to assess whether hypoadiponectinemia is associated with MMP‐2 and TIMP‐2 levels and MMP‐2/TIMP‐2 ratios.

The role of uric acid in the insulin resistance in children and adolescents with obesity

Objective: To investigate the association between serum uric acid levels and insulin resistance in children and adolescents with obesity. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 245 children and adolescents (134 obese and 111 controls), aged 8-18 years. The anthropometric variables (weight, height and waist circumference), blood pressure and biochemical parameters were collected. The clinical characteristics of the groups were analyzed by t-test or chi-square test. To evaluate the association between uric acid levels and insulin resistance the Pearsons test and logistic regression were applied. Results: The prevalence of insulin resistance was 26.9%. The anthropometric variables, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and biochemical variables were significantly higher in the obese group (p<0.001), except for the high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. There was a positive and significant correlation between anthropometric variables and uric acid with HOMA-IR in the obese and in the control groups, which was higher in the obese group and in the total sample. The logistic regression model that included age, gender and obesity, showed an odds ratio of uric acid as a variable associated with insulin resistance of 1.91 (95%CI 1.40-2.62; p<−0.001). Conclusions: The increase in serum uric acid showed a positive statistical correlation with insulin resistance and it is associated with and increased risk of insulin resistance in obese children and adolescents.

Lack of association between genetic polymorphism of FTO, AKT1 and AKTIP in childhood overweight and obesity

OBJECTIVE Obesity is a chronic disease caused by both environmental and genetic factors. Epidemiological studies have documented that increased energy intake and sedentary lifestyle, as well as a genetic contribution, are forces behind the obesity epidemic. Knowledge about the interaction between genetic and environmental components can facilitate the choice of the most effective and specific measures for the prevention of obesity. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the FTO, AKT1, and AKTIP genes and childhood obesity and insulin resistance. METHODS This was a case-control study in which SNPs in the FTO (rs99396096), AKT1, and AKTIP genes were genotyped in groups of controls and obese/overweight children. The study included 195 obese/overweight children and 153 control subjects. RESULTS As expected, the obese/overweight group subjects had higher body mass index, higher fasting glucose, HOMA-IR index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. However, no significant differences were observed in genes polymorphisms genotype or allele frequencies. CONCLUSION The present results suggest that AKT1, FTO, and AKTIP polymorphisms were not associated with obesity/overweight in Brazilians children. Future studies on the genetics of obesity in Brazilian children and their environment interactions are needed.

Original articleThe role of uric acid in the insulin resistance in children and adolescents with obesityO papel do ácido úrico na resistência insulínica em crianças e adolescentes com obesidade

Objective To investigate the association between serum uric acid levels and insulin resistance in children and adolescents with obesity.

Disfunción autonómica cardiaca en niños y adolescentes obesos normotensos

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that obese normotensive children and adolescents present impaired cardiac autonomic control compared to non-obese normotensive ones. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, 66 children and adolescents were divided into the following groups: Obese (n=31, 12±3 years old) and Non-Obese (n=35, 13±3 years old). Obesity was defined as body mass index greater than the 95th percentile for age and gender. Blood pressure was measured by oscillometric method after 15 minutes of rest in supine position. The heart rate was continuously registered during ten minutes in the supine position with spontaneous breathing. The cardiac autonomic control was assessed by heart rate variability, which was calculated from the five-minute minor variance of the signal. The derivations were the index that indicates the proportion of the number of times in which normal adjacent R-R intervals present differences >50 miliseconds (pNN50), for the time domain, and, for the spectral analysis, low (LF) and high frequency (HF) bands, besides the low and high frequencies ratio (LF/HF). The results were expressed as mean±standard deviation and compared by Students t-test or Mann-Whitneys U-test. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure (116±14 versus 114±13mmHg, p=0.693) and diastolic blood pressure (59±8 versus 60±11mmHg, p=0.458) were similar between the Obese and Non-Obese groups. The pNN50 index (29±21 versus 43±23, p=0.015) and HF band (54±20 versus 64±14 normalized units - n.u., p=0.023) were lower in the Obese Group. The LF band (46±20 versus 36±14 n.u., p=0.023) and LF/HF ratio (1.3±1.6 versus 0.7±0.4, p=0.044) were higher in Obese Group. CONCLUSIONS: Obese normotensive children and adolescents present impairment of cardiac autonomic control.Objective: To test the hypothesis that obese normotensive children and adolescents present impaired cardiac autonomic control compared to non-obese normotens...

Disfunção autonômica cardíaca em crianças e adolescentes obesos normotensos

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that obese normotensive children and adolescents present impaired cardiac autonomic control compared to non-obese normotensive ones. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, 66 children and adolescents were divided into the following groups: Obese (n=31, 12±3 years old) and Non-Obese (n=35, 13±3 years old). Obesity was defined as body mass index greater than the 95th percentile for age and gender. Blood pressure was measured by oscillometric method after 15 minutes of rest in supine position. The heart rate was continuously registered during ten minutes in the supine position with spontaneous breathing. The cardiac autonomic control was assessed by heart rate variability, which was calculated from the five-minute minor variance of the signal. The derivations were the index that indicates the proportion of the number of times in which normal adjacent R-R intervals present differences >50 miliseconds (pNN50), for the time domain, and, for the spectral analysis, low (LF) and high frequency (HF) bands, besides the low and high frequencies ratio (LF/HF). The results were expressed as mean±standard deviation and compared by Students t-test or Mann-Whitneys U-test. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure (116±14 versus 114±13mmHg, p=0.693) and diastolic blood pressure (59±8 versus 60±11mmHg, p=0.458) were similar between the Obese and Non-Obese groups. The pNN50 index (29±21 versus 43±23, p=0.015) and HF band (54±20 versus 64±14 normalized units - n.u., p=0.023) were lower in the Obese Group. The LF band (46±20 versus 36±14 n.u., p=0.023) and LF/HF ratio (1.3±1.6 versus 0.7±0.4, p=0.044) were higher in Obese Group. CONCLUSIONS: Obese normotensive children and adolescents present impairment of cardiac autonomic control.Objective: To test the hypothesis that obese normotensive children and adolescents present impaired cardiac autonomic control compared to non-obese normotens...

Cardiac autonomic dysfunction in obese normotensive children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that obese normotensive children and adolescents present impaired cardiac autonomic control compared to non-obese normotensive ones. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, 66 children and adolescents were divided into the following groups: Obese (n=31, 12±3 years old) and Non-Obese (n=35, 13±3 years old). Obesity was defined as body mass index greater than the 95th percentile for age and gender. Blood pressure was measured by oscillometric method after 15 minutes of rest in supine position. The heart rate was continuously registered during ten minutes in the supine position with spontaneous breathing. The cardiac autonomic control was assessed by heart rate variability, which was calculated from the five-minute minor variance of the signal. The derivations were the index that indicates the proportion of the number of times in which normal adjacent R-R intervals present differences >50 miliseconds (pNN50), for the time domain, and, for the spectral analysis, low (LF) and high frequency (HF) bands, besides the low and high frequencies ratio (LF/HF). The results were expressed as mean±standard deviation and compared by Students t-test or Mann-Whitneys U-test. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure (116±14 versus 114±13mmHg, p=0.693) and diastolic blood pressure (59±8 versus 60±11mmHg, p=0.458) were similar between the Obese and Non-Obese groups. The pNN50 index (29±21 versus 43±23, p=0.015) and HF band (54±20 versus 64±14 normalized units - n.u., p=0.023) were lower in the Obese Group. The LF band (46±20 versus 36±14 n.u., p=0.023) and LF/HF ratio (1.3±1.6 versus 0.7±0.4, p=0.044) were higher in Obese Group. CONCLUSIONS: Obese normotensive children and adolescents present impairment of cardiac autonomic control.Objective: To test the hypothesis that obese normotensive children and adolescents present impaired cardiac autonomic control compared to non-obese normotens...

Avaliação da hipercalcemia assintomática em pacientes ambulatoriais

INTRODUCTION: Indiscriminate serum calcium measurement may lead to the identification of asymptomatic patients with hypercalcaemia, which is caused mostly by primary hyperparathyroidism. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the frequency of hypercalcaemia and the type of assessment of this condition in an outpatient population, with emphasis on the investigation of primary hyperparathyroidism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a prospective study 1,049 subjects (age range: 40 to 60 years old) underwent serum calcium and albumin determination and the corrected calcium values were calculated. When there was a rise in the corrected calcium level, ionized calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and urinary calcium were measured. RESULTS: The average age was 49.7 ± 13.7 years old, and 188 subjects (17.9%) had elevated corrected calcium levels. Among these, 90 patients underwent the second investigation and 19 (2%) remained hypercalcemic. Ionized calcium levels (average: 1.2 ± 0.01 mmol/L) were normal in all subjects. Urinary calcium was 185.8 ± 111.8 mg/24 hours. PTH levels (average: 46 ± 11.8 pg/mL) were elevated in three subjects whose parathyroid scintigraphies were normal. DISCUSSION: The fall in the frequency of hypercalcaemia based on corrected serum calcium levels and mostly after determination of serum ionized calcium suggests that determinations of serum free calcium are a better screening test. No subject was diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism, what suggests an uneven distribution of the disease in different populations. CONCLUSION: Routine serum calcium determinations in asymptomatic patients must be questioned. When serum calcium determination is thought necessary, ionized calcium levels should be favored.