Tatsuya Oguni

COMPARISON OF BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE ANALYSIS AND DUAL ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY FOR ASSESSMENT OF BODY COMPOSITION IN CHILDREN

Abstract Background: There are a variety of methods for assessing body composition. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is an easy and non‐invasive technique, but has limitations in underweight and overweight subjects. Few reports have investigated the validity of BIA in children. In this report, the characteristics of BIA, especially in overweight and underweight children, are assessed and the results are compared with those of dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), as a reliable method for assessing body composition.

Clinical and laboratory characteristics in the families with diabetes and a mitochondrial tRNALEU(UUR) gene mutation

We identified three families having a mutation in the mitochondrial tRNA(LEU(UUR)) gene at bp 3243 in 300 patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), who had first degree relatives of patients with NIDDM. We found six individuals with diabetes, one with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and five with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) among three families. Insulin secretory response to oral glucose load was impaired in six diabetics, but was normal in IGT and NGT, and the proportion of mutant DNA in the blood did not always associate with the severity of glucose intolerance. Furthermore, both gender and obesity may influence the clinical expression of diabetes in three pairs with an age-matched brother-sister relationship with similar high mutation rate in blood samples. Thus, although patients with mitochondrial gene mutation had a high frequency of diabetes, the proportion of mutant DNA evaluated by blood samples may not necessarily indicate glucose intolerance in the members with the mutation. Unidentified factors including gender, aging, and obesity may alter the clinical manifestation of diabetes.

Glucose tolerance factor stimulates 3-0-methylglucose transport into isolated rat adipocytes

Glucose tolerance factor partially purified from yeast extract powder stimulated [U-14C]-D-glucose uptake to a level 5.6 times greater than the basal level in the absence of insulin in isolated adipocytes prepared from rats fed with normal laboratory chow. The factor also stimulated 3-O-methylglucose transport 2.2-fold from the basal level in the absence of insulin, but not in the presence of 8 nM insulin. Kinetic analysis revealed that glucose tolerance factor increased 3-O-methylglucose transport by decreasing the Ks value for 3-O-methylglucose with little change in the Vmax.

A case of monoclonal gammopathy associated with acute myelomonocytic leukemia with eosinophilia suggested to be the result of lineage infidelity.

Acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMMoL) accompanied by monoclonal gammopathy is a rare condition, and its pathogenesis and the cytogenetic mechanism of such leukemogenesis have not been determined in detail. A case of AMMoL with eosinophilia accompanied by immunoglobulin G κ monoclonal gammopathy is described. Immunophenotypic studies of the peripheral blood and bone marrow mononuclear cells revealed no evidence of abnormally proliferating cells of B‐lineage. DNA analyses of bone marrow mononuclear cells containing leukemic cells revealed rearrangement of the κ‐light chain (Igκ) gene and c‐myc and c‐jun proto‐oncogenes. The intensities of the rearranged bands for these genes on Southern blot analysis suggested the existence of a major population of leukemic cells with rearranged Igκ gene and minor population(s) of leukemic cells with rearranged c‐myc and/or c‐jun proto‐oncogene(s) in the patients bone marrow and indicated the occurrence of genetic evolutionary changes in leukemic cells in this patient before starting chemotherapy. These results suggest that these leukemic cells are the most likely candidate for immunoglobulin G κ monoclonal protein production, and structural abnormalities of c‐myc and c‐jun proto‐oncogenes may have contributed to the evolution of leukemic cells in this patient. Am. J. Hematol. 65:66–71, 2000.

Abdominal adiposity with respect to the proportion of intra-abdominal visceral fat to extra-abdominal fat ( V S ratio) in Japanese childhood obesity

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the influence of intra-abdominal fat accumulation in obese children upon lipids, glucose metabolism, and blood pressure. Intra-abdominal fat accumulation was quantified by the intra-abdominal visceral fat to extra-abdominal fat ratio (VS ratio) using CT scanning. The subjects were simple obese boys (35) and girls (24) aged 10.6 ± 2.1 years. The following parameters were calculated: VS ratio from CT analysis at umbilical level, percentage of ideal body weight (%IBW), body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) from anthropometric measurements. Replies to questionnaires concerning duration of obesity and history of family obesity were obtained. Blood pressure and biochemical parameters including transaminases, serum lipids, blood glucose and insulin were measured. Visceral fat obesity was present in 15.7% of all the subjects. Visceral fat syndrome was seen in some cases. The VS ratio displayed a weak positive correlation with GOT ( r = 0.352, P = 0.0078) and GPT ( r = 0.351, P = 0.0075), but no correlation with serum lipids, blood glucose, insulin, or blood pressure. Stepwise and multiple regression analysis revealed that GOT and GPT depended upon the VS ratio, age, and duration of obesity. It was concluded that intra-abdominal fat accumulation in childhood can cause fatty liver when combined with aging and persistent obesity, and that obese children with fatty liver are likely to develop visceral fat syndrome in the future.

Factors related to patterns of body mass index in early infancy: 18 month longitudinal study

Children with early adiposity rebound (AR), measured using individual body mass index (BMI) growth curves, have an increased risk of metabolic disease as adults. The children with early AR, however, are not fully characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of the infants who develop early AR.

Parental awareness of young children's pattern of ionic beverage consumption

The aim of this study was to investigate consumer perception of ionic beverage consumption by young children as a potential link to their excessive use.

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor level in serum of children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus compared with that in diseases with activated immune system

Abstract The serum level of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) has been proposed as a clinical marker for various autoimmune diseases. Serum in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), as an organ-specific autoimmune disease, was investigated by sIL-2R assay. Although serum sIL-2R levels were very much higher in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia and chronically or subchronically inflammatory diseases including Schoenlein-Henoch disease, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), ulcerative colitis (UC) and mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome (MCLS), the level in IDDM children who were newly diagnosed (within 6 months after onset) was also moderately higher (628 ± 64 U/ml; P 1c level, or patient. ThesThese findings suggest that slowly progressing T-cell activation and an imbalanced cellular immune response exist in newly diagnosed IDDM children.