Growth factors and metabolic markers in cord blood: relationship to birth weight and length.

Low birth weight and length for gestational age are associated with a high risk of short stature and metabolic syndrome in adulthood. The mechanisms that link prenatal growth to adult stature and metabolic syndrome have not yet been entirely clarified. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between standardized anthropometric measures at birth and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II, insulin, adiponectin, and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) cord blood levels in the general population. One hundred fifty-eight random newborn subjects (77F, 81M) from Genoa, Italy, were analyzed. Anthropometric parameters were measured and standardized according to standard Italian tables. Insulin values were treated as categorical, since in several cases the results fell below detection cut-off. Mean birth weight was 3,214.23∓488.99 gr and mean length was 49.82∓2.17 cm. Females had higher mean IGF-I (p=0.04), and were more likely to have insulin values either <2 μU/ml or >4.5μU/ml (p= 0.04) compared to males. Weight and length SD scores (SDS) were higher in subjects with elevated insulin levels (p=0.002). A moderate correlation was found between weight and IGF-II (r=0.354). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that standardized birth weight was associated with IGFII and insulin values. Our data highlight the importance of IGF-II in fetal growth and suggest that gender differences should be taken into consideration when evaluating prenatal growth.

Midbrain-hindbrain involvement in septo-optic dysplasia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Midbrain-hindbrain involvement in septo-optic dysplasia has not been well described, despite reported mutations of genes regulating brain stem patterning. We aimed to describe midbrain-hindbrain involvement in patients with septo-optic dysplasia and to identify possible clinical-neuroimaging correlations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using MR imaging, we categorized 38 patients (21 males) based on the presence (group A, 21 patients) or absence (group B, 17 patients) of visible brain stem anomalies. We measured height and anteroposterior diameter of midbrain, pons, and medulla, anteroposterior midbrain/pons diameter (M/P ratio), vermian height, and tegmento-vermian angle, and compared the results with 114 healthy age-matched controls. Furthermore, patients were subdivided based on the type of midline anomalies. The associations between clinical and neuroradiological features were investigated. Post hoc tests were corrected according to Bonferroni adjustment (pB). RESULTS: Patients with brain stem abnormalities had smaller anteroposterior pons diameter than controls (pB < .0001) and group B (pB = .012), higher M/P ratio than controls (pB < .0001) and group B (pB < .0001), and smaller anteroposterior medulla diameter (pB = .001), pontine height (pB = .00072), and vermian height (pB = .0009) than controls. Six of 21 patients in group A had thickened quadrigeminal plate, aqueductal stenosis, and hydrocephalus; 3 also had agenesis of the epithalamus. One patient had a short midbrain with long pons and large superior vermis. There was a statistically significant association between brain stem abnormalities and callosal dysgenesis (P = .011) and developmental delay (P = .035), respectively. CONCLUSION: Midbrain-hindbrain abnormalities are a significant, albeit underrecognized, component of the septo-optic dysplasia spectrum, and are significantly associated with developmental delay in affected patients.