Shorter preschool, leukocyte telomere length is associated with obesity at age 9 in Latino children.

The aim of this study was to determine the potential role of leukocyte telomere length as a biomarker for development of childhood obesity in a low-income Latino population. A birth cohort of Latino children (N = 201) in San Francisco (recruited May 2006-May 2007) was followed until age 9 and assessed annually for obesity and dietary intake. Leukocyte telomere length was measured at 4 and 5 years (n = 102) and assessed as a predictor for obesity at age 9, adjusting for known risk factors. Furthermore, leukocyte telomere length at age 4 and 5 was evaluated as a possible mediator of the relationship between excessive sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and obesity at age 9. Shorter leukocyte telomere length in preschoolers was associated with obesity at age 9 (adjusted odds ratio 0.35, 95% confidence interval 0.13-0.94) after adjustment for known risk factors. Telomere length mediated 11% of the relationship between excessive sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and obesity. Shorter leukocyte telomere length may be an indicator of future obesity risk in high-risk populations as it is particularly sensitive to damage from oxidative stress exposure, including those from sugar-sweetened beverages.

Correlates of whole-blood polyunsaturated fatty acids among young children with moderate acute malnutrition.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) has been associated with low polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status. However, investigations regarding PUFA status and correlates in children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) from low-income countries are scarce. The aim of this study was to describe whole-blood PUFA levels in children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and to identify correlates of PUFAs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using baseline data from a prospective nutritional intervention trial among 1609 children with MAM aged 6-23 months in Burkina Faso,West Africa. Whole-blood PUFAs were measured by gas chromatography and expressed as percent of total whole-blood fatty acids (FA%). Potential correlates of PUFAs including infection, inflammation, hemoglobin, anthropometry (difference between children diagnosed as having MAM based on low mid-upper-arm-circumference (MUAC) only, low MUAC and weight-for-height z-score (WHZ), or low WHZ only) and diet were assessed by linear regression adjusted for age and sex. RESULTS: Children with MAM had low concentrations of whole-blood PUFAs, particularly n-3 PUFAs. Moreover, children diagnosed with MAM based only on low MUAC had 0.32 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.14; 0.50) and 0.40 (95% CI, 0.16; 0.63) FA% lower arachidonic acid (AA) than those recruited based on both low WHZ as well as low MUAC and those recruited with low WHZ only, respectively. Infection and inflammation were associated with low levels of all long-chain (LC)-PUFAs, while hemoglobin was positively associated with whole-blood LC-PUFAs. CONCLUSION: While PUFA deficiency was not a general problem, overall whole-blood PUFA concentrations, especially of n-3 PUFAs, were low. Infection, inflammation, hemoglobin, anthropometry and diet were correlates of PUFAs concentrations in children with MAM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered at http://www.isrctn.com ( ISRCTN42569496 ).

[Evaluation of ear temperature measurements in a geriatric department]. / Evaluering af øretemperaturmåling på en geriatrisk afdeling.

We evaluated an infrared tympanic thermometer (Genius 3000A) by comparing it with parallel measurements with an electronic rectal thermometer (Philips HP 5316) on 121 patients admitted to a geriatric department. Rectal temperature was on average 0.14 degree C +/- (ISD) above the ear temperature. 95% of the differences are within the interval from -1.18 degrees C to 1.46 degrees C. The coefficient of determination was only 0.30. The tympanic thermometer, Genius 3000A, cannot be recommended for daily use on a geriatric ward.

Interleukin-10 stimulation of endogenous nitric oxide release from human saphenous veins diminishes immunocyte adherence.

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is described as a cytokine that exerts immune downregulating actions. In this regard, our study indicates that IL-10 activity on human saphenous veins is coupled to nitric oxide (NO) release. We demonstrated this phenomenon by using in vitro real-time amperometric measurement of NO levels in explanted human saphenous veins after IL-10 exposure. IL-10-induced NO release can inhibit the adherence of monocytes (75.7 +/- 15 cells/600 microm2 of endothelial surface) and granulocytes (65 +/- 18 cells/600 microm2 of endothelial surface) from control values (250-300 cells/600 microm2 of endothelial surface; p < 0.005). This inhibition is directly sensitive to NO synthase inhibition. The specificity of the IL-10 effects is shown by its sensitivity to antibody. In vivo measurement of IL-10 levels during and after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery indicated that they are higher at 6 h after skin closure (1,400 pg/ml) compared with levels found during surgery (300 pg/ml). We surmise that the postsurgical increase of IL-10 levels may be an immunoregulatory attempt to downregulate the diffuse inflammation that has been shown to be associated with cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.

The role of cytokines in cardiac surgery.

Cytokines are a large and rapidly expanding group of polypeptides produced by many different cell types. Increasing interest has been focused on the role of cytokines as mediators of metabolic, immunological and endocrine responses to surgery. The cytokine response in patients undergoing cardiac surgery during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is fairly well-defined and dominated by the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF alpha and IL-8 and the antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10. Little is known about the cytokine response in patients who develop postoperative complications but CPB with mechanical trauma and blood contact to artificial membranes is definitely an unphysiological state and may contribute to an uncontrollable response similar to that of patients with multiorgan failure and septic shock.