Obesity and serum uric acid in secondary school-age students of srinagarindra the princess mother school, Phayao, Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Obesity and hyperuricemia are the precipitating factors of multiple disease processes. Studies on the relationship between obesity and hyperuricemia in Thai adolescents are limited. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to investigate the gender differences in obesity and serum uric acid as well as the relationship between obesity and serum uric acid levels in secondary school-age students. METHODS:: A cross-sectional study conducted among 689 secondary school-age students; 313 boys and 376 girls. Body composition and fasting serum uric acid were assessed. This study defined hyperuricemia as serum uric acid >6 mg/dL in girls and >7 mg/dL in boys. RESULTS: By body mass index (BMI) for age and percentage of body fat classification, the prevalences of obesity were 11.5% and 9.0%, respectively. Prevalence of obesity by BMI for age, 15.3% and percentage of body fat, 12.4% in boys were statistically significantly higher than those in girls, 8.2% and 6.1%, respectively. Boys in all age groups had statistically significantly higher serum uric acid levels than those in girls as well as serum uric acid levels at late adolescent period in both sexes were statistically significantly higher than those at early adolescent period. CONCLUSION: On multivariate analysis, the demographic factors studied showed that boys, late adolescence period, and excess body fat adolescents had higher prevalence of hyperuricemia in secondary school-age students who have their birthplace in 8 provinces of Northern Thailand. This indicated that early nutritional management and encourage obese adolescents to weight and serum uric acid reductions are important for the prevention of diet-related chronic diseases in their adult period.

Plasma adipokine levels in Thais.

OBJECTIVE: To assess three plasma adipokines that might act as biomarkers useful in determining persons exposed to asbestos. METHOD: Sixty subjects were included in the study, 30 male workers from factories manufacturing cement products using chrysotile asbestos, and 30 volunteer controls comprising 15 men and 15 women. Fasting venous blood specimens were submitted for blood chemistry examination and analysis of plasma levels of three adipokines, i.e. adipsin, adiponectin and resistin. RESULTS: (1) Compared with non-obese subjects, the adiponectin levels were lower in obese subjects, resistin levels were higher, and hemoglobin concentrations were lower. (2) Adipsin levels in the workers were significantly higher than in the controls (p < 0.005), and this difference was not related to body fat. (3) There were no statistically significant differences in adiponectin, resistin, and adipsin levels between the male and female controls. (4) Adiponectin in the male controls was significantly higher than that in the male workers (p <0.05). (5) Female controls had significantly higher percentages of body fat (p < 0.0005) and resistin (p < 0.02) levels than male controls and male workers. (6) A significant negative correlation existed between resistin and hemoglobin levels levels (r= -0.336, p < 0.01). (7) Overall adipsin levels among male workers were significantly higher than among control subjects (p < 0.005); the six workers in whom asbestos bodies (AB) were detected did not have significantly higher levels of adipsin than those of workers without AB having been detected. CONCLUSIONS: Although the findings apparently showed higher adipsin levels in the workers, its value as a biomarker for asbestos exposure requires confirmation from studies on a larger group of subjects.

Long-term treatment of N-3 PUFAS on plasma lipoprotein levels and fatty acid composition of total serum and erythrocyte lipids in hypertriglyceridemic patients.

The low incidence of coronary heart disease in Greenland Eskimos and Japanese fishermen who have high consumption of fish and seafood has called the attention in the role of eicosapentaenoic (EPA = 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA = 22: 6n-3) acids, the major n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in fish oils, in reducing cardiovascular risk. N-3 PUFAs may reduce serum lipids by promoting fatty acid oxidation and decrease VLDL producing from the liver, depress tissue arachidonate synthesis and alter the composition and tissue PUFAs. Plasma lipoprotein and fatty acid composition of total serum and erythrocyte lipids in 9 hypertriglyceridemic patients consisting of 4 males and 5 females aged 39-72 yr who attended the Nutrition Clinic, Ramathibodi Hospital were investigated. The study period consisted of 4 wks of dietary advice only followed by 48 wks of dietary advice with a daily intake of 6 g of fish oil capsules (FOC). Six grams of FOC provided 1080 mg of 2:5n-3 and 720 mg of 22:6n-3. Their plasma triglyceride (TG) levels at wk 0, 12, 24, 36, 48 were 356.7, 230.1, 209.7, 192.9, 22 7.4 mg/dL and M-particle (equivalent to very low density lipoprotein, VLDL) were 484.4, 354.8, 383.1, 349.7, 453.2 mg/dL respectively that decreased significantly, whereas their plasma low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels at the same periods were 139.4, 164.9, 171.0, 157.1, 158.3 mg/dL that increased significantly. Serum and erythrocyte 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 in these subjects were significantly higher than those at wk 0 throughout the study. These findings indicate the bioavailability of 20: 5n-3 and 22:6n-3 in TG lowering effect of FOC. Fatty acids from fish oil have a remarkable effect on the synthesis and clearance of TG-rich lipoproteins, especially VLDL and chylomicrons. Though daily treatment with 6 g of FOC has a striking effect in increasing plasma LDL-C levels.

Nonketotic hyperglycinemia in two siblings with neonatal seizures.

Seizures are a common problem in neonates. Differential diagnoses include infection, trauma, hypoxia and congenital metabolic disorders. Among these, congenital metabolic disorder is less familiar to general pediatricians. We report two patients with nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH), a rare and lethal congenital metabolic disease. Transient hyperammonemia and transient hypouricemia, uncommon features found in NKH, were detected in one patient. High doses of sodium benzoate and dextromethorphan failed to modify the clinical course. Neuropathology denoted characteristic diffuse vacuolization and changes in reactive and gliotic astrocytes. The clinical course, biochemical findings, diagnostic approaches and diagnostic tests are discussed in detail. Recent modalities of treatment are reviewed. Because of its rarity and rapidly progressive course, it maybe underdiagnosed resulting in death before being recognized. Awareness of the possibility of congenital metabolic disorder in early neonatal catastrophe will increase the diagnostic rate.