Dietary and sociodemographic factors associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver in obese pediatric patients.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children. Our aim was to analyze the association of dietary and sociodemographic factors with NAFLD in obese children and adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three obese patients from 6-16 years of age were included in the present analytic cross-sectional study. Obesity was diagnosed with a body mass index z-score > 2 SD. NAFLD was estimated by liver ultrasound, serum amino transferases, and elastography. The sociodemographic variables were evaluated using validated questionnaires. Diet was estimated through two 24-h recall dietary surveys focused on the quantity of food energy, simple sugars, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and antioxidants. RESULTS: Hepatic steatosis was identified by abdominal ultrasound in 13 patients (39.4%) and the serum alanine aminotransferase level was above the upper reference value in 54.2%. A higher educational level in both parents, greater monthly food expenditure, and a higher socioeconomic level were associated with NAFLD. Overall, simple sugar and saturated fat consumption was above the recommended daily intake, whereas vitamin E and PUFA consumption was below those parameters. CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD was identified in one-third of the cases. There was an association between NAFLD and sociodemographic variables. Both groups had an increased intake of simple sugars and a reduced intake of PUFAs. The selective occurrence of NAFLD could be related to a genetic predisposition that has been demonstrated in a Mexican population.

Floral abundance, richness, and spatial distribution drive urban garden bee communities.

In urban landscapes, gardens provide refuges for bee diversity, but conservation potential may depend on local and landscape features. Foraging and population persistence of bee species, as well as overall pollinator community structure, may be supported by the abundance, richness, and spatial distribution of floral resources. Floral resources strongly differ in urban gardens. Using hand netting and pan traps to survey bees, we examined whether abundance, richness, and spatial distribution of floral resources, as well as ground cover and garden landscape surroundings influence bee abundance, species richness, and diversity on the central coast of California. Differences in floral abundance and spatial distribution, as well as urban cover in the landscape, predicted different bee community variables. Abundance of all bees and of honeybees (Apis mellifera) was lower in sites with more urban land cover surrounding the gardens. Honeybee abundance was higher in sites with patchy floral resources, whereas bee species richness and bee diversity was higher in sites with more clustered floral resources. Surprisingly, bee species richness and bee diversity was lower in sites with very high floral abundance, possibly due to interactions with honeybees. Other studies have documented the importance of floral abundance and landscape surroundings for bees in urban gardens, but this study is the first to document that the spatial arrangement of flowers strongly predicts bee abundance and richness. Based on these findings, it is likely that garden managers may promote bee conservation by managing for floral connectivity and abundance within these ubiquitous urban habitats.

Molecular identification of 7 human papillomavirus types in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is the most frequent benign neoplasm in childhood; it originates as a mild dysphonia and results in asphyxia. The RRP has been associated with an infection caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), mainly types 6 and 11, the latter being associated with more severe RRP. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the frequency of the association of RRP with the HPV types in our juvenile population and to classify it according to severity. DESIGN: Observational descriptive trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven samples of paraffin-embedded papillomas, from 26 female and 21 male children (age range, 2 weeks to 17 years) were analyzed. DNA was isolated and a 188-base pair fragment was amplified from a consensus sequence in the E1 open reading frame of several HPVs by polymerase chain reaction. The corresponding band was recovered and reamplified. The fragment was digested with the restriction enzyme RsaI. The digestion products were compared with patterns of molecular weight markers for viral type identification. The patients' clinical records were reviewed, and RRP was classified as mild or aggressive. RESULTS: The presence of HPV types 6, 11, 16, 31, 33, 35, or 39 was confirmed in all the cases with different combinations. The chi(2) test showed no significant differences in clinical aggressiveness among the viral types. A logistic regression analysis demonstrated no association between clinical aggressiveness and any viral type or viral combination. CONCLUSION: These results show that RRP is caused by infection with HPV types 6 and 11 in addition to many other types, with no relationship between HPV type and clinical severity.

De novo del(7)(pter----p21.2::p15.2----qter) and craniosynostosis. Implications for critical segment assignment in the 7p2 monosomy syndrome.

A 4 year-old boy was found to have a typical 7p2 monosomy syndrome, including craniosynostosis, due to a de novo del(7)(pter----p21.2::p15.2----qter). It is concluded that the band 7p21 (probably only the subband p21.1) is the critical segment for the full clinical expression of this aneusomy.

19q distal trisomy due to a de novo (19;22)(q13.2;p11) translocation.

A 2 4/12-year-old girl whith a de novo 46,XX,-22 + der(22), t(19;22)(q13.2;p11) karyotype is described. From this and other eight similar cases previously published, a typical phenotype in distal 19q trisomy is concluded.

The phenotype in partial 13q trisomies, apropos of a familial (13;15)(q22;q26) translocation.

A 12 month-old male patient with a karyotype 46,XY,-15,+der(15),t(13;15)(q22;q26)pat is presented. His stillborn sib showed malformations compatible with the 13q deletion syndrome, probably due to a 46,XY,der(13) karyotype. Phenotypic analysis of 41 cases from the literature with partial distal 13q (D13q) trisomies indicate that the segment 13q22----qter in trisomy with or without another concomitant aneusomy is sufficient to produce the majority of the trisomy 13 syndrome features, some of which (cleft palate, increased HbF and projections in PMN) are present in different non-overlapping partial 13q trisomies. About 82% of the D13q trisomies are inherited, more frequently from the mother.

Del (8) (q212q2200) de novo in a boy without Langer-Giedion syndrome.

A two year-old boy with congenital malformations, psychomotor retardation and absence of phenotypical features of the Langer-Giedion syndrome (LGS) was found to have a de novo del (8) (q212q2200). The comparative analysis with other 8q monosomic cases suggests the existence of at least two distinct syndromes: one due to the monosomy of a part of the segment 8q22----q24, clinically manifested as the LGS, and the other to the deletion of the band 8q21.

49,XXXXX syndrome.

A 3-year-old 49,XXXXX girl, the seventeenth case in medical literature, is described. A typical characteristic of the syndrome is the round face with epicanthal folds, hypertelorism, broad flat nasal bridge, upward slant of the palpebral fissures, enlarged round mandible and pointed chin, somewhat resembling trisomy 21. The apparent stronger selection against 49,XXXXX aneuploidy versus the 49,XXXXY suggested by the much higher frequency of the latter is probably due to the more severe congenital cardiopathy which may be related to the number of inactivated X chromosomes.