Assessment of nutritional status: Triceps and subscapular skin-fold thickness in Turkish children and adolescent

To determine the mean and percentile values and constitute the percentile curves of the triceps and subscapular skin-fold thickness [SFT] for obtaining a measure to be used in evaluating nutritional status of children and adolescents for age and gender to determine the threat of adiposity in Turkish children. This cross-sectional study was carried out between October 2006 and May 2007 with 6917 students selected among those with pre-defined socio-economic criteria and attending primary schools in Van city center. Based on these data, the subjects were distributed to age groups in 6-month intervals, beginning from the age of 7 up to the age of 17. Analysis of mean values of the thickness of triceps and subscapular SFT according to age in boy subjects demonstrated that these values generally increased with age up to thirteen years of age where peak values were observed, and the thickness decreased between 14 and 15 years of age, increasing again thereafter. A comparison of our data with the data reported from other countries revealed lower than median values of triceps and subscapular SFT in our study for both girls and boys regardless of the age group. Subcutaneous fat accumulation is lower in Turkish children compared to those in other countries and no risk of obesity is imminent, at least in the region where this study was carried out

association of plasma homocysteine levels with serum leptin and apolipoprotein B levels in childhood obesity

An elevated plasma total homocysteine [tHcy] level has recently been established as an independent risk factor for thrombosis and vascular disease. However, the relationship between hyperhomocysteinemia and cardiovascular disease and obesity remains controversial. The aim of the study was to investigate a possible relationship between plasma tHcy levels and measures of childhood obesity. Forty children and adolescents with exogenous obesity and 20 non-obese subjects in an age-and sex-matched control group were investigated. Fasting samples were collected for plasma tHcy, serum insulin, leptin, vitamin B12, folate, creatinine and lipid parameters. Anthropometric characteristics and body compositions were assessed in both groups. The obese patients had significantly higher tHcy levels than the non-obese controls [14.3 +/- 11.8 micro mol/L vs 8.7 +/- 5.9 micro mol/L; P=0.017]. In both groups, plasma tHcy was positively related to serum leptin, but serum apolipoprotein B [apo B] levels were positively related to plasma tHcy levels only in obese patients. Our study demonstrates for the first time that leptin and apo B are main correlates of tHcy in obese children and adolescents and suggests that hyperleptinemia and increased apo B may contribute to impairment of tHcy metabolism in childhood obesity