Independent effect of visceral adipose tissue on metabolic syndrome in obese adolescents.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Obesity is linked to metabolic complications, even in children, but the role of the distribution of adiposity is unclear. We aimed to assess which compartment of fat mass - total (TFM), visceral (VFM) or subcutaneous (SCFM)--is related to metabolic complications in overweight and obese children and adolescents. DESIGN: Analyses were conducted in 159 overweight or obese children and adolescents (median body mass index 4.0 SD). TFM was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Distribution of abdominal fat was assessed by MRI. Insulin resistance (IR) was determined using a homeostatic model assessment. The definition of metabolic syndrome (MS) was derived from National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III. RESULTS: A parental history of obesity was positively and significantly associated with fat content of the three compartments (TFM: beta = 2.22; VFM: beta = 0.17; SCFM: beta = 0.12, respectively). VFM was also associated with gender (beta = -0.29) and ethnicity (beta = -0.54). TFM was a significant and independent determinant of IR (beta = 0.02) whereas IR and VFM only were significantly related to MS (OR = 3.55 and 3.66 respectively). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that even in overweight children VFM was influenced by several factors such as sex and ethnicity and that a relationship was evidenced between the amount of VFM and MS.

Lower bone mineral content in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus is linked to female sex, low insulin-like growth factor type I levels, and high insulin requirement.

CONTEXT: Studies on bone mineral characteristics in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) have generated conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate bone mineral characteristics in children with T1DM and to analyze their associations with bone metabolism and the IGF-I system. DESIGN: We recruited a cohort of Caucasian patients with T1DM for at least 3 yr and healthy children between January 2003 and June 2004. SETTING: This was a university hospital-based study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 127 patients and 319 controls aged 6 to 20 yr participated. METHODS: Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was performed in patients and controls. Serum bone alkaline phosphatase, CrossLaps, IGF-I, and IGF-binding protein 3 levels were determined in patients with values analyzed using our normative data from 1150 healthy children. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, pubertal stage, and body mass index sd score, total body bone mineral content (BMC)/lean body mass was significantly lower in patients than in controls (P < 0.04). This difference was a result of the differences between the girls of the two groups. Girls with T1DM had significantly lower lumbar spine and total body BMC than control girls (P = 0.002), whereas no such difference was observed in boys. Serum bone alkaline phosphatase level was significantly lower in girls than in boys (P = 0.04). Low serum IGF-I levels and the administration of large amounts of insulin were found to have independent deleterious effects on BMC for children of all ages and both sexes, whereas disease duration and glycosylated hemoglobin levels did not. CONCLUSIONS: A sex-related difference in the impairment of bone mineral characteristics was identified in children with T1DM. Longitudinal studies are required to investigate whether boys may gain slightly less bone mass during skeletal growth.

Evaluation of intestinal absorption after longitudinal intestinal lengthening for short bowel syndrome.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to answer if the longitudinal intestinal lengthening and tailoring (LILT) by Bianchi, modified by Aigrain, can allow the child to be weaned from parenteral nutrition (PN) and if the length of the bowel after the procedure can influence the results of the absorption test such as Schilling or D-xylose test. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the files of 7 children who have had LILT from 1980 to 2003. We performed to explore 2 intestinal function tests: the D-xylose and the Schilling tests. Both were performed early (during the first year after the procedure) and late (during the second year) after the LILT. We used the chi2 and Bartlett's correlation tests for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There were 6 boys and 1 girl. The surgical indication was short bowel syndrome with parenteral nutrition owing to multiple intestinal atresia (2 cases), severe necrotizing enterocolitis with volvulus (1 case), necrotizing enterocolitis (1 case), intestinal atresia with gastroschisis (2 cases), and volvulus owing to malrotation (1 case). The length of the bowel was significantly different before and after LILT (P < .0001). After LILT, the length of the bowel was significantly correlated with the percentage of PN on energy at 6 months (P = .02) and at 12 months (P = .001). Moreover, the length of the bowel after the procedure was significantly correlated with the results of the D-xylose test during the first year (P = .002) but not with the results after the second year. The length after lengthening influenced neither the results of the Schilling test during the first nor those of the second year after. Four patients were weaned from the PN 21 months in average after the LILT (57%); 1 was not because we had only a 2-month follow-up. The average follow-up was 111 (5 months; range, 4-206). CONCLUSION: Longitudinal intestinal lengthening and tailoring for short bowel syndrome is a good option to allow children to be weaned from the PN. The length of the bowel after the procedure can influence the absorption test such as D-xylose during the first postoperative year but not during the second and does not influence the Schilling test. We think it is not necessary to perform these tests during the follow-up of these patients.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for pulmonary sequestration in children.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this report is to describe our experience with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for pulmonary sequestration in children. METHODS: From May 2001 to June 2004, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was attempted for antenatally diagnosed pulmonary sequestration in 8 consecutive infants. Mean age at the time of surgery was 10 months (range, 4 to 44 months). Six lesions were located in the left lower lobe and two in the right lower lobe. Endovascular embolization was attempted before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in only 1 patient. All procedures were performed in the lateral decubitus position, and single-lung ventilation was used in all cases. RESULTS: Conversion to open surgery was necessary in two cases. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was successful in 6 patients. After being identified and isolated, the aberrant artery was controlled by endoscopic ligation, and lobectomy, wedge resection, or sequestration was performed depending on the type of lesion. Mean operative time was 155 minutes. Average hospital stay was 3.5 days. There were no postoperative complications. Follow-up ranged from 4 to 50 months. CONCLUSIONS: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is technically feasible for pulmonary sequestration. Early resection obviates the risk of infection. Elective ligation of the aberrant artery is a safe alternative to the use of stapling devices or clips. Cosmetic results are excellent.

Improvement in bone mineral density and body composition in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a 1-year prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Abnormalities in bone mineral density (BMD), body composition, and bone metabolism have been reported in children who were treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during and after completion of therapy. However, these studies are cross-sectional, and no longitudinal data are available in a large group of patients after completion of therapy. In the present study, 1-year longitudinal changes in BMD, body composition, and bone metabolism were evaluated in children with ALL during the first 3 years after completion of therapy without cranial irradiation. METHODS: BMD of total body (TB; g/cm(2)), areal and apparent volumetric lumbar spine (L2-L4), lean body mass, and percentage of body fat were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 37 children (median age: 7.9 years; range: 4.7-20.6 years) who were treated for ALL at a median age of 3.3 years (range: 1.1-16.6 years), after a median time of 2.2 years after the completion of treatment, and after a 1-year follow-up period. Two control subjects (n = 74) who were matched for gender, age, and pubertal stage were also longitudinally investigated for body composition for 1 year. Usual serum biochemical markers of calcium metabolism and bone turnover were measured in patients during the study period. RESULTS: A slight decrease in TB BMD was found after a median time of 2.2 years after the completion of therapy for ALL in childhood. Patients showed a significantly lower median TB BMD when evaluated <1.5 years as compared with those at >or=1.5 years since completion of therapy. At the time of first evaluation, the percentage of body fat mass was significantly higher and patients were physically less active than their matched control subjects. Although, as expected, during the 1 year of follow-up both groups showed an annual increment in their BMD measurements, a significantly higher increase in TB BMD was observed in patients in comparison with control subjects. During this same period, the increase in the percentage of body fat mass was slightly lower in ALL patients as compared with control subjects. At the end of the follow-up year, BMD, body-composition parameters, and physical activity of ALL patients were similar to those observed in matched control subjects. Serum biochemical markers of bone turnover were normal at both evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: A significant increase in TB BMD and a tendency to a lesser increase in percentage of body fat mass were observed during the study period in ALL patients as compared with chronological age-, gender-, and pubertal stage-matched control subjects. These findings suggest a positive effect of long-term completion therapy and increase in physical activity on BMD, body composition, and bone metabolism in patients who have been treated for ALL.

Femoral head vascularisation in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: comparison of dynamic gadolinium-enhanced subtraction MRI with bone scintigraphy.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that MRI using a dynamic gadolinium-enhanced subtraction technique can allow the early identification of ischaemia and the pattern of revascularisation in Legg-Calvé-Perthes (LCP) disease with increased spatial and contrast resolution. Therefore, dynamic gadolinium-enhanced subtraction (DGS) MRI may be a possible non-ionising substitute for bone scintigraphy. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this prospective study was to compare DGS MRI and bone scintigraphy in the assessment of femoral head perfusion in LCP disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six DGS MR images and bone scintigraphies of 25 hips in 23 children were obtained at different stages of LCP disease; three stage I, 12 stage II, six stage III and five stage IV (Waldenström classification). The extent of necrosis, epiphyseal revascularisation pathways (lateral pillar, medial pillar, and/or transphyseal perfusion) and metaphyseal changes were analysed. RESULTS: Total agreement between both techniques was noted in the depiction of epiphyseal necrosis (kappa=1), and metaphyseal abnormalities (kappa=0.9). DGS MRI demonstrated better revascularisation in the lateral (kappa=0.62) and medial pillars (kappa=0.52). The presence of basal transphyseal reperfusion was more conspicuous with MRI. CONCLUSIONS: DGS MRI allows early detection of epiphyseal ischaemia and accurate analysis of the different revascularisation patterns. These changes are directly related to the prognosis of LCP disease and can aid therapeutic decision making.