Infant growth is associated with parental education but not with parental adiposity - Early Stockholm Obesity Prevention Project.

AIM: To explore the simultaneous impact of parental adiposity and education level on infant growth from birth to 12 months, adjusting for known early-life risk factors for subsequent childhood obesity. METHODS: Baseline data for 197 one-year-old children and their parents, participating in a longitudinal obesity intervention, were used. Obesity risk groups, high/low, were defined based on parental body mass index (n = 144/53) and parental education (n = 57/139). Observational data on infant growth between 0 and 12 months were collected. The children's relative weight (body mass index standard deviation score) at 3, 6 and 12 months and rapid weight gain 0-6 months were analysed in regression models, with obesity risk as primary exposure variables, adjusting for gestational weight gain, birth weight, short exclusive breastfeeding and maternal smoking. RESULTS: Relative weight at 3, 6 and 12 months was associated with low parental education but not with parental adiposity. No significant associations were observed with rapid weight gain. None of the early-life factors could explain the association with parental education. CONCLUSION: Low parental education level is independently associated with infant growth, whereas parental obesity does not contribute to a higher weight or to rapid weight gain during the first year.

Resistin is associated with breach of tolerance and anti-nuclear antibodies in patients with hepatobiliary inflammation.

Resistin is a cysteine-rich protein, which is abundantly expressed at the site of inflammation, and acts as a regulator of the NF-kB-dependent cytokine cascade. The aim of this study was to evaluate resistin levels in relation to inflammatory mediators, disease phenotype and autoantibody status in a spectrum of pathological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. Resistin levels were measured with an ELISA in sera originated from 227 patients and 40 healthy controls (HC). Fifty patients diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), 53 ulcerative colitis (UC), 51 Crohn's disease (CD), 46 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and 27 primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) were included. The sera were analysed with respect to biochemical parameters of systemic inflammation and liver function and to the presence of antibodies to nuclear antigens (ANA), mitochondria (AMA) and smooth muscle (SMA). Compared with HC, resistin levels were raised in AIH (P = 0.017) and PSC (P = 0.03); compared with NAFLD, levels were elevated in CD (P = 0.041), AIH (P < 0.001) and PSC (P < 0.001). Patients with elevated levels of resistin were more often treated with corticosteroids, but no difference was found between active disease and clinical remission. Resistin levels were significantly higher in ANA-positive individuals compared with ANA-negative (P = 0.025). Resistin levels were directly correlated with IL-6 (r = 0.30, P = 0.02) and IL-8 (r = 0.51, P < 0.001). Elevated levels of resistin were prominent in patients with hepatobiliary inflammation and were associated with breach of self-tolerance, i.e. ANA positivity. Thus, we propose that resistin may be an important marker of disease severity in autoantibody-mediated gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases.

Histological progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a critical reassessment based on liver sampling variability.

BACKGROUND: In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, histological lesions display a significant sampling variability that is ignored when interpreting histological progression during natural history or therapeutic interventions. AIM: To provide a method taking into account sampling variability when interpreting crude histological data, and to investigate how this alters the conclusions of available studies. METHODS: Natural history studies detailing histological progression and therapeutic trials were compared with the results of a previously published sampling variability study. RESULTS: Natural history studies showed an improvement in steatosis, which was significantly higher than expected from sampling variability (47% vs. 8%, P < 0.0001). In contrast, no study showed a change in activity grade or ballooning higher than that of sampling variability. There was only a marginal effect on fibrosis with no convincing demonstration of a worsening of fibrosis, a conclusion contrary to what individual studies have claimed. Some insulin sensitizing drugs and anti-obesity surgery significantly improved steatosis, while most did not significantly impact on fibrosis or activity. CONCLUSIONS: Sampling variability of liver biopsy is an overlooked confounding factor that should be considered systematically when interpreting histological progression in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The effects of double-shifts (15.5 hours) on sleep, fatigue and health.

The aim of the present study was to investigate how "double-shifts" (15.5 hours) affects sleep, fatigue and self-rated health. The study was carried out on male construction workers of which 80% were long-distance commuters. The schedule involved two work periods and each work period involved two double shifts in a row. The subjects filled in a sleep/wake diary at 8 times across a year and a questionnaire at 3 times. They also wore an actigraph during one shift cycle. The results showed that sleepiness, and to a certain extent, mental fatigue increased during double shifts and accumulated across days. The short rest time (8.5 hours) between days caused insufficient sleep and approximately 5.5 hours of sleep was obtained between double shifts. Questionnaire data showed that complaints of insufficient sleep, exhaustion on awakening and pain symptoms increased across the year. It was concluded that a shift system involving double shifts has a negative effect on fatigue, recovery and health-related well-being.