ABSTRACT
Aim: This is a case-controlled study, with two hundred children enrolled. They were divided into an obese group of 100 children who had BMI ≥ 95th percentile according to CDC criteria and a group of 100 children with normal weight. All enrolled children were subjected to detailed medical history and clinical examination, in addition to measuring fasting blood sugar, fasting serum insulin, HOMA-IR calculation, lipid profile analysis, total serum cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), and serum triglyceride (TG). Two adipokines (lipocalin-2 and adipsin) serum levels plus IL-10 serum level were assessed. Results: Higher Z score of weight, MI, and waist/height ratio and high serum cholesterol, LDL, TG, and low HDL were observed in obese children. Higher levels of serum lipocalin-2 and adipsin and lower IL-10 blood level were observed in the obese group in comparison with the normal weight children. Higher insulin resistance index was observed in the obese group, with positive correlation of HOMA-IR with the anthropometric measurements and lipocalin serum level, while negative correlation was observed between IL-10 and fasting insulin in obese children. Conclusion: Simple measurement of general and central adiposity markers and serum lipocalin-2 can predict insulin resistance in obese children while serum adipsin and IL-10 had no association with insulin resistance.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Thalassemia is one of the commonest single gene disorders usually associated with many complications. Coagulation changes as well as trace elements levels alterations have been described in children with ß thalassemia. Activation of coagulation can be assessed by measuring thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complex, plasmin-antiplasmin (PAP) complex and ß-thromboglobulin (ß-TG). METHODS: A total of 200 children and adolescents were enrolled in the study; 100 were from the Al-Azhar University hospital's pediatric hematology clinic diagnosed as thalassemia major, while the other 100 were apparently healthy volunteers who acted as the control group. Complete blood count, liver function test, kidney function tests, TAT complex, PAP complex, ß-TG as indicators of coagulation changes, serum zinc and copper were performed on all participants. RESULTS: Significantly higher levels of TAT complex, PAP complex and ß-TG in thalassemia children than the controls. Decreased serum zinc and increased serum copper levels in thalassemia children compared to the controls. A negative correlation was observed between the serum level of TAT and hemoglobin level, besides the negative correlation of TAT complex and ß-TG with the serum zinc. CONCLUSION: Thalassemia major was associated with increased serum level of coagulation activation markers, increased serum copper while decreased serum zinc.
