α-Defensins and bacterial/permeability-increasing protein as new markers of childhood obesity.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to test whether α-defensins and bacterial/permeability-increasing protein were related to obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in prepubertal children. METHODS: Plasma α-defensins and bacterial/permeability-increasing protein, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), HOMA-IR and HMW-adiponectin were assessed. RESULTS: In a cross-sectional study (N = 250), higher α-defensins concentrations were positively associated with BMI, waist, SBP, cIMT, HOMA-IR and negative correlated with HMW-adiponectin (all between r = 0.191 and r = 0.377, p ≤ 0.01 and p ≤ 0.0001). Conversely, plasma bacterial/permeability-increasing protein concentrations presented inversed associated with the same parameters (all between r = -0.124 and r = -0.329; p ≤ 0.05 and p ≤ 0.0001). In a longitudinal study (N = 91), α-defensins at age 7 were associated with BMI (ß = 0.189, p = 0.002; model R2 = 0.847) and waist (ß = 0.241, pthinsp;= 0.001; model R2 = 0.754) at age 10. CONCLUSIONS: α-Defensins and bacterial/permeability-increasing protein may be the markers of childhood obesity. Increased concentrations of α-defensins may predict BMI and abdominal fat deposition in children.

Increased serum IgG and IgA in overweight children relate to a less favourable metabolic phenotype.

BACKGROUND: The adaptive immune system has emerged as an unexpected modulator of insulin resistance. B lymphocytes accumulate in adipose tissue and produce pathogenic antibodies that cause insulin resistance. OBJECTIVE: We studied whether circulating immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) were related to metabolic risk markers in pre-pubertal children with and without overweight. DESIGN AND METHODS: Subjects were 270 asymptomatic pre-pubertal Caucasian children (145 lean, 125 overweight) recruited in a primary care setting. Assessments included serum IgG, IgA and IgM concentrations (nephelometry), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and fasting lipids (triacylglycerol and high-density lipoprotein [HDL]-cholesterol). RESULTS: Overweight children had higher IgG and IgA serum levels than lean children (P ≤ 0.01). Increasing serum IgG and IgA, but not IgM, were associated with a less favourable metabolic phenotype, consisting of higher HOMA-IR and triacylglycerol and lower HDL-cholesterol, particularly in obese children, in whom serum IgG and IgA were both independently associated with HOMA-IR (ß = 0.308, P = 0.017, r2 = 9.5% and ß = 0.361, P = 0.005, r2 = 13.0%, respectively) and triacylglycerol (ß = 0.343, P = 0.006, r2 = 11.1% and ß = 0.354, P = 0.003, r2 = 12.2%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Increased circulating IgG and IgA in overweight children are associated with a less favourable metabolic phenotype, particularly in obese children. These results suggest a relationship between adaptive immunity and insulin resistance in childhood obesity.

[Aphasia in a polyglot: description and neuropsychological course]. / Afasia en un políglota: descripción y evolución neuropsicológica.

We present a case of aphasia due to an ischaemic lesion in the left temporo-occipital region of the brain of a 60 year old right-handed polyglot. Mother tongues: French, Italian, Arabic. Educated at school in English. Languages learnt as an adult: German, Portuguese, Spanish. Language habitually spoken prior to illness: Spanish. His language disorder was of non-fluent type and progressed to an anomic disorder. The non-parallel recovery of languages led to an initial and predominant recovery of English (language at school) followed by French (his first language). This type of non-parallel recovery may be compatible with the inhibition-disinhibition mechanism hypothesis. This would mean that the languages of least recovery are inhibited by raising the threshold of some circuits while still permitting comprehension.