Exocrine Pancreatic Function in Girls with Anorexia Nervosa.

OBJECTIVES: To assess pancreatic exocrine function in patients with anorexia nervosa using a breath test with 13C-labeled mixed triglycerides (MTG-BT) and to determine the relationship between the test results and selected biochemical and hormonal parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Anthropometric measurements, biochemical and hormonal parameters (serum leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sLR), acylated and desacylated ghrelin, free leptin index (FLI)), and MTG-BT were performed in a group of 31 girls with the restrictive type of AN, as well as 38 healthy girls (C). RESULTS: The average cumulative dose of 13C-triglycerides recovered with exhaled air (%CD) was similar in both study groups, while the average time from 13C-triglycerides administration to peak 13CO2 excretion in expired air (time to peak (TTP)) was significantly longer in patients with AN compared to C. In both groups, %CD correlated negatively with FLI. TTP correlated negatively with sLR and FLI in the AN and with serum insulin and HOMA-IR values in the C. CONCLUSIONS: In girls with AN, the pancreatic efficiency of lipase secretion was found to be normal, while the kinetics of this enzyme secretion were disturbed. These changes may result from disorders in the functioning of the adipose-insular and islet-acinar axes.

The effect of the ketogenic diet on leptin, chemerin and resistin levels in children with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: Recently, inflammation have been proposed as one of the mechanisms underlying the patology of drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Ketogenic diet (KD) is one of the therapeutic methods used in DRE. There are some data that adipokines may modulate inflammatory processes and their concentrations are influenced by KD. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of KD on serum leptin, chemerin and resistin in children with DRE. DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study performed on 72 subjects aged 3-9 years, divided into 3 groups: 24 children with DRE treated with KD, 26 treated with valproic acid (VPA), and a control group of 22 children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Anthropometric measurements (weight, heigth, BMI, waist to hip circumerences ratio) were performed in all participants. Biochemical tests included serum fasting glucose, insulin, beta-hydroxybutyric acid, lipid profile, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities and blood gasometry. Serum levels of leptin, chemerin and resistin were assayed using commercially available ELISA tests. RESULTS: Serum levels of leptin and chemerin in the KD group were significantly lower and resistin - higher in comparison to patients receiving VPA and the control group. In children treated with the KD, leptin concentrations correlate with insulin levels and HOMA-IR scores. Chemerin levels in this group, in contrast, show negative correlation with body mass and height expressed as standard deviation scores from the mean for age and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Modification of pro-inflammatory adipocytokine levels is potentially one of the mechanisms of anticonvulsant effects of KD in children with refractory epilepsy.

Serum interleukin 15 in anorexia nervosa: Comparison to normal weight and obese girls.

Background: Interleukin 15 (IL-15) plays a key role in the muscle-fat interaction, reducing adipose tissue mass without changes in the lean body mass and reduction of food intake. Here we assess serum IL-15 levels in girls with anorexia nervosa (AN) relative to obese and normal weight female adolescents.Methods: Serum IL-15 concentrations were evaluated using a commercially available ELISA kit in 32 Polish girls with restrictive AN, 29 girls with obesity (O), and 21 healthy controls (C). Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, BMI) and laboratory assays (serum fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein (CRP)) were performed.Results: Mean serum IL-15 in the AN group was significantly higher than in C, but lower than in O. In all examined girls, significant positive correlations between IL-15 and body weight, BMI, insulin, HOMA, LDL, triglycerides and CRP were noted. We also observed an inverse relationship between IL-15 and HDL.Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that serum IL-15 concentrations in adolescent girls with AN and obesity are significantly elevated in comparison to normal weight controls. However, the role of IL-15 in the pathogenesis of AN and obesity remains still unclear.