ABSTRACT
AIM: Leptin, a hormone that regulates food intake and energy metabolism, is present in breast milk and thus may be involved in body composition differences between breastfed and formula-fed infants. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether diet and gender affect plasma leptin concentration in breastfed and formula-fed infants during the first months of life. METHODS: Anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance measurements [total body water (TBW) calculated with the Fjeld equation] were made and venous blood plasma samples were analysed for leptin concentration in healthy, exclusively breastfed or formula-fed Italian infants in the first year of life. Infants were subdivided in two ways: three groups (periods) in relation to age, and five groups in relation to weight. RESULTS: The average serum concentration of leptin was 7.35 ng x ml(-1). Serum leptin values were higher in breastfed than in formula-fed infants. Breastfed infants in group I had a statistically higher serum leptin concentration (2,500-3,749 g). There were no significant differences in anthropometric measurements, body mass index or skinfold thickness between breastfed and formula-fed infants. In the periods I and II, breastfed infants had a significantly higher TBW than formula-fed infants. Males had a significantly higher TBW than females in periods I and II. Breastfed infants in group 2 (3,750-4,999 g) had a significantly higher TBW than formula-fed infants. CONCLUSION: The data on TBW, weight and skinfold thickness suggest that the higher leptin concentration observed in breastfed infants in the first months of life may be due not only to adipose tissue production but also to human milk.
Subject(s)
Bottle Feeding , Breast Feeding , Child Development/physiology , Leptin/metabolism , Milk, Human/chemistry , Analysis of Variance , Body Composition , Body Mass Index , Cohort Studies , Energy Intake , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant Food/analysis , Infant, Newborn , Italy , Leptin/analysis , Male , Probability , Prospective Studies , Sensitivity and Specificity , Sex FactorsSubject(s)
Arachidonic Acid/blood , Docosahexaenoic Acids/blood , Erythrocyte Membrane/chemistry , Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/administration & dosage , Infant Food/analysis , Phospholipids/chemistry , Bottle Feeding , Breast Feeding , Chromatography, Gas , Dietary Supplements , Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/blood , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Phospholipids/bloodABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficiency of a new high-capacity pump for systemic venous chemotherapy and to verify the quality of implantation by interventional radiology staff. METHODS: A total of 47 infusion pumps with a 60-ml reservoir and variable flow rates (2, 6, 8, or 12 ml/24 hr) were implanted by radiologists in 46 patients with solid tumor metastases requiring treatment with a single, continuously infused cytostatic agent. The reservoir was refilled transcutaneously, usually once weekly. The flow accuracy of the pump was assessed from actual drug delivery recorded on 34 patients over a minimum observation period of 180 days. RESULTS: No early complications occurred in any of the 47 implants in 46 patients. A total of 12 (25.53%) complications occurred between 3 and 24 months after implantation. Seven (14.90%) of these were due to the external design of the pump, while five (10.63%) were related to the central venous catheter. In the 34 patients available for pump evaluation (follow-up of at least 180 days), the system was used for a total of 14,191 days (range 180-911 days, mean 417.38 days), giving an overall complication rate of 0.84 per 1000 days of operation. The mean flow rate accuracy was 90.26%. CONCLUSION: The new implantable pump showed good flow rate accuracy and reliable operation. The pump-related complications were related to its external design and have now been corrected by appropriate modifications. From a radiologic and surgical viewpoint, the venous implantation procedure is identical to that of conventional vascular access devices and can be performed by radiologists familiar with these techniques. The current limitations lie in the high cost of the pump and, for certain drugs, the short time between refills.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/administration & dosage , Catheterization, Central Venous/instrumentation , Infusion Pumps, Implantable , Neoplasm Metastasis/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Catheterization, Central Venous/methods , Equipment Design , Equipment Failure , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infusion Pumps, Implantable/adverse effects , Infusions, Intravenous , Italy , Male , Middle Aged , Monitoring, Physiologic , Severity of Illness Index , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A preliminary observation is reported concerning total and high-density lipoprotein blood cholesterol levels in 36 infants at 3 months of age fed with a hypoantigenic milk formula. The values are compared with those of 66 breastfed and 76 conventional formula-fed infants. Total and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in hypoantigenic formula-fed infants (152 and 65.7 mg dl(-1), respectively) were comparable to those of breastfed infants (148 and 61.8 mg dl(-1)) and significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of conventional formula-fed infants (130 and 42.5 mg dl(-1)).