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Andrea Mazurat Section of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, CancerCare Manitoba, University of Manitoba, GF440 A, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3A 1R9

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Andrea Torroni Section of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, CancerCare Manitoba, University of Manitoba, GF440 A, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3A 1R9

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Jane Hendrickson-Rebizant Section of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, CancerCare Manitoba, University of Manitoba, GF440 A, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3A 1R9

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Harbinder Benning Section of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, CancerCare Manitoba, University of Manitoba, GF440 A, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3A 1R9

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Richard W Nason Section of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, CancerCare Manitoba, University of Manitoba, GF440 A, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3A 1R9

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K Alok Pathak Section of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, CancerCare Manitoba, University of Manitoba, GF440 A, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3A 1R9

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Well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC) represents a group of thyroid cancers with excellent prognosis. Age, a well-recognized risk factor for WDTC, has been consistently included in various prognostic scoring systems. An age threshold of 45 years is currently used by the American Joint Cancer Committee-TNM staging system for the risk stratification of patients. This study analyzes the relationship between the patients' age at diagnosis and thyroid cancer-specific survival in a population-based thyroid cancer cohort of 2115 consecutive patients with WDTC, diagnosed during 1970–2010, and evaluates the appropriateness of the currently used age threshold. Oncological outcomes of patients in terms of disease-specific survival (DSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method, while multivariable analysis was done by the Cox proportional hazard model and proportional hazards regression for sub-distribution of competing risks to assess the independent influence of various prognostic factors. The mean age of the patients was 47.3 years, 76.6% were female and 83.3% had papillary carcinoma. The median follow-up of the cohort was 122.4 months. The DSS and DFS were 95.4 and 92.8% at 10 years and 90.1 and 87.6% at 20 years, respectively. Multivariable analyses confirmed patient's age to be an independent risk factor adversely affecting the DSS but not the DFS. Distant metastasis, incomplete surgical resection, T3/T4 stages, Hürthle cell histology, and male gender were other independent prognostic determinants. The DSS was not independently influenced by age until the age of 55 years. An age threshold of 55 years is better than that of 45 years for risk stratification.

Open access
Liangming Li Center for Scientific Research and Institute of Exercise and Health, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China
Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Yuan Wei Center for Scientific Research and Institute of Exercise and Health, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China
Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Chunlu Fang Center for Scientific Research and Institute of Exercise and Health, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China
Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Shujing Liu Center for Scientific Research and Institute of Exercise and Health, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China
Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Fu Zhou Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Ge Zhao Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Yaping Li Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Yuan Luo Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Ziyi Guo Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Weiqun Lin Department of Clinical Nutrition, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China

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Wenqi Yang Center for Scientific Research and Institute of Exercise and Health, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China
Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China

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Exercise has been recommended as an important strategy to improve glucose metabolism in obesity. Adipose tissue fibrosis is associated with inflammation and is implicated in glucose metabolism disturbance and insulin resistance in obesity. However, the effect of exercise on the progression of adipose tissue fibrosis is still unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exercise retarded the progression of adipose tissue fibrosis and ameliorated glucose homeostasis in diet-induced obese mice. To do so, obesity and adipose tissue fibrosis in mice were induced by high-fat diet feeding for 12 weeks and the mice subsequently received high-fat diet and exercise intervention for another 12 weeks. Exercise alleviated high-fat diet-induced glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. Continued high-fat diet feeding exacerbated collagen deposition and further increased fibrosis-related gene expression in adipose tissue. Exercise attenuated or reversed these changes. Additionally, PPARγ, which has been shown to inhibit adipose tissue fibrosis, was observed to be increased following exercise. Moreover, exercise decreased the expression of HIF-1α in adipose fibrosis, and adipose tissue inflammation was inhibited. In conclusion, our data indicate that exercise attenuates and even reverses the progression of adipose tissue fibrosis, providing a plausible mechanism for its beneficial effects on glucose metabolism in obesity.

Open access
Stefano Mangiola Bioinformatics Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Department of Urology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

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Ryan Stuchbery Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

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Patrick McCoy Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Department of Urology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

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Ken Chow Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Department of Urology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

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Natalie Kurganovs Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre Epworth, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Canada
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada

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Michael Kerger Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre Epworth, Richmond, Victoria, Australia

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Anthony Papenfuss Bioinformatics Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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Christopher M Hovens Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Department of Urology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

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Niall M Corcoran Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Department of Urology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Department of Urology, Frankston Hospital, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

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Prostate cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and cancer-related death worldwide. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the cornerstone of management for advanced disease. The use of these therapies is associated with multiple side effects, including metabolic syndrome and truncal obesity. At the same time, obesity has been associated with both prostate cancer development and disease progression, linked to its effects on chronic inflammation at a tissue level. The connection between ADT, obesity, inflammation and prostate cancer progression is well established in clinical settings; however, an understanding of the changes in adipose tissue at the molecular level induced by castration therapies is missing. Here, we investigated the transcriptional changes in periprostatic fat tissue induced by profound ADT in a group of patients with high-risk tumours compared to a matching untreated cohort. We find that the deprivation of androgen is associated with a pro-inflammatory and obesity-like adipose tissue microenvironment. This study suggests that the beneficial effect of therapies based on androgen deprivation may be partially counteracted by metabolic and inflammatory side effects in the adipose tissue surrounding the prostate.

Open access
T L C Wolters Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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C D C C van der Heijden Division of Experimental Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Division of Vascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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N van Leeuwen Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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B T P Hijmans-Kersten Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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M G Netea Division of Experimental Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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J W A Smit Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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D H J Thijssen Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK

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A R M M Hermus Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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N P Riksen Division of Vascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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R T Netea-Maier Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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Objective

Acromegaly is characterized by an excess of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are common in acromegaly and often persist after treatment. Both acute and long-lasting pro-inflammatory effects have been attributed to IGF1. Therefore, we hypothesized that inflammation persists in treated acromegaly and may contribute to CVD risk.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we assessed cardiovascular structure and function, and inflammatory parameters in treated acromegaly patients. Immune cell populations and inflammatory markers were assessed in peripheral blood from 71 treated acromegaly patients (with controlled or uncontrolled disease) and 41 matched controls. Whole blood (WB) was stimulated with Toll-like receptor ligands. In a subgroup of 21 controls and 33 patients with controlled disease, vascular ultrasound measurements were performed.

Results

Leukocyte counts were lower in patients with controlled acromegaly compared to patients with uncontrolled acromegaly and controls. Circulating IL18 concentrations were lower in patients; concentrations of other inflammatory mediators were comparable with controls. In stimulated WB, cytokine production was skewed toward inflammation in patients, most pronounced in those with uncontrolled disease. Vascular measurements in controlled patients showed endothelial dysfunction as indicated by a lower flow-mediated dilatation/nitroglycerine-mediated dilatation ratio. Surprisingly, pulse wave analysis and pulse wave velocity, both markers of endothelial dysfunction, were lower in patients, whereas intima-media thickness did not differ.

Conclusions

Despite treatment, acromegaly patients display persistent inflammatory changes and endothelial dysfunction, which may contribute to CVD risk and development of CVD.

Open access
Fernando Aprile-Garcia Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires – CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires – CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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María Antunica-Noguerol Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires – CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires – CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Maia Ludmila Budziñski Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires – CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Ana C Liberman Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires – CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Eduardo Arzt Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires – CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires – CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Inflammatory responses are elicited after injury, involving release of inflammatory mediators that ultimately lead, at the molecular level, to the activation of specific transcription factors (TFs; mainly activator protein 1 and nuclear factor-κB). These TFs propagate inflammation by inducing the expression of cytokines and chemokines. The neuroendocrine system has a determinant role in the maintenance of homeostasis, to avoid exacerbated inflammatory responses. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are the key neuroendocrine regulators of the inflammatory response. In this study, we describe the molecular mechanisms involved in the interplay between inflammatory cytokines, the neuroendocrine axis and GCs necessary for the control of inflammation. Targeting and modulation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and its activity is a common therapeutic strategy to reduce pathological signaling. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is an enzyme that catalyzes the addition of PAR on target proteins, a post-translational modification termed PARylation. PARP1 has a central role in transcriptional regulation of inflammatory mediators, both in neuroendocrine tumors and in CNS cells. It is also involved in modulation of several nuclear receptors. Therefore, PARP1 and GR share common inflammatory pathways with antagonic roles in the control of inflammatory processes, which are crucial for the effective maintenance of homeostasis.

Open access
Ferdinand Roelfsema Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

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Diana van Heemst Department of Internal Medicine, Section Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

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Ali Iranmanesh Endocrine Section, Medical Service, Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salem, Virginia, USA

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Paul Takahashi Primary Care Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

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Rebecca Yang Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo Medical and Graduate Schools, Clinical Translational Research Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

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Johannes D Veldhuis Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo Medical and Graduate Schools, Clinical Translational Research Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

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Context

Studies on 24-h cortisol secretion are rare. The impact of sex, age and adiposity on cortisol levels, often restricted to one or a few samples, are well recognized, but conflicting.

Objective

To investigate cortisol dynamics in 143 healthy men and women, spanning 7 decades and with a 2-fold body mass index (BMI) range with different analytic tools.

Setting

Clinical Research Unit.

Design

Cortisol concentrations in 10-min samples collected for 24 h. Outcomes were mean levels, deconvolution parameters, approximate entropy (ApEn, regularity statistic) and 24-h rhythms.

Results

Total 24-h cortisol secretion rates estimated by deconvolution analysis were sex, age and BMI independent. Mean 24-h cortisol concentrations were lower in premenopausal women than those in men of comparable age (176 ± 8.2 vs 217 ± 9.4 nmol/L, P = 0.02), but not in subjects older than 50 years. This was due to lower daytime levels in women, albeit similar in the quiescent overnight period. Aging increased mean cortisol by 10 nmol/L per decade during the quiescent secretory phase and advanced the acrophase of the diurnal rhythm by 24 min/decade. However, total 24-h cortisol secretion rates estimated by deconvolution analysis were sex, age and BMI independent. ApEn of 24-h profiles was higher (more random) in premenopausal women than those in men (1.048 ± 0.025 vs 0.933 ± 0.023, P = 0.001), but not in subjects older than 50 years. ApEn peaked during the daytime.

Conclusion

Sex and age jointly determine the 24-h cortisol secretory profile. Sex effects are largely restricted to age <50 years, whereas age effects elevate concentrations in the late evening and early night and advance the timing of the peak diurnal rhythm.

Open access
Mateo Amaya-Montoya School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

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Daniela Duarte-Montero School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

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Luz D Nieves-Barreto School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

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Angélica Montaño-Rodríguez School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

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Eddy C Betancourt-Villamizar Team Foods, Bogotá, Colombia

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María P Salazar-Ocampo School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

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Carlos O Mendivil School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Section of Endocrinology, Bogotá, Colombia

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Data on dietary calcium and vitamin D intake from Latin America are scarce. We explored the main correlates and dietary sources of calcium and vitamin D in a probabilistic, population-based sample from Colombia. We studied 1554 participants aged 18–75 from five different geographical regions. Dietary intake was assessed by employing a 157-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and national and international food composition tables. Daily vitamin D intake decreased with increasing age, from 230 IU/day in the 18–39 age group to 184 IU/day in the 60–75 age group (P -trend < 0.001). Vitamin D intake was positively associated with socioeconomic status (SES) (196 IU/day in lowest vs 234 in highest SES, P-trend < 0.001), and with educational level (176 IU/day in lowest vs 226 in highest education level, P-trend < 0.001). Daily calcium intake also decreased with age, from 1376 mg/day in the 18–39 age group to 1120 mg/day in the 60–75 age group (P -trend < 0.001). Calcium intake was lowest among participants with only elementary education, but the absolute difference in calcium intake between extreme education categories was smaller than for vitamin D (1107 vs 1274 mg/day, P-trend = 0.023). Daily calcium intake did not correlate with SES (P -trend = 0.74). Eggs were the main source of overall vitamin D, albeit their contribution decreased with increasing age. Dairy products contributed at least 48% of dietary calcium in all subgroups, mostly from cheese-containing traditional foods. SES and education were the key correlates of vitamin D and calcium intake. These findings may contribute to shape public health interventions in Latin American countries.

Open access
Shilpa Lingaiah Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PEDEGO Research Unit, Medical Research Centre, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland

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Laure Morin-Papunen Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PEDEGO Research Unit, Medical Research Centre, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland

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Terhi Piltonen Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PEDEGO Research Unit, Medical Research Centre, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland

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Inger Sundström-Poromaa Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

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Elisabet Stener-Victorin Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

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Juha S Tapanainen Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PEDEGO Research Unit, Medical Research Centre, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

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Objective

Serum levels of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), an adipokine thought to affect systemic insulin sensitivity, were compared between women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and non-PCOS controls to evaluate the association of RBP4 with clinical, hormonal and metabolic parameters of PCOS.

Subjects and methods

Serum RBP4 levels were analysed in 278 women with PCOS (age range 18–57 years) and 191 non-PCOS controls (age 20–53 years) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Serum levels of RBP4 were increased in women with PCOS compared with control women in the whole population (45.1 ± 24.0 (s.d.) vs 33.5 ± 18.3 mg/L, P < 0.001). Age-stratified analysis showed that serum RBP4 levels were increased in women with PCOS aged ≤30 years compared with controls (47.7 ± 23.5 vs 27.1 ± 10.4 mg/L, P < 0.001), whereas no significant differences were seen in the other age groups. No significant correlations of RBP4 were seen with either steroids or indices of insulin resistance.

Conclusions

Although serum RBP4 levels were increased in younger women with PCOS compared with age-matched non-PCOS controls, RBP4 does not seem to be a good marker of insulin resistance or other metabolic derangements in women with PCOS.

Open access
Sheila Leone Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy

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Lucia Recinella Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy

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Annalisa Chiavaroli Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy

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Claudio Ferrante Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy

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Giustino Orlando Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy

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Michele Vacca Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy

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Roberto Salvatori Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

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Luigi Brunetti Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy

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Background

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) plays an important role in brain functions. The aim of this study was to examine cognitive functions and emotional behaviour in a mouse model of isolated GH deficiency due to bi-allelic ablation of the GHRH gene (GHRH knockout, GHRHKO).

Methods

Learning, memory and emotional behaviour were evaluated using a series of validated tests (Morris water maze, eight-arm radial maze, open field, elevated plus maze test, forced swim tests) in 2-, 5- and 12-month-old male mice either homozygous (−/−) or heterozygous (+/−) for the GHRHKO allele.

Results

Compared with age-matched +/− mice, −/− mice showed decreased cognitive performance in Morris water maze and eight-arm radial maze tests. By comparing the effects of aging in each genotype, we observed an age-related impairment in test results in +/− mice, while in −/− mice a significant decline in cognitive function was found only in 12 months compared with 2-month-old mice, but no difference was found between 5 months old vs 2 months old. −/− mice showed increased exploration activity compared to age-matched +/− controls, while both strains of mice had an age-related decrease in exploration activity. When evaluated through open field, elevated plus maze and forced swim tests, −/− mice demonstrated a decrease in anxiety and depression-related behaviour compared to age-matched +/− controls.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that homozygous ablation of GHRH gene is associated with decreased performance in learning and memory tests, possibly linked to increased spontaneous locomotor activity. In addition, we observed an age-related decline in cognitive functions in both genotypes.

Open access
Alexandra Kiess Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Heart Center Leipzig, University of Leipzig, Strümpellstraße, Leipzig, Germany
Department of Child and Adolescent Medicine, Section of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum, Jena, Germany

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Jessica Green Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Eaton Road Liverpool, Great Britain

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Anja Willenberg Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry, and Molecular Diagnostics (ILM), University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse, Leipzig, Germany

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Uta Ceglarek Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry, and Molecular Diagnostics (ILM), University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse, Leipzig, Germany

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Ingo Dähnert Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Heart Center Leipzig, University of Leipzig, Strümpellstraße, Leipzig, Germany

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Wieland Kiess LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse, Leipzig, Germany
Department of Women and Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Pediatric Research (CPL), University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse, Leipzig, Germany

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Mandy Vogel LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse, Leipzig, Germany
Department of Women and Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Pediatric Research (CPL), University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse, Leipzig, Germany

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Background and objectives

As part of the LIFE Child study, we previously described the associations between N-terminal-pro-hormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and hs-troponin T (hs-TnT) levels and an individual’s sex, age and pubertal status, as well as with body mass index (BMI) and serum lipid levels. For NT-proBNP, we found inverse associations with advancing puberty, increasing BMI and serum lipid levels. These findings led us to further question the putative influences of the developing individual’s metabolic and growth status as represented by levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1-binding protein-3 (IGF-BP3) as well as hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and Cystatin C (CysC).

Material and methods

Serum values, medical history and anthropometric data provided by 2522 children aged 0.25–18 years were collected and analyzed as per study protocol.

Results

A strong negative association between NT-proBNP values and IGF-1, IGF-BP3 and HbA1c levels was identified. For IGF-BP3, this interaction was modulated by sex and age, for HbA1c only by age. For hs-TnT, a positive association was found with IGF-BP3, IGF-1 and CysC. The association between hs-TnT and IGF-1 was sex dependent. The association between CysC and hs-TnT was stronger in girls, but the interaction with age was only seen in boys. Between hs-TnT and HbA1c, the association was significantly negative and modulated by age.

Conclusion

Based on our large pediatric cohort, we could identify age- and sex-dependent interactions between the metabolic status represented by IGF-1, IGF-BP3, CysC and HbA1c levels and the cardiac markers NT-proBNP and hs-TnT.

Open access