Ability of triglyceride-glucose indices to predict metabolic dysfunction associated with steatotic liver disease in pediatric obesity.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the best cut-off of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) to predict the metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in youths with overweight/obesity (OW/OB) and analyze the performance of the triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) or its association with anthropometric variables compared to ALT.

Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional study analyzed data of 2813 youths (1463 boys and 1350 girls) aged 6-17 years recruited in 10 Italian centers for the management of pediatric OB. Exclusion criteria were: body mass index (BMI) Z-score >5, diabetes, secondary obesity, triglycerides (TG) ≥ 400 mg/dL.

Early Roots of Childhood Obesity: Risk Factors, Mechanisms, and Prevention Strategies.

Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern, with established links to physical activity, nutrition, and, increasingly, to prenatal and perinatal factors. Emerging evidence highlights the significant role of maternal conditions such as obesity, comorbidities, nutrition, and environmental exposures in predisposing offspring to long-term metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The "Developmental Origins of Health and Disease" (DOHaD) paradigm provides a framework for understanding how early life environmental exposures, particularly during the periconceptional, fetal, and neonatal periods, can program future health outcomes through epigenetic mechanisms.

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with impaired insulin clearance and hepatic insulin sensitivity in paediatric obesity.

Aims: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects up to 40% of children and adolescents with obesity and is linked to hyperinsulinism. However, the mechanisms underpinning this association remain unclear. The study aims to assess the three key determinants of hyperinsulinemia: insulin clearance, secretion, and sensitivity in paediatric patients with OSA.

Role of subclinical hypothyroidism on kidney damage in children with obesity.

Background/objectives: The interplay of subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) with obesity has been well-documented, while an intriguing but still controversial association with kidney damage (KD) has recently emerged. Given the heightened cardiometabolic risk inherent to pediatric obesity, this might further impact on the overall health of children with obesity. Therefore, we aimed at evaluating the impact of SH on KD in children with obesity.

The Cross-Talk Between the Heart and the Liver: The Involvement of the Mitral Valve as a Novel Actor upon the Ancient Scene of Liver Cirrhosis.

Background: To date, little is known about correlations between liver dysfunction and circulatory and cardiac abnormalities (e.g.,: mitral valve, MV) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD).

Role of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and of its genetics on kidney function in childhood obesity.

Objectives: Evidence linked metabolic associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) to kidney damage with the potential contribution of the I148M variant of the Patatin-like phospholipase containing domain 3 (PNPLA3) gene. We aimed at investigating the relationship of MASLD and of its genetics with kidney function in children with obesity.

Methods: A comprehensive evaluation including genotyping for the I148M PNPLA3 polymorphism was performed in 1037 children with obesity.

Variant reclassification over time decreases the level of diagnostic uncertainty in monogenic obesity: Experience from two centres.

Background: The diagnosis of monogenic obesity is burdened by frequent variants of uncertain significance (VUS). We describe our real-life approach of variant reassessment over time and we assess whether inconclusive variants are decreasing in monogenic obesity.

Methods: We tested for monogenic obesity (genes: LEPR, POMC, ADCY3, PCSK1, CARTPT, SIM1, MRAP2, LEP, NTRK2, BDNF, KSR2, MAGEL2, SH2B1, MC4R, MC3R) in 101 children/adolescents (11.

Effectiveness of Smartphone App for the Treatment of Pediatric Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Pediatric obesity treatment is based on high-intensity lifestyle counseling. However, high dropout rates and low effectiveness have been reported, even in specialized centers. Mobile health technologies have been used to overcome these limits with contrasting results.

Optimising healthcare transition of adolescents and young adults to adult care: a perspective statement of the Italian Society of Obesity.

The transition to adult health care (HCT, Health Care Transition), is the purposeful, planned movement of patients from paediatric to adult services. For the adolescent living with obesity (ALwO), the HCT represents a crucial window for effective intervention that can help improve body weight, adiposopathy, and metabolic complications. Nevertheless, no transition guidelines, models, and tools have been developed for these patients.

Are the complications after laparo-assisted endo-rectal pull-through for Hirschsprung disease related to the change of the anal tone?

The main advantage of the laparo-assisted transanal endorectal pull-through technique (LA - TERPT) for Hirschsprung Disease (HD) is the respect to the rectal-anal anatomy. Postoperative complications have been observed recently. The present study aims to determine how often these postoperative complications occur in these patients.

Effect of Obesity on the Respiratory Parameters in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to investigate how obesity can influence sleep respiratory parameters in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children.

Methods: The study analyzes 56 Caucasian children and adolescents aged 11 ± 2.79 years with a BMI > 5th percentiles and a PSQ value ≥ 0.

Liver Involvement during SARS-CoV-2 Infection Is Associated with a Worse Respiratory Outcome in COVID-19 Patients.

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), may be complicated by life-threatening interstitial pneumonia. SARS-CoV-2 infection may also damage several tissues and/or organs beyond the lungs, including the liver. However, controversy still exists as to whether SARS-CoV-2-induced liver alterations can have an impact on the outcome of COVID-19.

Time effect of dupilumab to treat severe uncontrolled asthma in adolescents: A pilot study.

Background: Dupilumab is a new biological drug approved for the treatment of type 2 inflammatory diseases, such as asthma. Dupilumab is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody that acts against both interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 receptors. This study evaluated the time--dependent effect of dupilumab on asthma exacerbations and quality of life in adolescents with uncontrolled severe asthma.

Kidney damage predictors in children with metabolically healthy and metabolically unhealthy obesity phenotype.

Background: Obesity and kidney damage have been closely linked in adults, but little is still known in childhood.

Objective: To identify predictors of kidney damage in children with metabolically healthy (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy (MUO) obesity phenotypes.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 396 children with obesity (mean age 10.

Long-Term Prognosis among COVID-19 Patients: The Predictive Role Played by Hyperinflammation and Arrhythmic Disorders in Fatal Outcome.

Limited data are available on outcomes among COVID-19 patients beyond the acute phase of the disease. All-cause mortality among our COVID-19 patients one year after hospital discharge and factors/conditions associated with death were evaluated. All patients discharged from our COVID center were periodically evaluated by clinical assessment and by digital healthcare registry consultation.

rs2254524 Increases the Risk of Hypertension in Children and Adolescents with Obesity.

Childhood obesity and its related comorbidities have become major health issues over the last century. Among these comorbidities, cardiovascular diseases, especially hypertension, are the most significant. Recently, a polymorphism affecting the activity of lanosterol synthase has been associated with an increased risk of hypertension in adolescents.

The lncOb rs10487505 polymorphism impairs insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in children and adolescents with obesity.

Objective: Leptin plays a key role in the regulation of body weight and other endocrine systems. Recently, impairment of leptin gene transcription due to genetic variations in a long noncoding RNA (lncOb) has been described. This retrospective study aims to characterize the clinical and metabolic phenotype of children and adolescents with obesity who were homozygous for the lncOb rs10487505 leptin lowering allele.

Behavioral and Sleep Disorders in Children and Adolescents following COVID-19 Disease: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction: Recent studies show that neuropsychiatric disorders are the most frequent sequelae of COVID-19 in children.

Purpose: Our work aimed to evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on behavior and sleep in children and adolescents.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 107 patients aged 1.

The treatment of obesity in children and adolescents: consensus position statement of the Italian society of pediatric endocrinology and diabetology, Italian Society of Pediatrics and Italian Society of Pediatric Surgery.

This Position Statement updates the different components of the therapy of obesity (lifestyle intervention, drugs, and surgery) in children and adolescents, previously reported in the consensus position statement on pediatric obesity of the Italian Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology and the Italian Society of Pediatrics. Lifestyle intervention is the first step of treatment. In children older than 12 years, pharmacotherapy is the second step, and bariatric surgery is the third one, in selected cases.

Sensitization to nsLTP: A Retrospective Study in An Italian Pediatric Population over the Last Decade.

Background: Food allergy is common in the Mediterranean, especially concerning lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) allergy. LTPs are widespread plant food allergens in fruits, vegetables, nuts, pollen, and latex. Also, LTPs are prevalent food allergens in the Mediterranean area.