The role of adipose tissue and subsequent liver tissue hypoxia in obesity and early stage metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease.

Background: Obesity is linked to several health complication, including Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). Adipose tissue hypoxia has been suggested as an important player in the pathophysiological mechanism leading to chronic inflammation in obesity, and in the progression of MASLD. The study aims to investigate the effect of progressive obesity on adipose and liver tissue hypoxia.

Body composition helps to elucidate the different origins of low serum magnesium in children with obesity compared to children with type 1 diabetes.

Hypomagnesemia in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) as well as in obesity has been related to insulin resistance in adults, but not yet in pediatric patients. In this observational single-center study, we aimed to investigate the relation between the magnesium homeostasis, insulin resistance, and body composition in children with T1D and in children with obesity. Children with T1D (n = 148) and children with obesity and proven insulin resistance (n = 121) and healthy controls (n = 36) were included in this study.

The Role of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Endothelial Function in a Pediatric Population With Obesity.

Background: Childhood obesity has increased worldwide, becoming a significant public health concern. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in the central regulation of food intake and body weight, but little is known regarding its role in childhood obesity. Next to obesity, BDNF has been linked to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and endothelial dysfunction, two obesity-related comorbidities.

Improving Treatment Outcome in Children With Obesity by an Online Self-Control Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Currently available treatment programs for children with obesity only have modest long-term results, which is (at least partially) due to the poorer self-control observed within this population. The present trial aimed to determine whether an online self-control training, training inhibition, and redirecting attentional bias, can improve the short- and long-term treatment outcome of (in- or outpatient) child obesity treatment programs. In this double-blind multi-center randomized controlled trial (RCT), participants aged 8-18 years with obesity were allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive an online self-control or sham training added to their in- or outpatient multidisciplinary obesity treatment (MOT) program.

The impact of obstructive sleep apnea on endothelial function during weight loss in an obese pediatric population.

Background: Childhood obesity is an increasing problem with substantial comorbidities such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and increased cardiovascular morbidity. Endothelial dysfunction is an underlying mechanism related to both obesity and OSA.

Research Question: To investigate the effect of weight loss on endothelial function and OSA in obese children and to determine whether a change in endothelial function can be linked to an improvement in OSA.

Copy number variant analysis and expression profiling of the olfactory receptor-rich 11q11 region in obesity predisposition.

Genome-wide copy number surveys associated chromosome 11q11 with obesity. As this is an olfactory receptor-rich region, we hypothesize that genetic variation in olfactory receptor genes might be implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. Multiplex Amplicon Quantification analysis was applied to screen for copy number variants at chromosome 11q11 in 627 patients with obesity and 330 healthy-weight individuals.

A combined intrapleural administration of dornase alfa and tissue plasminogen activator is safe in children with empyema - A pilot study.

Objective: There is still no consensus regarding the treatment of empyema in children. Intrapleural combination of tissue plasminogen activator and dornase alfa is a promising treatment for empyema in adults. The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether this combination is safe and successful in pediatric empyema.

Clinical Predictors of Residual Sleep Apnea after Weight Loss Therapy in Obese Adolescents.

Objective: To investigate clinical factors that could predict residual sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) after weight loss.

Study Design: Obese subjects between 10 and 19 years of age were recruited while entering an in-patient weight loss treatment program. All subjects underwent anthropometry and sleep screening using a portable device at baseline and after 4-6 months of therapy.

Dynamics of persistent organic pollutants in obese adolescents during weight loss.

We have investigated the dynamics of various persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the serum of 94 obese adolescents (34 boys and 60 girls: age range 11-19years) before (0M) and after 5months (5M) of undergoing weight loss treatment. Six groups of POPs, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), were detected in all samples in the decreasing order of median levels: DDTs>PCBs>HCB>HCHs>CHLs>PBDEs. Levels and patterns of POPs between boys and girls at two time-points were similar.

Evaluation of a Role for NPY and NPY2R in the Pathogenesis of Obesity by Mutation and Copy Number Variation Analysis in Obese Children and Adolescents.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and its G protein-coupled NPY Y2 Receptor (NPY2R) are highly expressed in orexigenic NPY/Agouti-related peptide neurons within the arcuate nucleus, a major integrator of appetite control in the hypothalamus. As NPY and NPY2R are interesting candidate genes for obesity, we hypothesized that a genetic variation in these genes might be implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. In the first part of this study, we performed a mutation analysis of the coding region of NPY and NPY2R with high-resolution melting curve analysis.

Sleep Complaints and Sleep Architecture in Children With Idiopathic Central Sleep Apnea.

Study Objectives: Idiopathic central sleep apnea (ICSA) is categorized as a type of nonhypercapnic central sleep apnea (CSA). Recurrent cessation and resumption of respiration leads to sleep fragmentation, which causes excessive daytime sleepiness, frequent nocturnal awakenings, or both. ICSA has been described in the adult population but there is limited information in children.

Sleep disordered breathing and autonomic function in overweight and obese children and adolescents.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), common in children with obesity, is associated with cardiovascular morbidity. Autonomic dysfunction has been suggested to be a key player in the development of these complications. We investigated the relationship between obesity, OSA and sympathetic activity in children.

Nucleotide variation of sFRP5 gene is not associated with obesity in children and adolescents.

Because sFRP5 was shown to be an important extracellular modulator of the Wnt pathway, regulating adipogenesis, we wanted to investigate the role of sFRP5 variants in human, monogenic obesity by performing mutation analysis. We screened the complete sFRP5 coding region in 622 obese children and adolescents and 503 lean control individuals by high-resolution melting curve analysis and direct sequencing. We found a total of 15 sequence variants in sFRP5, 10 of which resulted in a non-synonymous amino acid change.

CNV analysis and mutation screening indicate an important role for the NPY4R gene in human obesity.

Objective: Genome-wide copy number variation (CNV) analyses have associated the 10q11.22 CNV with obesity. As the NPY4R gene is the most interesting candidate gene in this region, it was hypothesized that both genetic and structural variation in NPY4R might be implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity.

Investigation of common and rare genetic variation in the BAMBI genomic region in light of human obesity.

The aim of this study was to confirm the previously identified link between BAMBI and human obesity by means of a genetic and functional analysis. We performed both a mutation analysis, using high-resolution melting curve analysis, and a genetic association study, including 8 common tagSNPs in the BAMBI gene region. Three of the identified genetic variants (R151W, H201R, and C229R) were evaluated for their Wnt signaling enhancing capacity in a Wnt luciferase reporter assay.

C-reactive Protein as a Potential Biomarker of Residual Obstructive Sleep Apnea Following Adenotonsillectomy in Children.

Study Objectives: Adenotonsillectomy (AT) is first-line treatment for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), with most children having improvements in polysomnography (PSG). However, many children have residual OSA following AT as determined through PSG. Identification of a biomarker of residual disease would be clinically meaningful to detect children at risk.

Genetic and structural variation in the SH2B1 gene in the Belgian population.

Objective: Animal studies, genome-wide association and genomic structural variation studies have identified the SH2B1 gene as a candidate gene for obesity. Therefore, we have designed an extensive mutation and copy number variation (CNV) analysis investigating the prevalence of genetic and structural variations in SH2B1 in the Belgian population.

Design And Methods: In the first part of this study, we performed a mutation screen for variants in the SH2B1 coding region in 581 obese children and adolescents and 433 healthy, lean individuals with high-resolution melting curve analysis followed by direct sequencing.

Upper airway imaging in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in children is a manifestation of sleep-disordered breathing and associated with a number of complications. Structural narrowing of the upper airway in combination with inadequate compensation for a decrease in neuromuscular tone is an important factor in the pathogenesis. Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the most important predisposing factor.

Sleep-disordered breathing and C-reactive protein in obese children and adolescents.

Purpose: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is common among overweight and obese children. It is a risk factor for several health complications, including cardiovascular disease. Inflammatory processes leading to endothelial dysfunction are a possible mechanism linking SDB and cardiovascular disease.