Blood biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease:important considerations for use in clinical practice

Introduction:Fluid and positron emission tomography(PET)biomarkers that enable the detection of the hallmark proteins of Alzheimer’s disease(AD)(amyloid and tau)have revolutionized our approach to the diagnosis of AD.The evolution of AD diagnostic criteria to include biological characterization(Alzheimer’s Association Working Group,2023)provides an appropriate framework to reduce levels of clinico-pathologic mismatch and improve in-vivo diagnostic accuracy.As the therapeutic landscape for neurodegenerative disease evolves,it is increasingly incumbent on clinicians to provide timely,and pathologically precise diagnoses for patients.However,the expensive and invasive nature of these tests limits their scalability.

Beyond wrecking a wall:revisiting the concept of blood–brain barrier breakdown in ischemic stroke

The blood–brain barrier constitutes a dynamic and interactive boundary separating the central nervous system and the peripheral circulation.It tightly modulates the ion transport and nutrient influx,while restricting the entry of harmful factors,and selectively limiting the migration of immune cells,thereby maintaining brain homeostasis.Despite the well-established association between blood–brain barrier disruption and most neurodegenerative/neuroinflammatory diseases,much remains unknown about the factors influencing its physiology and the mechanisms underlying its breakdown.Moreover,the role of blood–brain barrier breakdown in the translational failure underlying therapies for brain disorders is just starting to be understood.This review aims to revisit this concept of“blood–brain barrier breakdown,”delving into the most controversial aspects,prevalent challenges,and knowledge gaps concerning the lack of blood–brain barrier integrity.By moving beyond the oversimplistic dichotomy of an“open”/“bad”or a“closed”/“good”barrier,our objective is to provide a more comprehensive insight into blood–brain barrier dynamics,to identify novel targets and/or therapeutic approaches aimed at mitigating blood–brain barrier dysfunction.Furthermore,in this review,we advocate for considering the diverse time-and location-dependent alterations in the blood–brain barrier,which go beyond tight-junction disruption or brain endothelial cell breakdown,illustrated through the dynamics of ischemic stroke as a case study.Through this exploration,we seek to underscore the complexity of blood–brain barrier dysfunction and its implications for the pathogenesis and therapy of brain diseases.

Refractory lipoatrophy treated with autologous whole blood injection:A case report

BACKGROUND Intramuscular corticosteroid injection may cause adverse effects such as dermal and/or subcutaneous atrophy,alopecia,hypopigmentation,and hyperpigmentation.Although cutaneous atrophy can spontaneously resolve,several treatment options have been suggested for this condition.CASE SUMMARY In this paper,we report a case of corticosteroid injection induced lipoatrophy treated with autologous whole blood(AWB)injection,as the condition had been unresponsive to fractional laser therapy.A 29-year-old female patient visited the dermatology clinic complaining of skin depression on her right buttock area,which had appeared six months earlier.There had been only subtle improvement at the margins after fractional CO_(2) laser treatment;therefore,after obtaining informed consent from the patient,AWB treatment was initiated.One month after the first AWB injection,the size and depth of the lesion had noticeably improved,and a slight improvement was also observed in discoloration.CONCLUSION Close observation is the initial treatment of choice for steroid induced skin atrophy;however,for patients in need of immediate cosmetic improvement,AWB injection may be a safe and cost-effective alternative.

Pretreatment red blood cell distribution width as a predictive marker for postoperative complications after laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy

BACKGROUND Red blood cell distribution width(RDW)is associated with the development and progression of various diseases.AIM To explore the association between pretreatment RDW and short-term outcomes after laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy(LPD).METHODS A total of 804 consecutive patients who underwent LPD at our hospital between March 2017 and November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Correlations between pretreatment RDW and clinicopathological characteristics and short-term outcomes were investigated.RESULTS Patients with higher pretreatment RDW were older,had higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores and were associated with poorer short-term outcomes than those with normal RDW.High pretreatment RDW was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications(POCs)(hazard ratio=2.973,95%confidence interval:2.032-4.350,P<0.001)and severe POCs of grade IIIa or higher(hazard ratio=3.138,95%confidence interval:2.042-4.824,P<0.001)based on the Clavien-Dino classification system.Subgroup analysis showed that high pretreatment RDW was an independent risk factor for Clavien-Dino classi-fication grade IIIb or higher POCs,a comprehensive complication index score≥26.2,severe postoperative pancreatic fistula,severe bile leakage and severe hemorrhage.High pretreatment RDW was positively associated with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and was negatively associated with albumin and the prognostic nutritional index.CONCLUSION Pretreatment RDW was a special parameter for patients who underwent LPD.It was associated with malnutrition,severe inflammatory status and poorer short-term outcomes.RDW could be a surrogate marker for nutritional and inflammatory status in identifying patients who were at high risk of developing POCs after LPD.

Blood diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a devastating neurodegenerative disease for which the current treatment approaches remain severely limited.The principal pathological alterations of the disease include the selective degeneration of motor neurons in the brain,brainstem,and spinal cord,as well as abnormal protein deposition in the cytoplasm of neurons and glial cells.The biological markers under extensive scrutiny are predominantly located in the cerebrospinal fluid,blood,and even urine.Among these biomarke rs,neurofilament proteins and glial fibrillary acidic protein most accurately reflect the pathologic changes in the central nervous system,while creatinine and creatine kinase mainly indicate pathological alterations in the peripheral nerves and muscles.Neurofilament light chain levels serve as an indicator of neuronal axonal injury that remain stable throughout disease progression and are a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker with high specificity and sensitivity.However,there are challenges in using neurofilament light chain to diffe rentiate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from other central nervous system diseases with axonal injury.Glial fibrillary acidic protein predominantly reflects the degree of neuronal demyelination and is linked to non-motor symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis such as cognitive impairment,oxygen saturation,and the glomerular filtration rate.TAR DNA-binding protein 43,a pathological protein associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,is emerging as a promising biomarker,particularly with advancements in exosome-related research.Evidence is currently lacking for the value of creatinine and creatine kinase as diagnostic markers;however,they show potential in predicting disease prognosis.Despite the vigorous progress made in the identification of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis biomarkers in recent years,the quest for definitive diagnostic and prognostic biomarke rs remains a formidable challenge.This review summarizes the latest research achievements concerning blood biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that can provide a more direct basis for the differential diagnosis and prognostic assessment of the disease beyond a reliance on clinical manifestations and electromyography findings.

Peripheral blood RNA biomarkers can predict lesion severity in degenerative cervical myelopathy

Degenerative cervical myelopathy is a common cause of spinal cord injury,with longer symptom duration and higher myelopathy severity indicating a worse prognosis.While numerous studies have investigated serological biomarkers for acute spinal cord injury,few studies have explored such biomarkers for diagnosing degenerative cervical myelopathy.This study involved 30 patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy(51.3±7.3 years old,12 women and 18 men),seven healthy controls(25.7±1.7 years old,one woman and six men),and nine patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy(51.9±8.6 years old,three women and six men).Analysis of blood samples from the three groups showed clear differences in transcriptomic characteristics.Enrichment analysis identified 128 differentially expressed genes that were enriched in patients with neurological disabilities.Using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis,we constructed a five-gene model(TBCD,TPM2,PNKD,EIF4G2,and AP5Z1)to diagnose degenerative cervical myelopathy with an accuracy of 93.5%.One-gene models(TCAP and SDHA)identified mild and severe degenerative cervical myelopathy with accuracies of 83.3%and 76.7%,respectively.Signatures of two immune cell types(memory B cells and memory-activated CD4^(+)T cells)predicted levels of lesions in degenerative cervical myelopathy with 80%accuracy.Our results suggest that peripheral blood RNA biomarkers could be used to predict lesion severity in degenerative cervical myelopathy.

Autologous cord blood vs individualized supplements in autistic spectrum disorder:CORDUS study results

BACKGROUND Cellular therapies have started an important new therapeutic direction in autistic spectrum disorder(ASD),and the ample diversity of ASD pathophysiology and the different types of cell therapies prompt an equally ample effort to employ clinical studies for studying the ASD causes and cell therapies.Stem cells have yielded so far mixed results in clinical trials,and at patient level the results varied from impressive to no improvement.In this context we have administered autologous cord blood(ACB)and a non-placebo,material intervention repre-sented by an individualized combination of supplements(ICS)to ASD children.METHODS CORDUS clinical study is a crossover study in which both oral ICS and intravenous ACB were sequentially administered to 56 children;ACB was infused as an inpatient procedure.Treatment efficacy was evaluated pre-treatment and post-treatment at 6 months by an independent psychotherapist with Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist,Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and a 16-item comparative table score,after interviewing the children’s parents and therapists.Before and after each intervention participants had a set of blood tests including inflammatory,metabolic and oxidative markers,and the neuronal specific enolase.RESULTS No serious adverse reactions were noted during and after cord blood or supplement administration.ACB improved evaluation scores in 78%of children with age 3–7-years(n=28),but was much less effective in kids older than 8 years or with body weight of more than 35 kg(n=28;only 11%of children improved scores).ICS yielded better results than ACB in 5 cases out of 28,while in 23 kids ACB brought more improvement than ICS(P<0.05);high initial levels of inflammation and ferritin were associated with no improvement.Ample individual differences were noted in children's progress,and statistically significant improvements were seen after ACB on areas such as verbalization and social interaction,but not on irritability or aggressive behavior.CONCLUSION ACB has superior efficacy to ICS in ASD;high inflammation,ferritin,age and body weight predict less improvement;more clinical studies are needed for studying ACB efficacy in ASD.

Adipokines在正常与肥胖患者网膜脂肪细胞中表达水平的比较研究

目的:检测脂肪细胞因子(adipokines)在正常与肥胖患者网膜脂肪细胞中的表达水平差异,探讨Adipo-kines在肥胖及肥胖相关疾病(如胰岛素抵抗,2型糖尿病)中的作用。方法:将受试者分为2组:正常体重组BMI<23(kg/m2)和肥胖组BMI>28((kg/m2),每组10人。受试者在其腹部择期手术时取其网膜脂肪组织,采用胶原酶消化法分离原代培养人网膜成熟脂肪细胞,并在不同时间点收集细胞上清液,采用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)检测上述两组患者网膜脂肪细胞中Adipokines的表达水平差异。结果:肥胖组Adipokines:IL-6、TNF-a、MCP-1 3种因子浓度均随时间变化而升高,并且3种因子浓度在每一时间点均高于正常体重组,而Adiponectin却低于正常体重组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:肥胖组与正常体重组Adipokines(IL-6、TNF-a、MCP-1、adiponectin)的差异可能是肥胖及肥胖相关疾病的发病基础。

Association between obesity-related adipokines and colorectal cancer:A case-control study and meta-analysis

AIM: To examine the association between obesity-related adipokines (adiponectin, leptin, resistin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-&#x003b1; (TNF-&#x003b1;) and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk.

Role of adipokines and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Intrahepatic fat deposition has been demonstrated in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). Genetic and environmental factors are important for the development of NAFLD. Diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension have been found to be closely associated with the incidence of NAFLD. Evi-dence suggests that obesity and insulin resistance are the major factors that contribute to the development of NAFLD. In comparing the factors that contribute to the buildup of excess calories in obesity, an imbalance of energy homeostasis can be considered as the basis. Among the peripheral signals that are generated to regulate the uptake of food, signals from adipose tissue are of major relevance and involve the maintenance of energy homeostasis through processes such as lipo-genesis, lipolysis, and oxidation of fatty acids. Advances in research on adipose tissue suggest an integral role played by adipokines in NAFLD. Cytokines secreted by adipocytes, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, transform-ing growth factor-β, and interleukin-6, are implicated in NAFLD. Other adipokines, such as leptin and adiponectin and, to a lesser extent, resistin and retinol binding protein-4 are also involved. Leptin and adiponectin can augment the oxidation of fatty acid in liver by activating the nuclear receptor super-family of transcription fac-tors, namely peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPAR)-α. Recent studies have proposed downregula-tion of PPAR-α in cases of hepatic steatosis. This re-view discusses the role of adipokines and PPARs with regard to hepatic energy metabolism and progression of NAFLD.

Adipokines: Biomarkers for osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis(OA)is one of the most common degenerative joint diseases in aging population.Obesity is an important risk factor for initiation and progression of OA.It is accepted that excess body weight may lead to cartilage degeneration by increasing the mechanical forces across weight-bearing joints.However,emerging data suggest that additional metabolic factors released mainly by white adipose tissue may also be responsible for the high prevalence of OA among obese people.Adipocyte-derived molecules‘‘adipokines’’have prompt much interest in OA pathophysiological research over the past decade since they play an important role in cartilage and bone homeostasis.Therefore,the aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the role of adipokines including leptin,adiponectin,visfatin and resistin in OA and their potential to be used as biomarkers for earlier diagnosis,classifying disease severity,monitoring disease progression,and testing pharmacological interventions for OA.In OA patients,leptin,visfatin and resistin showed increased production whereas adiponectin showed decreased production.Leptin and adiponectin are far more studied than visfatin and resistin.Importantly,altered adipokine levels also contribute to a wide range of diseases.Further experiments are still crucial for understanding the relationship between adipokines and OA.

Adipokines levels are associated with the severity of liver disease in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis

AIM:To investigate the adipokine levels of leptin,adiponectin,resistin,visfatin,retinol-binding protein 4(RBP4),apelin in alcoholic liver cirrhosis(ALC).METHODS:Forty non-diabetic ALC patients[median age:59 years,males:35(87.5%),Child-Pugh(CP)score:median 7(5-12),CP A/B/C:18/10/12,Model for End-stage Liver Disease(MELD):median 10(6-25),follow-up:median 32.5 mo(10-43)]were prospectively included.The serum adipokine levels were estimated in duplicate by ELISA.Somatometric characteristics were assessed with tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance analysis.Pearson’s rank correlation coefficient was used to assess possible associations with adipokine levels.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors for overallsurvival.RESULTS:Body mass index:median 25.9(range:20.1-39.3),fat:23.4%(7.6-42.1),fat mass:17.8(5.49-45.4),free fat mass:56.1(39.6-74.4),total body water(TBW):40.6(29.8-58.8).Leptin and visfatin levels were positively associated with fat mass(P<0.001/P=0.027,respectively)and RBP4 with TBW(P=0.025).Median adiponectin levels were significantly higher in CPC compared to CPA(CPA:7.99±14.07,CPB:7.66±3.48,CPC:25.73±26.8,P=0.04),whereas median RBP4 and apelin levels decreased across the spectrum of disease severity(P=0.006/P=0.034,respectively).Following adjustment for fat mass,visfatin and adiponectin levels were significantly increased from CPA to CPC(both P<0.001),whereas an inverse correlation was observed for both RBP4 and apelin(both P<0.001).In the multivariate Cox regression analysis,only MELD had an independent association with overall survival(HR=1.53,95%CI:1.05-2.32;P=0.029).CONCLUSION:Adipokines are associated with deteriorating liver function in a complex manner in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

Serum adipokines in inflammatory bowel disease

AIM: To investigate serum adipokine levels in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients before treatment and after achieving clinical remission.

Serum adipokines might predict liver histology findings in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

AIM: To assess significance of serum adipokines to determine the histological severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.METHODS: Patients with persistent elevation in serum aminotransferase levels and well-defined characteristics of fatty liver at ultrasound were enrolled. Individuals with a history of alcohol consumption, hepatotoxic medication, viral hepatitis or known liver disease were excluded. Liver biopsy was performed to confirm non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD). The degrees of liver steatosis, lobular inflammation and fibrosis were determined based on the non-alcoholic fatty liver activity score (NAS) by a single expert pathologist. Patients with a NAS of five or higher were considered to have steatohepatitis. Those with a NAS of two or lower were defined as simple fatty liver. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the independent association of adipokines with histological findings. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to determine cut-off values of serum adipokines to discriminate the grades of liver steatosis, lobular inflammation and fibrosis.RESULTS: Fifty-four participants aged 37.02 &#x000b1; 9.82 were enrolled in the study. Higher serum levels of visfatin, IL-8, TNF-&#x003b1; levels were associated independently with steatosis grade of more than 33% [&#x003b2; = 1.08 (95%CI: 1.03-1.14), 1.04 (95%CI: 1.008-1.07), 1.04 (95%CI: 1.004-1.08), P &#x0003c; 0.05]. Elevated serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels were associated independently with advanced lobular inflammation [&#x003b2; = 1.4 (95%CI: 1.09-1.8), 1.07 (95%CI: 1.003-1.15), P &#x0003c; 0.05]. Similarly, higher TNF-&#x003b1;, resistin, and hepcidin levels were associated independently with advanced fibrosis stage [&#x003b2; = 1.06 (95%CI: 1.002-1.12), 19.86 (95%CI: 2.79-141.19), 560.72 (95%CI: 5.98-5255.33), P &#x0003c; 0.05]. Serum IL-8 and TNF-&#x003b1; values were associated independently with the NAS score, considering a NAS score of 5 as the reference value [&#x003b2; = 1.05 (95%CI: 1.01-1.1), 1.13 (95%CI: 1.04-1.22), P &#x0003c; 0.05].CONCLUSION: Certain adipokines may determine the severity of NAFLD histology accurately.

Value of adipokines in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis:Comprehensive review

AIM:To analyze the prognostic value of adipokines in predicting the course,complications and fatal outcome of acute pancreatitis(AP).METHODS:We performed the search of PubMed database and the systemic analysis of the literature for both experimental and human studies on prognostic value of adipokines in AP for period 2002-2012.Only the papers that described the use of adipokines for prediction of severity and/or complications of AP were selected for further analysis.Each article had to contain information about the levels of measured adipokines,diagnosis and verification of AP,to specify presence of pancreatic necrosis,organ dysfunction and/or mortality rates.From the very beginning,study was carried out adhering to the PRISMA checklist and flowchart for systemic reviews.To assess quality of all included human studies,the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool was used.Because of the high heterogeneity between the studies,it was decided to refrain from the statistical processing or meta-analysis of the available data.RESULTS:Nine human and three experimental studies were included into review.In experimental studies significant differences between leptin concentrations at 24 and 48 h in control,acute edematous and acute necrotizing pancreatitis groups were found(P = 0.027 and P < 0.001).In human studies significant differences between leptin and resitin concentrations in control and acute pancreatitis groups were found.1-3 d serum adiponectin threshold of 4.5 μg/mL correctly classified the severity of 81% of patients with AP.This threshold yielded a sensitivity of 70%,specificity 85%,positive predictive value 64%,negative predictive value88%(area under curve 0.75).Resistin and visfatin concentrations differ significantly between mild and severe acute pancreatitis groups,they correlate with severity of disease,need for interventions and outcome.Both adipokines are good markers for parapancreatic necrosis and the cut-off values of 11.9 ng/mL and 1.8 ng/mL respectively predict the high ranges of radiological scores.However,the review revealed that all nine human studies with adipokines are very different in terms of methodology and objectives,so it is difficult to generalize their results.It seems that concentrations of the leptin and resistin increases significantly in patients with acute pancreatitis compared with controls.Serum levels of adiponectin,visfatin and especially resitin(positive correlation with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ,Ranson and C-reactive protein) are significantly different in mild acute pancreatitis and severe acute pancreatitis patients,so,they can serve as a markers for the disease severity prediction.Resistin and visfatin can also be used for pancreatic and parapancreatic necrosis prediction,interventions needs and possible,outcome.CONCLUSION:High levels of adipokines could allow for prediction of a severe disease course and outcome even in small pancreatic lesions on computed tomography scans.

Pharmacological effects of lipid-lowering drugs on circulating adipokines

The cardioprotective effects of lipid-lowering drugs have been primarily attributed to their effects on blood lipid metabolism.However,emerging evidence indicates that lipid-lowering drugs also modulate the synthesis and secretion of adipose tissue-secreted proteins referred to as adipokines.Adipokines influence energy homeostasis and metabolism and have also been shown to modulate the vascular inflammatory cascade.The purpose of this review will be to examine the reported effects of commonly used lipid-lowering drugs(statins,fibrates,niacin and omega-3-fatty acids) on the circulating concentrations of leptin,adiponectin,tumor necrosisfactor-α(TNF-α),Retinol binding protein 4(RBP4) and resistin.Overall,the lipid-lowering drugs reviewed have minimal effects on leptin and resistin concentrations.Conversely,circulating adiponectin concentrations are consistently increased by each lipid-lowering drug reviewed with the greatest effects produced by niacin.Studies that have examined the effects of statins,niacin and omega-3-fatty acids on TNF-α demonstrate that these agents have little effect on circulating TNF-α concentrations.Niacin and fibrates appear to lower RBP4 but not resistin concentrations.The results of the available studies suggest that a strong relationship exists between pharmacological reductions in blood lipids and adiponectin that is not obvious for other adipokines reviewed.

Adipokines as a novel link between obesity and atherosclerosis

The traditional perception of adipose tissue as a storage organ of fatty acids has been replaced by the notion that adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ, releasing various adipokines that are involved in the pathogenesis of obesity-related metabolic disturbances. Obesity is a well-known risk factor for atherosclerosis, and accelerates atherosclerosis by many mechanisms such as increase in blood pressure and glucose level, abnormal lipid profiles, and systemic inflammation. Furthermore, growing evidence suggests that some adipokines directly mediate the process of atherosclerosis by influencing the function of endothelial cells, arterial smooth muscle cells, and macrophages in vessel walls. In obese patients, the secretion and coordination of such adipokines is abnormal, and the secretion of specific adipokines increases or decreases. Accordingly, the discovery of new adipokines and elucidation of their functions might lead to a new treatment strategy for metabolic disorders related to obesity, including cardiovascular diseases.

Abnormal Adipokines Associated with Various Types of Obesity in Chinese Children and Adolescents

Objective To explore the role of adipokines including insulin, resistin, leptin, adiponectin, acylation stimulating protein （ASP） and complement C3 （C3） in various types of obesity （peripheral obesity, abdominal obesity and mixed obesity） in Chinese children and adolescents, and their relationships with body size and pubertal development. Methods Children and adolescents （n=3 508） aged 6 to 18 years, with 1 788 boys and 1 720 girls were assessed for body mass index, waist circumference, pubertal development, blood insulin, resistin, leptin, adiponectin, ASP and C3 levels. Three types of obesity [peripheral obesity （n=43）, abdominal obesity （n=473）, mixed obesity （n=1 187）] and non‐obese control （n=1 805） were defined with combined use of Chinese body mass index and waist circumference criteria. Results Serum resistin, leptin and adiponectin levels were higher in girls than those in boys （all P0.01）. Insulin and leptin increased and adiponectin decreased across five Tanner stages in both girls and boys （all P0.001）, while ASP changed only in girls （P0.001） and C3 only in boys （P0.001）. Insulin, leptin and ASP were higher, but adiponectin was lower in all three types of obesity vs. the non‐obese control （all P0.05）. The greatest abnormalities of all six adipokines were found in the mixed obesity group. With inclusion of body mass index and waist circumference in simultaneous regression analyses, both body size indices were independently and significantly correlated with insulin, leptin and adiponectin after age and gender adjustment. Compared with waist circumference, the body mass index was stronger in interpreting insulin, leptin, adiponectin and ASP levels, whereas it was weaker in explaining variance of plasma C3. Conclusions Obese children have a worse metabolic profile with high insulin, resistin, leptin, ASP and C3, and low adiponectin levels. The adipokine profile in mixed obesity is worse than that in peripheral or abdominal obesity. Identification of obese subjects with a malignant adipokine profile using a combination of body mass index and waist circumference is important for the prevention of obesity‐related disease.

Adipokines and C-reactive protein in relation to bone mineralization in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

AIM: To investigate bone mineral density (BMD) in obese children with and without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); and the association between BMD and serum adipokines, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP). METHODS: A case-control study was performed. Cases were 44 obese children with NAFLD. The diagnosis of NAFLD was based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with high hepatic fat fraction (≥ 5%). Other causes of chronic liver disease were ruled out. Controls were selected from obese children with normal levels of aminotransferases, and without MRI evidence of fatty liver as well as of other causes of chronic liver diseases. Controls were matched (1-to 1-basis) with thecases on age, gender, pubertal stage and as closely as possible on body mass index-SD score. All participants underwent clinical examination, laboratory tests, and whole body (WB) and lumbar spine (LS) BMD by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. BMDZ-scores were calcu- lated using race and gender specific LMS curves. RESULTS: Obese children with NAFLD had a significantly lower LS BMDZ-score than those without NAFLD [mean, 0.55 (95%CI: 0.23-0.86) vs 1.29 (95%CI: 0.95-1.63); P < 0.01]. WB BMD Z-score was also decreased in obese children with NAFLD compared to obese children with no NAFLD, though borderline significance was observed [1.55 (95%CI: 1.23-1.87) vs 1.95 (95%CI: 1.67-2.10); P = 0.06]. Children with NAFLD had significantly higher HSCRP, lower adiponectin, but similar leptin levels. Thirty five of the 44 children with MRI-diagnosed NAFLD underwent liver biopsy. Among the children with biopsy-proven NAFLD, 20 (57%) had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), while 15 (43%) no NASH. Compared to children without NASH, those with NASH had a significantly lower LS BMD Z-score [mean, 0.27 (95%CI: -0.17-0.71) vs 0.75 (95%CI: 0.13-1.39); P < 0.05] as well as a significantly lower WB BMD Z-score [1.38 (95%CI: 0.89-1.17) vs 1.93 (95%CI: 1.32-2.36); P < 0.05]. In multiple regression analysis, NASH (standardized β coefficient, -0.272; P < 0.01) and HSCRP (standardized β coefficient, -0.192; P < 0.05) were significantly and independently associated with LS BMD Z-score. Similar results were obtained when NAFLD (instead of NASH) was included in the model. WB BMD Z-scores were significantly and independently associated with NASH (standardized β coefficient, -0.248;P < 0.05) and fat mass (standardized β coefficient, -0.224;P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study reveals that NAFLD is associated with low BMD in obese children, and that systemic, low-grade inflammation may accelerate loss of bone mass in patients with NAFLD.

Emerging role of adipokines as mediators in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a major health problem around the world.Obesity is a primary risk factor for atherosclerosis and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases.However,the precise molecular pathways underlying this close association remain poorly understood.Adipokines are cytokines,chemokines and hormones secreted by adipose tissue that couple the regulation of lipid accumulation,inflammation,and atherogenesis,and therefore serve to link obesity with cardiovascular disorders.Obesity-related disorders including metabolic syndrome,diabetes,atherosclerosis,hypertension,and coronary artery disease are associated with dysregulated adipokine(s) expression.Recent studies demonstrate the proinflammatory effects as well as atherogenic properties of adipokines.Adipokines also participate in the regulation of endothelial function,which is an early event in atherosclerosis.By contrast,adiponectin,an adipocyte-derived hormone,exerts anti-inflammatory,anti-atherogenic and vascular protective effects.Furthermore,there is an interactive association among adipokines,by which adipokines reciprocally regulate each other’s expression.Understanding this interplay may reveal plausible mechanisms for treating atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease by modulating adipokine(s) expression.In this review,we discuss insights into the role and the therapeutic potential of adipokines as mediators of atherosclerosis.