Enhanced peptide-binding capacities of small intestinal brush border membranes in celiac disease

Infant body mass index growth patterns predicted overweight at five years, waist-to-height ratio did not add to this predictivity

AIM

The aim of the present study was to examine body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) growth patterns from birth until five years regarding their ability to predict overweight or obesity in children at five years of age.

METHODS

Population-based longitudinal birth cohort study of 1540 children from the south-west region of Sweden, recruited at the first visit to the child health care centres in 2007-2008. The children were followed for five years and classified into two weight groups according to the 2012 International Obesity Task Force criteria. BMI and WHtR standard deviation scores (SDS) were analysed with Student's t-tests and multiple logistic regression models.

RESULTS

BMI-SDS and WHtR-SDS growth patterns were from an early age different in children with overweight or obesity, compared to in children with normal weight or underweight. Overweight or obesity was significantly predicted by BMI-SDS at 0-1 month (p < 0.001), ΔBMI-SDS between 0-1 and 12 months (p < 0.001) and between 18 and 48 months (p < 0.001), but not by WHtR-SDS, except for a negative association between 18 and 48 months in the boys (p = 0.040).

CONCLUSION

Overweight or obesity at five years could be predicted by early BMI-SDS growth patterns, and WHtR-SDS did not add to the predictivity with regard to BMI-SDS.

The prevalence and trends of overweight, obesity and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases in the Arabian Gulf States

This paper reviews studies on the prevalence of overweight, obesity and related nutrition-related non-communicable diseases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Obesity is common among women; while men have an equal or higher overweight prevalence. Among adults, overweight plus obesity rates are especially high in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and especially among 30-60 year olds (70-85% among men; 75-88% among women), with lower levels among younger and elderly adults. The rate of increase in obesity was pronounced in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Prevalence of obesity is high among Kuwaiti and Saudi pre-schoolers (8-9%), while adolescent overweight and obesity are among the highest in the world, with Kuwait having the worst estimates (40-46%); however, comparison of child data is difficult because of differing standards. Among nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, hypertension and diabetes levels are very high and increase with age, with the UAE performing the worst because of a rapid rate of increase between 1995 and 2000. Additional monitoring of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and cancers is necessary. Nationally representative longitudinal surveys with individual, household and community-level information are needed to determine the importance of various factors that contribute to these troubling trends.

The association between body mass index in adolescence and obesity in adulthood

PURPOSE

This study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979 to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) in adolescence and obesity in adulthood.

METHODS

Measurements of height and weight from 1981 and 2002 were used to calculate BMI for a cohort of 1309 adolescents at baseline and during adulthood. Associations between BMI at age 16/17 and obesity (BMI > or =30) at age 37/38 were analyzed using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

When the predicted probability of adult obesity equaled 0.5, the point on the adolescent BMI distribution was close to the 85th percentile for both sexes (83rd percentile for females and 86th percentile for males). Among adolescents with a BMI in the 85th-<95th percentile, 62% of the males and 73% of the females became obese adults. Among those with a BMI > or =95th percentile, 80% of the males and 92% of the females became obese adults. Versus those with a BMI <85th percentile, those with a BMI in the 85th-<95th percentile were more likely to be obese (odds ratio = 7 for males, 11 for females) as adults, and those with a BMI > or =95th percentile were most likely to be obese (odds ratio = 18 for males, 49 for females) as adults.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents with a BMI > or =85th percentile are at elevated risk for obesity in adulthood. To prevent the development of obesity and its associated health risks, population-based efforts combined with targeted interventions for these high-risk adolescents are needed.

Deamidated Gliadin Peptides as Targets for Celiac Disease‐Specific Antibodies

Celiac disease (CD) is an (auto)immunologically mediated intestinal intolerance against proteins from wheat (gluten) and related cereal proteins. Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) has been identified as the autoantigen in CD. Although ultimate diagnosis is based on histological analysis of small intestinal mucosa obtained via tissue biopsy, assessment of autoantibodies can provide substantial help in the evaluation of CD. Gliadin antibodies are directed against the native disease-provoking cereal proteins. Despite their initial usefulness, these antibodies have lost diagnostic importance due to their poor specificity and sensitivity as CD markers. Recently, it was found, however, that gliadin antibodies from sera of patients with active CD preferentially recognized deamidated gliadin peptides. The use of deamidated gliadin peptides in immunoassays has significantly improved the usefulness of gliadin antibodies in diagnosis of CD to that observed with autoantibody assay methods (endomysium antibodies, antibodies against tTG). The antibody epitopes (B-cell epitopes) reflect substrate specificity of tTG and resemble peptide sequences known to be strongly T-cell stimulatory (T-cell epitopes) in CD. The assay applying deamidated gliadin peptides measures a new species of antibodies, which is different from conventional gliadin antibodies as well as from autoantibodies and will likely provide new information on pathophysiological mechanisms of CD.

A longitudinal study of pediatric body mass index values predicted health in middle age

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To characterize the use of pediatric body mass index (BMI) to predict obesity, overweight, and diseases in middle age.

METHODS

A longitudinal study of people born in a week in 1958 (n=12,327). The main outcome measures are obesity (BMI > or = 30) and overweight (BMI > or = 25) at age 33 and disease history self-reported at age 42. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed using BMI measured at ages 7, 11, and 16 years as predictors.

RESULTS

BMI values measured at age 11 could predict obesity at age 33 with areas under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.78 for males and 0.80 for females (each P < .001). BMI values at age 11 predicted overweight with slightly smaller AUC (each P < .001). They could also predict history of diabetes and hypertension (AUC=0.60 and 0.56, respectively, each P < .01), both sexes pooled. Prediction based on BMI at age 7 was less satisfactory; that at 16 gave limited improvement. Cutoff points based on ROC curves, the international reference, and the 85th and 95th percentiles gave very different profiles of diagnostic features.

CONCLUSION

Pediatric BMI may predict adult obesity and overweight with a reasonable profile of sensitivity and specificity.