Circadian Characteristics of Plasma Cortisol in Children with Standard and Short Stature

Cortisol (CT) concentrations (in mUg/dl) were determined by radioimmunoassay in plasma obtained at about 3-hr intervals during a 24-hr sampling span from 42 boys and 13 girls of short stature (2–4 standard deviations below their peer group mean), and from a reference group of 11 boys and 10 girls with standard stature, before any treatment were administered to the former. Subjects were 11.20 0.37 years of age at the time of study, and were living on a diurnal waking (～07:30 to ～22:30), nocturnal resting routine during sampling, consuming the usual hospital diet. Circadian rhythm parameters were computed separately for each group by the single and population-mean cosinor Tits of a 24-hr cosine curve. A comparison of circadian parameters indicates a statistically significant difference in acrophase (>P =0.033) between short and standard children, as well as added differences in rhythm-adjusted mean (M; P=0.011) and (P =0.035) between boys and girls of short stature. These differences, as well as any other added information from relevant marker rhythms, should be taken into account for the time-specification of therapy before treatment starts in children of short stature.     

Multiple Component Analysis of Plasma Growth Hormone in Children with Standard and Short Stature

Growth hormone (GH) concentrations (in ng/ml) were determined by radioimmunoassay, in plasma obtained at about 3-hr intervals during a 24-hr sampling span, from 42 boys and 12 girls of short stature (2-4 standard deviations below their peer group mean), and 13 boys and 9 girls of standard stature. Subjects had 11.20 0.37 years of age at the time of study, and were living on a diurnal waking (∼07:30 to ∼22:30), nocturnal resting routine during sampling. Analysis of these data by single and population-mean cosinor methods as well as by analysis of variance revealed circadian and ultradian prominent components characterizing most groups. Accordingly, a multiple component analysis was undertaken for data of each group separately, as well as for all subjects. A comparison of circadian parameters indicates similar characteristics between short and standard children, whether one compares boys [P=0.674, 0.371 and 0.749 for comparison of rhythm adjusted means (M), amplitudes (A) and acrophases (), respectively], girls (P=0.993,0.914 and 0.397), or all children (P=0.859,0.712 and 0.865). Differences are found, however, in circasemidian characteristics as well as in the prominent 8-hr ultradian component documented for the short but not for the standard children. These ultradian components should be taken into consideration in the design and later evaluation of a time-specified treatment of children of short stature.     

Height, weight and BMI of schoolchildren in Jena, Germany—are the secular changes levelling off?

The secular trend of body height, weight and body mass index (BMI) in 7- to 14-year-old Jena schoolchildren measured in 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2001 is examined. Between 1975 and 1995, a positive trend both in height and weight is observed. In the decade 1985-1995, which includes the time of German reunification, weight shows considerably greater increases than height, resulting in an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. The changes in living conditions after reunification cause no remarkable intensification of the secular trend in height. After 1995, the increase in height of boys decelerates, while among girls even a decrease occurs. Girls' weight remains approximately constant between 1995 and 2001 whereas weight among boys continues to increase. The levelling off of the secular increases in height at the end of the twentieth century may be attributed to a possible stabilisation of living conditions.     

Genetic variations at the human growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene locus are associated with idiopathic short stature

GH plays an essential role in the growing child by binding to the growth hormone receptor (GHR) on target cells and regulating multiple growth promoting and metabolic effects. Mutations in the GHR gene coding regions result in GH insensitivity (dwarfism) due to a dysfunctional receptor protein. However, children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) show growth impairment without GH or GHR defects. We hypothesized that decreased expression of the GHR gene may be involved. To test this, we investigated whether common genetic variants (microsatellites, SNPs) in regulatory regions of the GHR gene region were associated with the ISS phenotype. Genotyping of a GT‐repeat microsatellite in the GHR 5′UTR in a Montreal ISS cohort (n = 37 ISS, n = 105 controls) revealed that the incidence of the long/short (L/S) genotype was 3.3× higher in ISS children than controls (P = 0.04, OR = 3.85). In an Italian replication cohort (n = 143 ISS, n = 282 controls), the medium/short (M/S) genotype was 1.9× more frequent in the male ISS than controls (P = 0.017, OR = 2.26). In both ISS cohorts, logistic regression analysis of 27 SNPs showed an association of ISS with rs4292454, while haplotype analysis revealed specific risk haplotypes in the 3′ haploblocks. In contrast, there were no differences in GT genotype frequencies in a cohort of short stature (SS) adults versus controls (CARTaGENE: n = 168 SS, n = 207 controls) and the risk haplotype in the SS cohort was located in the most 5′ haploblock. These data suggest that the variants identified are potentially genetic markers specifically associated with the ISS phenotype.     

Reported versus measured adult statures

Reported and measured statures were obtained for 100 husband-wife pairs. In addition, wives were asked to specify whether their husbands were tall, medium, or short. Correlations between reported and measured statures are high (0.84–0.97) and wives tend to overestimate their own measured stature by about 1 cm, and that of their husbands by about 1.3 cm. Wives correctly classify their husbands as tall, medium, or short in about 70% of the cases, using terciles of the stature distribution of American men as the standard. Reported statures may be useful proxies for measured statures for certain purposes. In the absence of measured or reported statures, a wife's categorization of her husband as tall, medium, or short may be satisfactory for some group studies.     

Application of the anatomical method to estimate the maximum adult stature and the age‐at‐death stature

This study focuses on the age adjustment of statures estimated with the anatomical method. The research material includes 127 individuals from the Terry Collection. The cadaveric stature (CSTA)–skeletal height (SKH) ratios indicate that stature loss with age commences before SKH reduction. Testing three equations to estimate CSTA at the age at death and CSTA corrected to maximum stature from SKH indicates that the age correction of stature should reflect the pattern of age‐related stature loss to minimize estimation error. An equation that includes a continuous and linear age correction through the entire adult age range [Eq. (1)] results in curvilinear stature estimation error. This curvilinear stature estimation error can be largely avoided by applying a second linear equation [Eq. (2)] to only individuals older than 40 years. Our third equation [Eq. (3)], based on younger individuals who have not lost stature, can be used to estimate maximum stature. This equation can also be applied to individuals of unknown or highly uncertain age, because it provides reasonably accurate estimates until about 60/70 years at least for males. Am J Phys Anthropol 152:96–106, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Nutritional status of Efe pygmies and Lese horticulturists

We assessed the nutritional status of 90 pygmies (Efe) and 211 members of a neighboring horticultural Lese in the Ituri forest in northeast Zaire. Clinical signs of iron and iodine deficiency were highly prevalent, but the frequency of these and other clinical signs of nutritional deficiency did not differ between the two groups. Infectious diseases such as yaws, cellulitis, and filiariasis were common. Absolute heights and weights of both Efe males and females aged 2–18 years were less than the 5th percentile of the National Center for Health Statistics standards. Weights for height of both groups were within the normal range. Weights and heights, expressed as percentages of the 50th percentile for age and sex, were significantly lower (P < .001) in Efe males and females than among Lese males and females, but weights for height did not differ significantly. Z-Scores of height and weight were also significantly lower in Efe males and females than among their Lese counterparts. The differences in weight and height, expressed either as a percentage of the 50th percentile or as Z-scores, were most apparent in older adolescents and persisted among adults. The normal weight for height among both populations indicated that acute undernutrition did not exist at the time of the survey. Despite comparable levels of adult fatness, measured by triceps skinfold thickness, heights of Efe males and females were lower than those of the Lese. These observations support the hypothesis that genetic differences account for the short stature of the Ituri pygmy. However, because the environments shared by the two groups are not identical and because other practices differ, nutritional effects cannot be excluded.     

Ectopic expression of soybean leghemoglobin in chloroplasts impairs gibberellin biosynthesis and induces dwarfism in transgenic potato plants

We have characterized potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants expressing a soybean leghemoglobin that is targeted to plastids. Transgenic plants displayed a dwarf phenotype caused by short internode length, and exhibited increased tuberization in vitro. Under in vivo conditions that do not promote tuberization, plants showed smaller parenchymal cells than control plants. Analysis of gibberellin (GA) concentrations indicated that the transgenic plants have a substantial reduction (approximately 10-fold) of bioactive GA₁ concentration in shoots. Application of GA₃ to the shoot apex of the transformed plants completely restored the wild type phenotype suggesting that GA-biosynthesis rather than signal transduction was limiting. Since the first stage of the GA-biosynthetic pathway is located in the plastid, these results suggest that an early step in the pathway may be affected by the presence of the leghemoglobin.     

Short stature and an interesting association

Untreated hypothyroidism in children usually results in delayed puberty, but juvenile hypothyroidism causes isosexual precocious puberty in a rare syndrome called Van Wyk Grumbach syndrome, with a complete reversal to the pre pubertal state following thyroid hormone replacement therapy. We report here, a 7-year-old girl who presented with short stature, constipation and isosexual precocious puberty due to the long standing untreated severe hypothyroidism with this syndrome.     

Latitude and intersocietal variation of human sexual dimorphism of stature

In a recent article Alexander et al.(1979) argue that intersocietal variation in human sexual dimorphism of stature can be explained by differing degrees of male- male competition for mates found in different types of societal marriage systems. In this paper we reexamine their data and suggest that their results may be more simply explained by reference to the latitude of the societies in their sample. Our investigation indicates that latitude has a significant influence on the degree of societal sexual dimorphism of stature. Peoples of the arctic region and the short peoples of the equatorial regions are less dimorphic in stature than midlatitude peoples. Thus, we conclude that the sociobiological hypothesis presented by Alexander et al.cannot alone explain the intersocietal variation in sexual dimorphism of stature and that environmental factors must be taken into account in the explanation of such variation.This research was supported by a Faculty Research Grant from North Texas State University.     

环境因素对儿童特发性矮身材影响的临床研究

目的：探讨环境因素对儿童特发性矮身材的影响。方法：采用病例对照的研究方法,对100例特发性矮身材患者组和100例正常对照儿童组分别进行体格测量,问卷调查家庭基本情况、出生史、饮食习惯、生活方式、生长速率、家庭生活条件、经济状况、父母文化程度等环境因素资料进行Logistic回归分析。结果：家族矮小史、母亲文化程度、家庭经济状况、偏食、运动时间、留守儿童影响特发性矮身材的发生。结论：因素与儿童特发性矮身材有关,为特发性矮身材儿童早期干预提供临床依据。     

The effects of aging and secular trend on adult stature in rural western Ireland

Cross-sectional data, consisting of anthropometric measurements for 347 adult males and 261 adult females in western Ireland measured during the 1930s, were used to determine the effects of aging and secular change upon stature. Estimates of statural loss due to aging were obtained using partial regression of stature on age while controlling for subischial length, and regression of the difference between observed stature and maximum predicted stature on age. Males show the effects of aging to a greater extent than do females. After correction for the effects of aging, the adjusted values of stature were regressed on age to estimate secular trend of stature. For males, there is a general increase of stature with time, excepting those born around 1878, while females generally show random variation with time. Both male and female adjusted stature decrease sharply around 1878, for which alternative historical explanations are proposed, relating to differential migration and survival.     

Stature in archeological samples from central Italy: methodological issues and diachronic changes

Stature reconstructions from skeletal remains are usually obtained through regression equations based on the relationship between height and limb bone length. Different equations have been employed to reconstruct stature in skeletal samples, but this is the first study to provide a systematic analysis of the reliability of the different methods for Italian historical samples. Aims of this article are: 1) to analyze the reliability of different regression methods to estimate stature for populations living in Central Italy from the Iron Age to Medieval times; 2) to search for trends in stature over this time period by applying the most reliable regression method. Long bone measurements were collected from 1,021 individuals (560 males, 461 females), from 66 archeological sites for males and 54 for females. Three time periods were identified: Iron Age, Roman period, and Medieval period. To determine the most appropriate equation to reconstruct stature the Delta parameter of Gini (Memorie di metodologia statistica. Milano: Giuffre A. 1939), in which stature estimates derived from different limb bones are compared, was employed. The equations proposed by Pearson (Philos Trans R Soc London 192 (1899) 169-244) and Trotter and Gleser for Afro-Americans (Am J Phys Anthropol 10 (1952) 463-514; Am J Phys Anthropol 47 (1977) 355-356) provided the most consistent estimates when applied to our sample. We then used the equation by Pearson for further analyses. Results indicate a reduction in stature in the transition from the Iron Age to the Roman period, and a subsequent increase in the transition from the Roman period to the Medieval period. Changes of limb lengths over time were more pronounced in the distal than in the proximal elements in both limbs.