Factors such as gender, ethnicity, and age affect pain processing in children and adolescents wit... more Factors such as gender, ethnicity, and age affect pain processing in children and adolescents with chronic pain. Although obesity has been shown to affect pain processing in adults, almost nothing is known about pediatric populations. The aim of this pilot study was to explore whether obesity alters sensory processing in adolescents with chronic pain. Participants were recruited from a chronic pain clinic (Chronic Pain (CP), n = 12 normal weight; Chronic Pain + Obesity (CPO), n = 19 overweight/obesity) and from an obesity clinic (Obesity alone (O), n = 14). The quantitative sensory testing protocol included assessments of thermal and mechanical pain thresholds and perceptual sensitization at two sites with little adiposity. The heat pain threshold at the hand was significantly higher in the CPO group than in either the CP or O groups. Mechanical pain threshold (foot) was significantly higher in the CPO group than the CP group. No differences were found on tests of perceptual sensiti...
Background/Aims: Childhood cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with osteopenia and the GH-IGF axis ... more Background/Aims: Childhood cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with osteopenia and the GH-IGF axis plays an important role in bone metabolism. We studied the relationship between spinal bone mineral density (BMD) and serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in children with CP. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 30 children (9 F and 21 M, ages 4.5–15) with CP. Subjects underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans (spinal BMD), blood tests (IGF-1, IGFBP-3, Ca, P, PTH, vitamin D, osteocalcin) and urine tests (N-telopeptide). Results: Spinal BMD was decreased in children with CP (average Z-score –2.14 ± 1.08) compared to age- and gender-matched norms. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were also decreased compared to age-matched norms (average IGF-1 Z-score –0.74 ± 1.2, average IGFBP-3 Z-score –0.68 ± 1.2). All other blood and urine tests, including measures of calcium and vitamin D status, were normal. In 25 CP children with osteopenia (Z-score >–1), there was a trend towards correlation between spinal BMD Z-score...
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the result of interaction between environmental factors and a strong her... more Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the result of interaction between environmental factors and a strong hereditary component. We review the heritability of T2D as well as the history of genetic and genomic research in this area. Very few T2D risk genes were identified using candidate gene and linkage-based studies, but the advent of genome-wide association studies has led to the identification of multiple genes, including several that were not previously known to play any role in T2D. Highly replicated genes, for example TCF7L2, KCNQ1 and KCNJ11, are discussed in greater detail. Taken together, the genetic loci discovered to date explain only a small proportion of the observed heritability. We discuss possible explanations for this "missing heritability", including the role of rare variants, gene-environment interactions and epigenetics. The clinical utility of current findings and avenues of future research are also discussed.
Factors such as gender, ethnicity, and age affect pain processing in children and adolescents wit... more Factors such as gender, ethnicity, and age affect pain processing in children and adolescents with chronic pain. Although obesity has been shown to affect pain processing in adults, almost nothing is known about pediatric populations. The aim of this pilot study was to explore whether obesity alters sensory processing in adolescents with chronic pain. Participants were recruited from a chronic pain clinic (Chronic Pain (CP), n = 12 normal weight; Chronic Pain + Obesity (CPO), n = 19 overweight/obesity) and from an obesity clinic (Obesity alone (O), n = 14). The quantitative sensory testing protocol included assessments of thermal and mechanical pain thresholds and perceptual sensitization at two sites with little adiposity. The heat pain threshold at the hand was significantly higher in the CPO group than in either the CP or O groups. Mechanical pain threshold (foot) was significantly higher in the CPO group than the CP group. No differences were found on tests of perceptual sensiti...
Background/Aims: Childhood cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with osteopenia and the GH-IGF axis ... more Background/Aims: Childhood cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with osteopenia and the GH-IGF axis plays an important role in bone metabolism. We studied the relationship between spinal bone mineral density (BMD) and serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in children with CP. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 30 children (9 F and 21 M, ages 4.5–15) with CP. Subjects underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans (spinal BMD), blood tests (IGF-1, IGFBP-3, Ca, P, PTH, vitamin D, osteocalcin) and urine tests (N-telopeptide). Results: Spinal BMD was decreased in children with CP (average Z-score –2.14 ± 1.08) compared to age- and gender-matched norms. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were also decreased compared to age-matched norms (average IGF-1 Z-score –0.74 ± 1.2, average IGFBP-3 Z-score –0.68 ± 1.2). All other blood and urine tests, including measures of calcium and vitamin D status, were normal. In 25 CP children with osteopenia (Z-score >–1), there was a trend towards correlation between spinal BMD Z-score...
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the result of interaction between environmental factors and a strong her... more Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the result of interaction between environmental factors and a strong hereditary component. We review the heritability of T2D as well as the history of genetic and genomic research in this area. Very few T2D risk genes were identified using candidate gene and linkage-based studies, but the advent of genome-wide association studies has led to the identification of multiple genes, including several that were not previously known to play any role in T2D. Highly replicated genes, for example TCF7L2, KCNQ1 and KCNJ11, are discussed in greater detail. Taken together, the genetic loci discovered to date explain only a small proportion of the observed heritability. We discuss possible explanations for this "missing heritability", including the role of rare variants, gene-environment interactions and epigenetics. The clinical utility of current findings and avenues of future research are also discussed.
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Papers by Omar Ali