We investigated the association between maternal overactive bladder (OAB) and voiding dysfunction (VD) in their children, and evaluated urinary nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic Show more
We investigated the association between maternal overactive bladder (OAB) and voiding dysfunction (VD) in their children, and evaluated urinary nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels as potential biomarkers for early identification of VD. This prospective cross-sectional study included 196 participants: mothers with OAB (n = 39), their children with VD (n = 36), their children without VD (n = 41), healthy mothers (n = 40), and healthy children of healthy mothers (n = 40). Maternal OAB was diagnosed using the OAB-V8 questionnaire, while VD in children was assessed using the Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score (DVSS). Urinary NGF and BDNF levels were measured via ELISA. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of these biomarkers. NGF and BDNF levels were significantly higher in mothers with OAB compared to controls (p < 0.001 for both). Children of OAB mothers with VD demonstrated markedly elevated DVSS scores, NGF, and BDNF levels compared to both healthy children of OAB mothers and children of healthy mothers (all p < 0.001). ROC analysis showed strong diagnostic performance for NGF (AUC = 0.828, cut-off 267.7 pg/ml, 75 % sensitivity, 99 % specificity) and acceptable performance for BDNF (AUC = 0.754, cut-off 3.06 ng/ml, 64 % sensitivity, 93 % specificity). Urinary NGF and BDNF levels were significantly elevated in mothers with OAB and their affected children. NGF demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy for identifying VD in children, while BDNF may provide complementary value. These findings support the role of neurotrophin-related mechanisms in intergenerational transmission of lower urinary tract dysfunction. Show less
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance during pregnancy. We aimed to investigate the potential effects of betatrophin and ApoC2 in GDM, focusing on their roles in LPL (l Show more
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance during pregnancy. We aimed to investigate the potential effects of betatrophin and ApoC2 in GDM, focusing on their roles in LPL (lipoprotein lipase) regulation and their relationship with hPL to elucidate the possible impact of hPL on lipid metabolism and its potential contribution to the development of GDM. Thirty pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance and 29 with gestational diabetes mellitus (diagnosed by 75g OGTT between 24 and 28 weeks) were included in the study. Serum betatrophin, hPL, and ApoC2 were measured by Elisa and HOMA-IR was calculated. In the GDM group, hPL levels correlated with betatrophin and ApoC2 (r = 0.552, p < 0.05; r = 0.588, p < 0.05 respectively) while betatrophin correlated with the ApoC2 (r = 0.584, p < 0.05). A linear relationship between hPL and betatropin and also between hPL and ApoC2 values in the control group (r = 0.454, p < 0.05; r = 0.779, p < 0.01 respectively) were observed. ApoC2 levels in the GDM group (n = 20) with HOMA-IR cut-off >2.5 were significantly higher than the control group (n = 10) (p < 0.05). There was also a positive relationship between betatrophin and ApoC2 (r = 0.591) (p < 0.05). GDM patients may have impaired LPL enzyme regulation in addition to insulin resistance, with hPL potentially contributing to this disruption. Impaired lipoprotein lipase activity and its dysregulation secondary to genetic disorders may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of GDM. Further investigation into the correlation between betatrophin, ApoC2, and other LPL modulators in patients with various forms of diabetes could be beneficial for understanding this interaction more comprehensively. Show less