Natalia Lerch

Background and Objective: Body mass index (BMI) is widely used to classify obesity in children and adolescents but does not characterize fat distribution. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) may provide information on cardiometabolic risk beyond BMI. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the associations between VAT and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents with obesity and to evaluate whether VAT provides additional information beyond BMI. Methods: PubMed and Scopus were searched for English-language studies published between 1 January 2016 and 28 February 2026. Eligible studies included participants aged 6–19 years, assessed VAT using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), or ultrasonography (USG), and reported at least one cardiometabolic outcome. Two reviewers independently screened the records. Methodological quality was assessed using the appropriate Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools or the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Because of methodological and clinical heterogeneity, the findings were synthesized narratively. The review was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement. Results: Twenty studies were included, most of which were cross-sectional. Higher VAT was generally associated with insulin resistance, adverse lipid profiles, elevated blood pressure, inflammatory biomarkers, and early vascular dysfunction, although findings were not uniform across all populations and outcomes. In several studies, associations remained significant after adjustment for BMI or other measures of general adiposity, suggesting that VAT may capture cardiometabolic risk not reflected by BMI alone. DXA was the most frequently used assessment method. Conclusions: VAT may complement BMI in cardiometabolic risk assessment among children and adolescents with obesity. However, predominantly cross-sectional evidence, methodological heterogeneity, and the absence of standardized pediatric thresholds preclude firm conclusions about its incremental predictive value or routine clinical use. Prospective studies directly comparing VAT and BMI are required.

Background: Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are rare immune-mediated disorders that may represent the first clinical manifestation of an underlying tumor. Case Report: This report describes a 58-year-old woman with rapidly progressive cerebellar dysfunction and anti-Yo antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Definite PNS was diagnosed according to the PNS-Care Score criteria (score: 10/10). Oncological evaluation revealed FIGO IIIC high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) with extensive peritoneal dissemination. Despite corticosteroids, cytoreductive surgery, and carboplatin–paclitaxel chemotherapy, neurological disability progressed, although tumor control was achieved. Methods: A PRISMA-guided review of PubMed and Scopus identified 33 studies of PNSs associated with ovarian tumors published between 2016 and 2026. Results: Anti-NMDAR encephalitis, mainly associated with ovarian teratomas, generally showed favorable recovery, whereas anti-Yo-associated cerebellar degeneration, predominantly linked to epithelial ovarian malignancies, had poor neurological outcomes. Conclusions: Prompt antibody testing, oncological investigation, and multidisciplinary treatment are essential, although anti-Yo-associated neurological deficits may be irreversible.

Anxiety is a subjective feeling of fear in response to stressful or threatening situations. Chronic diseases (such as chronic kidney disease) or the state after kidney transplantation are such situations and they may result in a decreased quality of life. The main aim of this research was to evaluate if the proteins IL-8, RANTES, MIG, MCP-1, IP-10, and IL-12p70 could be indicators of higher levels of anxiety or decreased quality of life in chronically ill women. The assessment was conducted using the STAI and SF-36 questionnaires and with the measurement of listed proteins from the patient’s blood sample. The study group consisted of 107 women—101 patients from the Nephrological Clinic and 6 from the Dialysis Center. Both of the facilities are part of University Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Szczecin. Statistical analysis was performed using JASP software (JASP 0.18.3 version). Anxiety levels and quality of life correlations between STAI and SF-36 scores and individual variables were assessed. Logistic regression models were performed for both questionnaire outcomes: SF-36 and STAI. Lower quality of life was found in the group with a higher IL-8 concentration compared to the group of women with a lower IL-8 concentration. A positive weak correlation was found between a decreased quality of life and IL-8 and RANTES. A higher RANTES level increases the odds of a lower quality of life. This study shows that special care should be provided for chronically ill women (especially with CKD or after KTx) with a higher RANTES or IL-8 concentration. They would highly benefit from close monitoring of their mental health.

The search for novel endometrial cancer diagnostic biomarkers is pertinent. The purpose of this study was to determine if IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-10, NT, TSP-2, and NRP1 could be used as novel, helpful markers for the detection of endometrial cancer. Ninety-three women diagnosed with endometrial cancer (EC) and sixty-six patients with noncancerous endometrial lesions (NCEL) were included in this study. ELISA was used to measure the concentrations of the proteins tested. Median serum levels of IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, NT, and NRP1 were significantly higher in the EC group compared with NCEL. The cut-off level of IL-4 was set at 802.26 pg/mL with a sensitivity of 83.87% and a specificity of 50% (AUC = 0.7, p = 0.000023). The cut-off level of IL-7 was set at 133.63 ng/L with a sensitivity of 96.77% and a specificity of 75.76% (AUC = 0.91, p < 0.000001). The cut-off level of IL-9 was set at 228.79 pg/mL with a sensitivity of 69.89% and a specificity of 81.82% (AUC = 0.8, p < 0.000001). The cut-off level of NT was set at 275.43 pmol/L with a sensitivity of 94.62% and a specificity of 59.09% (AUC = 0.83, p < 0.000001). The cut-off level of NRP1 was set at 30.37 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 81.72% and a specificity of 57.58% (AUC = 0.71, p = 0.000004). This study suggests the clinical utility of IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, NT, and NRP1 in the diagnosis of endometrial cancer. Nevertheless, these biomarkers may also have prognostic or predictive value, which should be tested in future studies.