Purpose: This study investigates correlations between mother and infant Body Mass Index (BMI), their serum leptin values and breast milk leptin concentration in early infancy. Subjects and Methods: We determined serum leptin values in 58 healthy infants and leptin values in their mothers’ breast milk, using radioimmunoassay (RIA). Infant and maternal anthropometrics were measured. Results: Median leptin concentration was 3.9 ng/mL (interquartile range (IQR): 2.75) in infant serum, 4.27 ng/mL (IQR: 5.62) in maternal serum and 0.89 ng/mL (IQR: 1.32) in breast milk. Median maternal BMI and weight were 24 kg/m2 (IQR: 4.41) and 64 kg (IQR: 15). Median infant BMI was 15.80 kg/cm2 (IQR: 4.02), while average weight was 5.130 kg (IQR: 1.627). Infants serum leptin values positively correlated with infants’ BMI (p = 0.001; r = 0.213) and breast milk leptin (p = 0.03; r = 0.285). Maternal serum leptin values positively correlated with maternal BMI (p = 0.000, r = 0.449) and breast milk leptin ones (p = 0.026; r = 0.322). Conclusion: Breast milk leptin and maternal BMI could influence infant serum leptin values. Further studies are needed to better elucidate the role of genetics and environment on infant leptin production and risk of obesity later in life.

Background Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent 8% of our genome. They originate from ancestral infections and although no longer contagious they can regulate transcription of adjacent cellular genes, produce viral RNAs sensed as non‐self by pattern recognition receptors, and encode viral proteins, such as Syncytin (SYN) 1 and 2, that exhibit potent immunomodulatory properties. Based on this, HERVs have been studied and proposed as relevant cofactors in several chronic inflammatory and immune‐mediated diseases. HERV transcription is regulated by host TRIM28 and SET domain bifurcated histone lysine methyltransferase 1 (SETDB1), which in turn exert crucial regulatory functions on the host immune system. No studies explored the expression of HERVs, TRIM28, and SETDB1 in allergic patients. Methods We assessed, through a polymerase chain reaction real time Taqman amplification assay, the transcription levels of pol genes of HERV‐H, HERV‐K, HERV‐W, and of env genes of SYN1 and SYN2, as well as of TRIM28 and SETDB1 in whole blood from 32 children with IgE‐mediated food allergy, 19 with food protein‐induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), and in healthy control children. Results The expression levels of pol genes of HERV‐H, ‐K, and ‐W were significantly enhanced in patients with IgE‐mediated FA or FPIES as compared to control subjects, while the mRNA concentrations of SYN1 and SYN2 were comparable in each group of children. Both TRIM28 and SETDB1 mRNA levels were significantly higher in allergic patients. Conclusions Given the influence of HERVs and of TRIM28 and SETDB1 on innate and adaptive immune responses, their transcriptional activation in children with food allergies suggest that they might play important roles in the development of these diseases.

We obtained higher serum leptin levels in infants with the GG genotype for Lepr A668G, with haplotype GG/GG for Lep G2548A/A19G, and with GG/GG-GG (LepG2548A/A19G-Lepr A668G); thus, it seems that the genotype GG could be a protector against obesity development in infancy and adulthood. Moreover, these data confirm that not variations in the Lep gene as well as in the Lepr gene could play a role in weight gain. Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of genetics and the environment in a predisposition toward obesity later in life.

Introduction: Most intractable diarrheas are treated with antibiotics, irrespective of the causative agent. This study aims to quantified Rotavirus with taqman real-time PCR in fecal samples of children with acute gastroenteritis in accordance with the program of reduction of drug-resistance and use of antibiotics. Methods: A total of 190 fecal specimens were collected from under-five-year-old children with acute gastroenteritis in pediatric Hospital Regina Margherita of Turin in Italy in 2017. A total of 38 out of 67 (56.7%) episodes of acute gastroenteritis were associated with Rotavirus genomic detection with multiplex commercial kit. Results: All fecal specimens were tested for the presence of RV and other GE viruses. The most commonly detected virus was norovirus (41%), astrovirus (15.8%), human bocavirus (8.9%), sapovirus (7.9%), human parechovirus (5.8%), rhinovirus (4.2%), and adenovirus (1%). In 66 out of 190 (34.7%) Rotavirus were detectable with the median viral load 7.2E+11±60E+11genomes/mg fecal specimens. Discussion/Conclusions: Our results showed that RV was present in around 34.7% of children hospitalized for AGE, a rate similar to those reported in previous studies conducted elsewhere which were in the range of 33–75%. Our protocol are able to quantify the absolute number of viral particle/mg of feces. The clinical utility of quantitative molecular assays, such as Rotavirus viral load, will be markedly improved.