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AbstractAim:The aim of the study was to investigate the association between PPAR-γ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism and laboratory characteristics of carbohydrate metabolism in children and adolescents with obesity. In addition, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and soluble form of its receptors (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2) were assessed.Methods:In a cross-sectional study, 79 obese children and adolescents of Caucasian origin were investigated. PPAR-γ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism was determined using polymerase chain reaction – restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. Serum levels of TNF-α, sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 were measured by enzyme amplified sensitivity immunoassay.Results:The minor Ala allele frequency was found to be 14.56% in our cohort. No significant differences in age, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, serum lipid, uric acid, TNF-α, sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 values were found between carriers of the Ala allele (Pro/Ala and Ala/Ala; n=21) vs. homozygous carriers of the Pro allele (Pro/Pro; n=58). However, post-challenge (120 min) plasma glucose and insulin values were significantly lower in Ala allele carriers vs. homozygous Pro allele carriers (6.56±0.26 vs. 7.36±0.25 mmol/L and 65.9±13.8 vs. 111.8±20.7 μU/mL, respectively; p<0.05); while no significant differences were found at fasting state.Conclusions:The association between PPAR-γ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism and glucose metabolism is already present in children and adolescents with obesity who might be at the very beginning of the natural course of type 2 diabetes. At this stage, higher insulin sensitivity can be detected in Ala allele carriers compared to homozygous Pro subjects at post-challenge but not in fasting state; however, the TNF-system seems not to be involved in the alteration of glucose homeostasis due to PPAR-γ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism.

The genetic basis for addiction to tobacco smoking—particularly that of the perception of olfactory stimuli that may be important in reinforcing smoking addiction—is largely unknown. A cluster of genes for olfactory receptors is in close proximity to the MHC region on chromosome 6. Polymorphisms of MHC class III genes (RCCX modules, TNFA promoter polymorphisms) were determined in 101 healthy subjects and 232 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients from Hungary with defined tobacco smoking habits. A highly significant association between ever smoking (past + current smokers) and a specific MHC haplotype was observed (odds ratios = 2.14–4.13; P-values = 0.012 to <0.001). This haplotype is characterized by the presence of C4A null alleles and a solitary short C4B gene linked to the TNF2 allele of the promoter for TNFA gene. This haplotype occurred more frequently in the ever smokers than in the never smokers [odds ratio: 4.97 (1.96–12.62); P = 0.001], and such associations were stronger in women (odds ratio = 13.6) than in men (odds ratio = 2.79). An independent study of complement C4 protein polymorphism and smoking habits in Icelandic subjects (n = 351) yielded similar and confirmative results. Considering the documented link between olfactory stimuli and smoking in females, and the presence of a cluster of odorant receptor genes close to the MHC class I region, our findings implicate a potential role of the MHC-linked olfactory receptor genes in the initiation of smoking.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha protein in the subcutaneous and visceral adipose tIssue in correlation with adipocyte cell Volume, serum TNF-alpha, soluble TNF-receptor-2 (sTNFR-2) and indirect parameters of insulin resistance in overweight/obese and lean healthy persons. DESIGN: A cross-sectional case-control study was used. PATIENTS: Twenty-eight overweight/obese probands with normal glucose tolerance (BMI>27 kg/m(2)) and 15 lean people (BMI<25 kg/m(2)), all of them undergoing planned surgical operation, participated in the study. METHODS: Two to four grams of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tIssue were removed and studied using semi-quantitative immunohistochemical staining of the TNF-alpha protein. Serum TNF-alpha, sTNFR-2 (ELISA) and fasting C-peptide (RIA) were measured. RESULTS: TNF-alpha protein was expressed in adipocytes of both depots. The expression was evaluated visually and found to be greater in the obese patients. Significantly higher serum TNF-alpha (5.58+/-0.87 pg/ml vs 4.21+/-0.55, mean+/-s.d., P<0.01, Mann-Whitney) and sTNFR-2 levels (7.84+/-3.56 ng/ml vs 4.59+/-1.35, P=0.005) were found in the obese subgroup in correlation with the fasting C-peptide level (r=0.49, P=0.003; and r=0.74, P=0.001) and the C-peptide/ blood glucose ratio (r=0.47, Spearman, P=0.005; and r=0.70, P=0.001). The cell Volume of both adipocyte depots was found to have a significant positive correlation with serum TNF-alpha and sTNFR-2 levels in the total group of patients (subcutaneous: r=0.52, P=0.0003; r=0.69, P<0.0001; visceral: r=0.65, P<0.0001; r=0.63, P<0.0001) and in both subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Adipocyte cell Volume of both the subcutaneous and visceral fat depots may be determinants of TNF-alpha, sTNFR-2 production and obesity-linked insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVE: Human fetuin/alpha(2)-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) is a 49 kDa serum and tissue protein which is a natural inhibitor of insulin receptor signaling. We investigated serum AHSG levels during pregnancy and whether the protein is involved in insulin resistance observed in healthy pregnant women and patients with gestational diabetes. DESIGN: One hundred and four healthy pregnant women and 23 of their neonates, 30 patients with gestational diabetes and their neonates and 30 healthy age-matched non-pregnant females as a control group were investigated in a case-control cross-sectional study. METHODS: Serum AHSG was determined by radial immunodiffusion. RESULTS: We observed an increase of serum AHSG concentration in the second and third trimesters. Gestational diabetes patients had significantly higher AHSG levels than healthy pregnant women and non-pregnant controls. There was a highly significant positive correlation between serum AHSG concentration and indirect parameters of insulin resistance, i.e. tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), leptin, C-peptide and C-peptide/blood glucose ratio. There was also a negative correlation between maternal AHSG, TNF-alpha, leptin levels and head circumference, body length and body weight of newborns. CONCLUSION: AHSG, TNF-alpha and leptin may contribute to insulin resistance during normal pregnancy and gestational diabetes. AHSG along with these cytokines may also negatively regulate neonatal skeletal development.

The authors give a general description of turkey-pubescent oak forests (Quercetum petraeae-cerris) covering the hills of Tarna-vidék (Northern Range, Hungary). The physiognomical structure, character species and subassociations are discussed in brief. Ecological characterization of this association is given by the aid of TWR-analysis. The turkey-pubescent oak forests of Tarna-vidék are compared with that of Northern and Southern Mátra Mountain, respectively. Ten phytosociological samples from each localities were subjected to numerical classification. The most frequent 90 species were also analysed with the aim of reordering the original data matrix. Results obtained with numerical methods support the view that stands of Tarna-vidék are very close to that of Northern Mátra Mountain with respect to their species composition.

In this paper the sufficient convergence conditions of the general nonstationary minimization processes are studied. The sensitivity property of these methods is also investigated. It is shown, that the theorems may be applicated to the gradient type SUMT method and to the Tichonov-regularized gradient type SUMT method.

Abstract:  A leiomyosarcoma originating from the pancreas of a 57-year-old man is presented. A 654 cm tumour was located in the head region, and the patient underwent surgical palliation. Immunohistochemical studies excluded an epithelial origin; a myogenic origin was suggested by strong vimentin and smooth muscle actin positivity. Flow cytometric analysis revealed an aneuploid pattern (DNA index: 1,561). The patient died with widespread metastases 7 month after the operation.

The author gives a survey of the swampy meadows occurring in the western part of Hungary, an area called Transdanubia, and of the coenological systems of the associations belonging to them. The Hungarian swampy meadows (Agrostion chief group [Hauptverband]) may be divided on the basis of ecological and floristic differences into three subgroups (Alopecurion pratensis, Deschampsion caespitosae, Agrostion albae). The swampy meadows with foxtail grass, generally poor in species, developing on alluvial and meadow soils, exposed to regular floods and being rich in nitrogen, belong to the Alopecurion sub-group (Alopecuretum pratensis). Sub-group Deschampsion caespitosae contains swampy meadows (Deschampsietum caespitosae) developed on boggy soils and rich in boggy elements (Molinion, Molonetalia). Sub-group Agrostion albae includes the swampy meadows developed on alluvial and meadow soils, where Agrostis alba, Poa trivialis (Agrosti-Poetum trivialis) and Festuca pratensis dominate in the herb layer (Festucetum pratensis).

Die zum Aceri-Quercion-Verband gehörenden kontinentalen und kalkholden Corno-Quercetum Wälder sind in dem nordöstlichen Ungarischen Mittelgebirge so im Mátra-Gebirge auf Andesit, auf Kalk- und vulkanischem Grundgestein verbreitet. Einige Bestände der Corno-Quercetum Wälder stehen im Kontakt mit dem auf Lößboden (Tschernosjom-brauner Waldboden) vorhandenen Aceri tatarici-Quercetum des Flachlandes (Randgebiet der Ungarischen Tiefebene).