The clinical presentation of celiac disease in children is very variable and differs with age. The prevalence of atypical presentations of celiac disease has increased over the past 2 decades. Several studies in adults and children with celiac disease indicate that obesity/overweight at disease onset is not unusual. In addition, there is a trend towards the development of overweight/obesity in celiac patients who strictly comply with a gluten-free diet. However, the pathogenesis and clinical implications of the coexistence of classic malabsorption (e.g., celiac disease) and overweight/obesity remain unclear. This review investigated the causes and main clinical factors associated with overweight/obesity at the diagnosis of celiac disease and clarified whether gluten withdrawal affects the current trends of the nutritional status of celiac disease patients.

1 The e ects of the novel mammalian tachykinin, hemokinin 1 (HEK-1), have been investigated by radioligand binding and functional in vitro and in vivo experiments. 2 Similar to SP (K i =0.13 nM), HEK-1 inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner and with high a nity [ 3 H]-substance P (SP) binding to human NK 1 receptor (K i =0.175 nM) while its a nity for [ 125 I]-neurokinin A (NKA) binding at human NK 2 receptor was markedly lower (K i =560 nM). 3 In isolated bioassays HEK-1 was a full agonist at tachykinin NK 1 , NK 2 and NK 3 receptors. In the rat urinary bladder (RUB) HEK-1 was about 3 fold less potent than SP. In the rabbit pulmonary artery (RPA) HEK-1 and in the guinea-pig ileum (GPI), HEK-1 was about 500 fold less potent than NKA and NKB, respectively. 4 The responses to HEK-1 were antagonized by GR 82334 in RUB (pK B =5.6+0.07), by nepadutant in RPA (pK B =8.6+0.04) and by SR 142801 in GPI (pK B =9.0+0.2) with apparent a nities comparable to that measured against tachykinin NK 1 , NK 2 and NK 3 receptor-selective agonists, respectively. 5 Intravenous HEK-1 produced dose-related decrease of blood pressure in anaesthetized guineapigs (ED 50 =0.1 nmol kg 71 ) and salivary secretion in anaesthetized rats (ED 50 =6 nmol kg 71 ) with potencies similar to that of SP. All these e ects were blocked by the selective tachykinin NK 1 receptor antagonist, SR 140333. 6 We conclude that HEK-1 is a full agonist at tachykinin NK 1 , NK 2 and NK 3 receptors, possesses a remarkable selectivity for NK 1 as compared to NK 2 or NK 3 receptors and acts in vivo experiments with potency similar to that of SP.

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Background and purpose: Bradykinin (BK) and B2 receptors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA), and synovitis is one of its hallmarks. Here, the selective B2 receptor antagonists MEN16132 and icatibant have been pharmacologically characterized in human synovial cells. Experimental approach: Radioligand and functional studies (inositol phosphate (IP) accumulation, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 release) were performed in cultured synoviocytes.