Adipocyte dysfunction in pediatric obesity

Abstract

Background. Obesity is associated with adipocyte dysfunction, characterized by an impaired secretion of adipokines, which leads to a systemic inflammatory status, insulin resistance and atherogenesis. Aim. To characterize adipokines serum profile in a group of obese children and adolescents. Method. A case control study comparing 102 obese children (BMI≥ 95 th percentile) (aged 10-18 years) to a group of 43 healthy controls matched for age and pubertal status. Adiponectin, leptin, resistin, A-FABP and lipocalin-2 were measured using ELISA method and were correlated with traditional clinical and biochemical biomarkers of the metabolic syndrome (BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glycaemia and insulinemia, lipids profile). The BMI, waist circumference (WC), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) were adjusted for age, sex and height according to WHO growth charts and the NHANES references. HOMA-index was calculate using the formula: a jeun glycaemia (mg/dl) * a jeun insulinemia µUI/ml/405; insulin resistance summary score (IRS) was calculated by adding the quartiles for systolic blood pressure, a jeun glycaemia, insulinemia and serum triglycerides (analyzed ascending) and serum HDL-cholesterol (analyzed descending). Results. Obese children had significantly higher waist circumferences, BP and serum levels of triglycerides and significantly lower serum levels of HDL-cholesterol (table 1). All insulin resistance biomarkers (a jeun insulinemia, HOMA-index and IRS) were significantly higher in the obese group compared to the control group (figure 1).