A useful predictor of early atherosclerosis in obese children: serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Cardiovascular Research
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Childhood obesity is associated with vascular inflammation and arterial wall changes.
• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a recognized biomarker for vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis.
• Early detection of atherosclerosis in obese children is crucial for long-term cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum hs-CRP levels and ultrasonic markers of early atherosclerosis in obese children.
• To evaluate carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in relation to hs-CRP.
• To determine if hs-CRP can serve as a useful marker for assessing atherosclerosis in pediatric obesity.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 38 obese children and 45 healthy controls.
• Measured serum hs-CRP levels using high-sensitive latex turbidimetric immunoassay.
• Assessed carotid IMT and brachial FMD via high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography.

Main Results:

• Obese children exhibited significantly higher hs-CRP levels (1.40±0.74 mg/L vs. 0.55±0.49 mg/L, p<0.01).
• Obese children showed increased carotid IMT (0.52±0.09 mm vs. 0.41±0.07 mm, p<0.01) and impaired FMD (7.35±7.78% vs. 20.34±16.81%, p<0.01).
• Serum hs-CRP positively correlated with IMT (r=0.413, p<0.05) and inversely with FMD (r=-0.350, p<0.05) in obese children.

Conclusions:

• Serum hs-CRP is a simple, cost-effective, and reproducible biomarker.
• hs-CRP levels correlate with IMT and FMD, indicating early atherosclerosis in obese children.
• hs-CRP is a valuable tool for evaluating and estimating atherosclerosis severity in pediatric obesity.