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Evaluation of adipocytokines in obese children with insulin resistance
Mehmet Emre Taşçilar1, Ferhat Cekmez, Cihan Meral
1Department Pediatrics, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Childhood obesity is linked to insulin resistance. Visfatin levels were higher and adiponectin levels lower in obese children, indicating their potential as markers for insulin sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Metabolic Syndrome Research
- Adipokine Signaling
Background:
- Obesity is a major global health issue, increasingly prevalent in developing nations.
- Adipokines, hormones from adipose tissue, play a crucial role in obesity-related complications.
- Understanding adipokine roles is vital for managing metabolic disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between visfatin and adiponectin levels and markers of insulin sensitivity in obese children.
- To compare adipokine levels in obese children with and without insulin resistance.
- To assess the potential of visfatin and adiponectin as biomarkers for pediatric insulin sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 40 obese children and 40 healthy controls.
- Measurement of serum visfatin and adiponectin levels.
- Assessment of insulin sensitivity using Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR).
Main Results:
- Obese children exhibited significantly higher visfatin and lower adiponectin levels compared to controls.
- Insulin-resistant obese children showed elevated visfatin and reduced adiponectin levels.
- Visfatin levels positively correlated with BMI-SDS and HOMA-IR, while adiponectin levels showed a negative correlation.
Conclusions:
- Visfatin and adiponectin levels are significantly altered in obese children.
- These adipokines serve as potential indicators of insulin sensitivity in pediatric obesity.
- Findings contribute to understanding the link between adipokines, obesity, and diabetes mellitus.
Abstract:
Obesity and overweight are among the most serious health problems in western societies and an increasing problem in developing countries. Recent studies indicate an important role of adipose tissue hormones, or "adipokines", in obesity-associated complications. To investigate the relation of two circulating adipokines (visfatin, adiponectin) with markers of insulin sensitivity and obesity in children, 40 obese children and 40 control children were recruited. Homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and visfatin levels (4.99 +/- 2.08 vs. 1.47 vs. 0.7, p < 0.001; 31.3 +/- 11.1 vs. 18.5 +/- 10.7, p < 0.001, respectively) were significantly elevated and adiponectin levels (2.01 +/- 1.02 vs. 12.5 +/- 6.2, p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the obese group. Comparisons of the clinical and metabolic characteristics between insulin-resistant and noninsulin-resistant groups in obese children are summarized. The insulin-resistant group had higher visfatin levels (36 +/- 9.7 vs. 22.9 +/- 7.6, p < 0.001) and lower adiponectin levels (1.7 +/- 1.05 vs. 2.5 +/- 0.77, p: 0.016). Visfatin was correlated positively and adiponectin was correlated negatively with body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) and HOMA-IR. The role of various adipokines as connectors between obesity and diabetes mellitus has been better elucidated in recent years. Based on the findings of this study, visfatin and adiponectin levels can be used as specific markers for insulin sensitivity.
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