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Elevated visfatin levels in obese children are related to proinflammatory factors

Rui-Zhen Li1, Xi n-Yu Ma, Xiu-Fen Hu

  • 1Department of Endocrinology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism : JPEM
|January 19, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Obese children show higher visfatin and inflammatory markers, but visfatin

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology and Metabolism
  • Pediatric Obesity Research
  • Inflammation Biology

Background:

  • Obesity is linked to chronic low-grade inflammation, involving abnormal cytokine production.
  • Visfatin is identified as both an adipokine and an inflammatory cytokine.
  • Understanding visfatin's role in pediatric obesity and inflammation is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between serum visfatin levels and systemic inflammation markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-a) in Chinese obese children.
  • To assess the relationship between visfatin concentrations and insulin resistance in this population.
  • To explore potential gender differences in these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 44 obese and 50 normal-weight Chinese children.
  • Measurements included anthropometrics, blood pressure, and fasting levels of visfatin, hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-a, glucose, insulin, and lipids.
  • Insulin resistance was assessed using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR).

Main Results:

  • Obese children had significantly higher serum visfatin, hs-CRP, and IL-6 levels compared to controls.
  • No significant difference in TNF-a levels or between genders for these markers.
  • Visfatin correlated with BMI and IL-6 in boys only, not with insulin resistance.

Conclusions:

  • Circulating visfatin's association with anthropometric and inflammatory factors is gender-dependent.
  • No correlation was found between serum visfatin and insulin resistance in this cohort.
  • Visfatin may serve as a key inflammatory cytokine indicating a low-grade inflammatory state in obesity.
Abstract

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