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Balanced duo of anti-inflammatory SFRP5 and proinflammatory WNT5A in children

Anna Prats-Puig1, Pilar Soriano-Rodríguez2, Gemma Carreras-Badosa1

  • 11] Pediatrics Research Group, Girona Institute for Biomedical Research, Girona, Spain [2] Department of Pediatrics, Dr Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain.

Pediatric Research
|March 8, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) and wingless type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family member 5A (WNT5A) are linked in children. Lower SFRP5 correlates with higher BMI and insulin resistance, suggesting a role in metabolic health.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Research
  • Adipokine Signaling

Background:

  • Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) is an adipokine known to protect against obesity-related insulin resistance and diabetes.
  • SFRP5 interacts with wingless type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family member 5A (WNT5A) to enhance insulin sensitivity.
  • This study is the first to examine SFRP5 and WNT5A concurrently in a pediatric cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between circulating SFRP5 and WNT5A levels in prepubertal children.
  • To explore the associations of SFRP5 and WNT5A with key metabolic markers, including body mass index (BMI), insulin resistance, and hepatic enzymes.
  • To further elucidate the role of SFRP5 and WNT5A in metabolic homeostasis during childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed serum concentrations of SFRP5 in 342 prepubertal children and WNT5A in 210.
  • Analyzed associations between SFRP5, WNT5A, and metabolic parameters like BMI, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), adiponectin, alanine transaminase (ALT), and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT).
  • Investigated SFRP5 and WNT5A in conditioned media from adipose tissue explants of 12 children.

Main Results:

  • SFRP5 and WNT5A concentrations showed a positive correlation in both serum and adipose tissue conditioned media (P < 0.001).
  • Lower SFRP5 levels (lowest quartile) were significantly associated with increased BMI (15% higher, P < 0.0001) and decreased high-molecular-weight adiponectin (26% lower, P = 0.002).
  • Circulating WNT5A levels correlated with insulin resistance and hepatic markers, particularly in children with lower SFRP5 (all P < 0.004).

Conclusions:

  • SFRP5 and WNT5A function as a balanced pair in regulating metabolic homeostasis in prepubertal children.
  • The findings highlight the potential role of the SFRP5-WNT5A axis in pediatric metabolic health.
  • This study provides novel insights into adipokine signaling in childhood obesity and related metabolic disturbances.
Abstract

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