Correlation analysis of serum obestatin expression with insulin resistance in childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is a serious public health concern condition, as excess body fat can negatively affect a child's health. Obestatin is a hormone that regulates body weight by suppressing appetite and reducing food intake; fasting obestatin level is negatively correlated with basal insulin level. This study aims to investigate the role of obestatin in insulin resistance. A total of 54 children with simple obesity and 57 healthy controls were recruited. Levels of serum insulin, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein were measured. Serum obestatin level was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that body mass index and waist-hip ratio of obese children were significantly higher, while obestatin level in the obese group was significantly lower (P < 0.001), as compared to those of controls. In addition, obese children exhibited higher levels of insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein (P < 0.05) as compared to the controls. Fasting blood glucose and high-density lipoprotein levels were similar between the two groups (P > 0.05). Leptin level in the obese group was also higher (P < 0.05) as compared to that of control group. Results showed that insulin resistance index was positively correlated with body mass index, waist-hip ratio (r = 0.41, P < 0.001; r = 0.245, P < 0.001), and triglyceride level (r = 0.25, P = 0.04). Our study demonstrated that obestatin is negatively correlated with fasting insulin and leptin levels, and positively correlated with insulin resistance in obese children.