An Amino Acid Signature Associated with Obesity Predicts 2-Year Risk of Hypertriglyceridemia in School-Age Children

Area of Science:

• Metabolomics
• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Cardiovascular Risk

Background:

• Childhood obesity presents significant metabolic abnormalities and increased cardiovascular risk.
• Metabolites offer potential as early biomarkers for intervention in school-aged children.
• Identifying metabolomic profiles associated with obesity and related traits is crucial for early detection and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify metabolomic profiles associated with childhood obesity and related metabolic traits.
• To investigate the predictive value of identified metabolomic profiles for future metabolic abnormalities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Obesity Research Study for Mexican children (ORSMEC) including case-control, cross-sectional, and longitudinal cohorts (n=1120, 554, 301).
• Measured 42 metabolites using electrospray MS/MS.
• Employed multivariate regression models and principal component analysis to assess associations between metabolomic profiles and anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical parameters.

Main Results:

• A distinct serum amino acid signature (arginine, leucine/isoleucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, proline) was significantly associated with obesity (OR=1.57) and serum triglycerides (TG) (β=0.067).
• These associations were validated in a cross-sectional study (P<0.0001).
• In the longitudinal cohort, the amino acid signature predicted the risk of hypertriglyceridemia after 2 years (OR=1.19).

Conclusions:

• An amino acid signature is significantly associated with childhood obesity.
• This signature serves as an independent risk factor for future hypertriglyceridemia in children.
• These findings highlight the potential of metabolomics for early identification and intervention in pediatric obesity and associated cardiovascular risks.