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Published on: April 28, 2023
Relationship Between Plasma Copper Concentration and Body Fat Distribution in Children in China: a Cross-Sectional
Jingjing Liang1, Fengyan Chen2, Guoqing Fang3
1Department of Child Health Care, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
Insights
Higher plasma copper levels in children are linked to increased body fat, with inflammation playing a partial mediating role. This suggests copper may influence pediatric obesity through inflammatory pathways.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Elevated body fat and altered body fat distribution in children are associated with increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
- Copper is an essential trace element involved in various metabolic processes, but its role in pediatric adiposity is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between plasma copper concentration and body fat distribution in children.
- To examine the potential mediating role of inflammation, specifically C-reactive protein (CRP), in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 454 children for the study.
- Utilized dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess body composition, including fat mass (FM) and fat mass percentages (FM%) across different body regions.
- Measured plasma copper concentration using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels via ELISA.
Main Results:
- Adjusted analyses revealed a significant positive association between plasma copper concentration and increased FM, FM%, and fat mass to lean mass (FM/LM) ratios at whole body and regional levels.
- Mediating analysis indicated that CRP significantly accounted for 22.0-30.6% of the association between copper and body fat metrics (FM% and FM/LM).
Conclusions:
- Higher plasma copper levels in children are associated with greater regional and overall body fat deposition.
- Inflammation, as indicated by CRP, partially mediates the relationship between plasma copper and body fat accumulation in children, highlighting a potential pathway for copper's influence on pediatric adiposity.
Abstract:
This study aimed to explore the association of the plasma copper concentration with body fat distribution and the potential mediating effect of inflammation status in children. A total of 454 children were recruited in this study. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was applied to measure the fat mass (FM) and fat mass percentages (FM%) at whole body, trunk, appendicular, android, and gynoid regions. Android to gynoid fat mass ratio and fat mass to lean mass (FM/LM) ratio at whole body, trunk, and appendicular sites were calculated. Plasma copper concentration was measured via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. C-reactive protein (CRP) was determined by ELISA. After adjusting for covariates, multiple linear regression analyses showed that, for every additional unit increase in the plasma copper concentration, the FM, FM%, and FM/LM at whole body and subregions increased by 0.030-0.472 kg (P < 0.001-0.019), 0.013-1.04% (P = 0.007-0.042), and 0.021-0.030 (P < 0.001), respectively. Mediating analysis suggested that CRP significantly mediated 22.0-30.6% (P < 0.001) of the estimated association of copper with FM% and FM/LM at whole body and limbs. Thus, children with higher plasma levels of copper tended to have a higher regional and overall body fat deposition, and this relationship was partly mediated by inflammatory status.
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