[Association between CD40-CD40L system and obesity in children]

To study the association between CD40-CD40L system and obesity in children.

A total of 76 obese children were enrolled as the obese group, and 74 healthy children with normal body mass index (BMI) were enrolled as the control group. The two groups were compared in terms of morphological indices, biochemical parameters, and serum levels of CD40 and CD40L. Partial correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression analysis were performed to investigate the correlation of CD40 and CD40L with other clinical indices.

Compared with the control group, the obese group had significantly higher BMI, waist circumference/height ratio, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), uric acid, triglyceride, apolipoprotein B, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, platelet count, CD40L, and mean carotid intima-media thickness (P<0.05), but significantly lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 (P<0.05). With age and sex as the control factors, the partial correlation analysis showed that CD40L was positively correlated with height, weight, BMI, diastolic pressure, bile acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and platelet count (P<0.05). CD40 was positively correlated with waist circumference/height ratio and platelet count (P<0.05). The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that ALT, AST, total cholesterol, and platelet count were the dependent factors influencing the level of CD40L (R²=0.266, P<0.05).

CD40-CD40L system is closely associated with obesity and related hyperlipidemia and hypertension. CD40 and CD40L may be used as new indicators for early warning of metabolic syndrome and provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of related chronic diseases.