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CTRP3 and serum triglycerides in children aged 7-10 years
Arsham Alamian1, Jo-Ann Marrs2, W Andrew Clark3
1School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America.
Insights
The middle molecular weight (MMW) form of CTRP3, not total levels, is linked to lower triglycerides and VLDL in children. This finding highlights the importance of CTRP3’s oligomeric state in metabolic health.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic Health
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Rising obesity-related disorders in children, including hyperlipidemia.
- C1q TNF Related Protein 3 (CTRP3) involvement in triglyceride regulation, primarily studied in animal models.
- Controversy surrounding the link between circulating CTRP3 levels and human obesity-related disorders.
- CTRP3 exists in various oligomeric complexes (trimeric, middle molecular weight (MMW), and high molecular weight (HMW)).
- Previous research suggests CTRP3 oligomeric state, not total concentration, is key to its association with serum lipids.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between different CTRP3 oligomeric complexes and circulating lipid levels in young children.
- To determine if CTRP3 oligomeric state is a significant factor in pediatric metabolic health.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 62 Hispanic children (aged 7-10 years).
- Collected morphometric data and serum samples for analysis of various biomarkers including CTRP3 oligomers, lipids, insulin, and inflammatory markers.
- Utilized correlation analyses to examine relationships between CTRP3 forms and other biomarkers.
Main Results:
- Total CTRP3 concentrations showed positive correlations with total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.
- High molecular weight (HMW) CTRP3 was not significantly associated with any measured variables.
- Middle molecular weight (MMW) CTRP3 demonstrated significant negative correlations with triglycerides, VLDL, insulin, and BMI.
- Strong negative correlations were observed between MMW CTRP3 and triglycerides (r² = -0.826) and VLDL (r² = -0.827).
Conclusions:
- The circulating oligomeric state of CTRP3 is crucial for understanding its association with metabolic diseases, rather than total CTRP3 levels alone.
- MMW CTRP3 plays a significant role in regulating triglycerides and VLDL in children.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms of MMW CTRP3 in metabolic regulation.
Introduction:
The prevalence of obesity-related disorders has been steadily increasing over the past couple of decades. Diseases that were once only detected in adults are now prevalent in children, such as hyperlipidemia. The adipose tissue-derived hormonal factor C1q TNF Related Protein 3 (CTRP3) has been linked to triglyceride regulation especially in animal models. However, the relationship between circulating CTRP3 levels and obesity-related disorders in human subjects is controversial. CTRP3 can circulate in different oligomeric complexes: trimeric (<100 kDa), middle molecular weight (100-300 kDa), and high molecular weight (HMW) oligomeric complexes (>300 kDa). Previous work has identified that it is not the total amount of CTRP3 present in the serum, but the specific circulating oligomeric complexes that appear to be indicative of the relationship between CTRP3 and serum lipids levels. However, this work has not been examined in children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the levels of different oligomeric complexes of CTRP3 and circulating lipid levels among young children (aged 7-10 years).
Methods:
Morphometric data and serum samples were collected and analyzed from a cross-sectional population of 62 children of self-identified Hispanic origin from a community health center, between 2015 and 2016. Serum analysis included adiponectin, insulin, leptin, ghrelin, glucagon, C-reactive peptide, triglyceride, cholesterol, IL-6, TNF, and CTRP3. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between CTRP3 and other biomarkers.
Results:
Total CTRP3 concentrations were significantly positively correlated with total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Whereas, HMW CTRP3 was not significantly associated with any variable measured. Conversely, the middle molecular weight (MMW) CTRP3 was negatively correlated with triglycerides levels, and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), insulin, and body mass index (BMI). The negative correlations between MMW CTRP3 and triglycerides and VLDLs were particularly strong (r2 = -0.826 and -0.827, respectively).
Conclusion:
Overall, these data indicate that the circulating oligomeric state of CTRP3 and not just total CTRP3 level is important for understanding the association between CTRP3 and metabolic diseases. Further, this work indicates that MMW CTRP3 plays an important role in triglyceride and VLDL regulation which requires further study.
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