Increased Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Endothelial Cell-Specific Molecule-1 (Endocan) Levels in Obese Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Cardiovascular Health
• Metabolic Disease Research

Background:

• Childhood obesity increases the risk of adult cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
• Early insulin resistance (IR) can cause endothelial dysfunction and increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in children.
• Endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 (endocan) is a potential marker for endothelial damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare endocan levels in obese children versus healthy controls.
• To investigate endocan as a potential biomarker for endothelial damage complications in pediatric obesity.
• To assess the relationship between cIMT, insulin resistance, and endocan levels in obese children.

Main Methods:

• Study included 80 obese pubertal children and 80 healthy pubertal controls.
• Evaluated anthropometric measurements, cIMT (via high-resolution ultrasound), endocan levels, and HOMA-IR.
• Compared these parameters between obese and control groups.

Main Results:

• Obese children exhibited significantly higher endocan levels, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and cIMT compared to controls (P < .001 for all).
• A significant correlation was found between cIMT and HOMA-IR (β = -1.314, P = .002) in obese children.
• A significant correlation was observed between cIMT and endocan levels (β = .483, P = .004) in obese children.

Conclusions:

• Endocan levels are elevated in obese children, suggesting it may serve as a biomarker for endothelial damage.
• Increased cIMT and HOMA-IR in obese children indicate early cardiovascular and metabolic risks.
• Noninvasive measurement of cIMT and endocan in obese children can aid early preventive strategies to reduce adult morbidity and mortality.