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Elevated serum irisin levels in boys with central precocious puberty independent of BMI
Dan Zeng1, Yanfei Chen1, Tao Xie1
1Department of Paediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Insights
Serum irisin levels may help predict central precocious puberty (CPP) in normal-weight boys. While not a standalone test, irisin shows a strong specificity for identifying CPP, correlating with BMI and pubertal development markers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Metabolic Research
- Hormone Signaling
Background:
- Central precocious puberty (CPP) is a common endocrine disorder.
- Pubertal development is influenced by nutritional metabolism.
- Irisin, a myokine/adipokine, is a potential predictor of CPP in girls.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between serum irisin levels and CPP in boys.
- To evaluate irisin as a diagnostic marker for CPP in different weight categories.
Main Methods:
- Serum irisin levels measured by ELISA in 32 boys with CPP and 33 controls.
- Groups stratified by BMI (overweight/obese vs. normal-weight).
- Spearman correlation and ROC curve analysis performed.
Main Results:
- Elevated irisin in normal-weight boys with CPP versus controls; no significant difference in overweight/obese subgroups.
- Optimal irisin cut-off for CPP in normal-weight boys: 93.09 ng/mL (47.6% sensitivity, 100% specificity).
- Positive correlation between irisin, bone age, bone age advancement, and BMI.
Conclusions:
- Serum irisin levels correlate with BMI and pubertal development in boys.
- Irisin demonstrates high specificity but limited sensitivity for CPP diagnosis.
- Irisin can serve as a supplementary, not standalone, diagnostic tool for CPP.
Introduction:
Central precocious puberty (CPP) is a prevalent endocrine disorder. Research has indicated that pubertal development is linked to nutritional metabolism. Irisin, a novel myokine/adipokine, has been identified as a potential predictor of CPP in girls. This study aims to examine the relationship between serum irisin levels and CPP in boys.
Material And Methods:
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure serum irisin levels in 32 boys diagnosed with CPP and 33 prepubertal age-matched boys as normal controls (NC). To assess the impact of body mass index (BMI) on irisin levels, both the CPP and NC groups were divided into overweight/obese and normal-weight subgroups. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to assess the connection between irisin and clinical and biochemical parameters. Additionally, a receiver operating characteristic curve was utilised to determine the optimal threshold value for irisin.
Results:
In the normal-weight subgroups, boys with CPP exhibited elevated irisin levels compared to controls, but not in the overweight/obese subgroups. The optimal cut-off value for irisin levels to predict CPP in the normal-weight groups was 93.09 ng/mL, yielding a sensitivity of 47.6% and a specificity of 100%. Furthermore, a positive correlation was noted between irisin levels and bone age (BA), bone age advancement (BA-CA), and BMI.
Conclusions:
Serum irisin levels correlate with BMI and pubertal development. Given its limited sensitivity, irisin level can only be utilised as a supplementary rather than a standalone diagnostic indicator for CPP.
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