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Published on: February 2, 2017
Inflammatory markers in prepubertal children and their associations with abdominal fat
Letícia G de Queiroz1, Paulo F Collett-Solberg2, Maria das Graças C de Souza3
1Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Insights
Abdominal fat is linked to inflammation in young children, even those with normal weight. Subcutaneous abdominal fat showed a stronger association with inflammatory markers than visceral fat.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Obesity Research
- Inflammation Biology
Background:
- Excess weight in childhood is a growing concern.
- Inflammation plays a role in obesity-related health issues.
- Early identification of risk factors is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between inflammatory markers and abdominal fat in prepubertal children.
- To compare these associations in children with and without excess weight.
- To explore differences between subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 241 prepubertal children (ages 5-10).
- Categorized children into normal weight, overweight, and obesity groups.
- Assessed inflammatory markers (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, C-reactive protein) and abdominal fat (ultrasound).
Main Results:
- Found a significant association between abdominal fat and inflammatory markers in young children.
- Subcutaneous abdominal fat thickness showed a stronger link to inflammation than intra-abdominal fat.
- Elevated tumor necrosis factor-α was associated with increased abdominal wall thickness.
Conclusions:
- Abdominal wall fat, not just visceral fat, impacts chronic inflammation in young children.
- This suggests early interventions targeting subcutaneous abdominal fat may be beneficial.
- Findings differ from adult studies, highlighting unique pediatric aspects of obesity and inflammation.
Objective:
To evaluate the association between inflammatory markers and abdominal fat assessed by ultrasound in prepubertal children with and without excess weight.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study involving 241 prepubertal children, 156 with obesity, 37 with overweight, and 48 with normal weight, aged five to ten years, who were followed at a research unit on Childhood Obesity from a teaching hospital belonging to a public health system. The concentration of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and C-reactive protein were assessed and regression analyses, considering outcome variables such as abdominal wall and intra-abdominal fat thickness measured by ultrasound, were performed.
Results:
The findings highlighted an association between abdominal fat and inflammatory markers, even in children at this young age group. Subcutaneous fat showed a stronger association with inflammatory biomarkers compared to intra-abdominal fat when performing logistic regression, with a positive association between tumor necrosis factor-α and abdominal wall thickness equal to or greater than the 75th percentile in adjusted logistic regression (OR: 18.12; CI 95 %: 1.57: 209.55).
Conclusions:
Abdominal wall fat, in contrast to what is often observed in adults, appears to have a greater impact on chronic inflammation related to excessive weight in very young children.
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