Abstract
Objective:
This is the first clinical study evaluating the relation of serum omentin 1 levels
with anthropometric and metabolic parameters in obese children with a particular interest
to identify the possible role of omentin 1 in childhood obesity and related metabolic
disturbances.
Subjects-Methods:
The study included obese children with a body mass index (BMI)>95th percentile and healthy children with a BMI<85th percentile. The healthy and obese subjects had similar age and gender distribution.
Glucose, insulin, lipid profile, and omentin 1 levels were measured to evaluate the
metabolic parameters.
Results:
49 obese children who applied to our department with complaint of weight gain and
30 healthy age and sex matched subjects were enrolled. In obese children BMI, body
mass index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic
blood pressure (DBP), mid-arm circumference (MAC), triceps skin fold (TSF), waist
circumference (WC), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), serum
insulin, and triglyceride levels were higher whereas omentin-1 levels were lower than
control subjects (p<0.05). In the obese group, omentin 1 level was negatively correlated
with BMI, insulin, HOMA-IR, and WC, while no significant correlation was observed
with other parameters (p>0.05). Additionally, although statistically insignificant,
patients with IR (n=31) had lower omentin-1 levels compared to obese children without
IR (n=18).
Conclusion:
Our data indicates that serum omentin 1 levels are i) lower in obese children and
ii) negatively correlated with BMI, WC, HOMA-IR and insulin levels suggesting that
omentin 1 might be a biomarker for metabolic dysfunction also in childhood and adolescence.
Lower omentin 1 levels tended to be associated with insulin resistance however this
association failed to reach statistical significance. Further studies in larger populations
are needed to better-define the relation of omentin 1 and insulin resistance in obese
children.
Key words
obesity - omentin-1 - childhood - insulin resistance