MARKERS OF INFLAMMATION AND HEALTH-RELATED FITNESS AMONG POLISH OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

Background Obesity is considered as one of the risk factors for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, greater rates of mortality as young adults. Objectives Body composition affects physical fitness, but no relation to sex and the degree of obesity was investigated so far in Polish adolescents. Material and methods The studies involved 118 adolescents (12 to 18 years old) who were overweight or obese. The assessment of the body composition was performed by measuring the bioimpedance. The concentration of alpha1-acid glycoprotein and alpha1-antichymotrypsin was measured by immunoelectrophoresis. The glycosylation profiles of AGP and ACT were investigated by crossed-affinity immunoelectrophoresis with Concanavalin A. Physical fitness was measured using the Eurofit test. Results In the study group of girls the body fat content determined on the basis of bioimpedance is not significantly different for overweight and obesity, whereas in the group of boys it is significantly higher in obese individuals. Fitness tests showed a heterogeneous impact of obesity on fitness: some results of the tests were good (FLB, PLT, SAR, HGR) in other tests (SBJ, SUP, BAH, ESR, SHR) the results were considerably inferior. The study of acute phase proteins showed elevated levels of AGP, higher in boys, lower reactivity with ConA in overweight boys and girls, and higher reactivity with ConA in obese boys and girls. Conclusion As the BMI percentile, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio increase, the results of fitness tests, measured using the EUROFIT test, deteriorate. The consequences of excessive body fat are greater for boys, both in terms of abnormal laboratory markers and physical fitness.