Serum adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein: an important marker of abdominal obesity in adolescents

Abstract

Objective To analyze the association of adipecyte-fatty acid binding protein(A-FABP) levels with abdominal obesity in adolescent. Methods Total 174 high-school students (101 male and 73 female)aged 17-21 years were selected from Yangpu District,Shanghai. Physical examination,serum A-FABP, blood pressure, serum lipids, plasma glucose and insulin levels were determined. They were divided into 3 groups according to body mass index(BMI) and waist circumference: group A, normal weight: group B,non-abdominal obesity; group C, abdominal obesity. Results Compared with group A, blood pressure, serum tfiglycerides(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), fasting insulin (FINS), uric acid and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistant index(HOMA-IR) in group B and group C were significantly increased. Furthe-rmore, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial 2 h plasma glucose (2hPG) were also increased in group C,not in group B. Blood pressure,2hPG,FINS,HOMA-IR and TG in group C were higher than those in group B. The A-FABP concentrations increased along with waist circumference, and A-FABP concentrations were positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure,2hPG, FINS, HOMA-IR, uric acid, total cholesterol, TG, and LDL-C. Further study revealed that circulating A-FABP levels increased correspondingly with the increasing number of components of metabolic syndrome. Conclusions Increased serum A-FABP is strongly related to the disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism in adolescents with abdominal obesity. Determimation of serum A-FABP concentration might be useful in diagnosis and prevention of metabolic syndrome and abdominal obesity in adolescent. Key words: Adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein; Metabolic syndrome; Abdominal obesity; Adolescent