Serum Adipokines and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Hispanic Children

Abstract

Childhood obesity is a relatively new but growing epidemic in the Unites States, with 1 in 5 children currently classified as obese. Obese children are at a significantly higher risk for developing many types of cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). This project is focused on understanding the associations between adipose tissue health and adipose tissue‐derived secreted factors/hormones/cytokines (hereafter referred to as adipokines) and obesity and MetS in young children. Adiponectin, Leptin, and C1q TNF Related Protein 3 (CTRP3) are all adipokines which have been linked to human health, but have not been explored in children with MetS.METHODSAnthropomorphic measurements and blood collections were performed at a well child visit for Hispanic children aged 2–10 years. Lipid panel was completed at a clinical laboratory facility. Multiplex analysis (Bio‐Plex Multiplex System) was used to measure adiponectin, insulin, and leptin level. Circulating CTRP3 levels were determined by ELISA (enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay). Risk factors for MetS were established as follows: abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low HDL and elevated plasma glucose concentrations. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for continuous variables and Spearman rank‐order correlation was performed for categorical variables to evaluate associations between adipokines and risk factors for MetS.RESULTSBriefly, 44 of 114 Hispanic children had 2 or more risk factors for the development of MetS. The association between Adiponectin levels, glucose, insulin, total triglyceride and Body Mass Index (BMI) trended towards significance (P>0.08), whereas leptin was significantly positively associated with BMI. CTRP3 levels were not associated with any individual measure variable, but were negatively associated with the presence of 2 or more risks factors for MetS.CONCLUSIONAdipose tissue secretes many bioactive molecules that circulate in blood, and dysregulation of adipose tissue endocrine function may promote the occurrence of MetS. The data presented in this project demonstrate the association between adipokines and MetS.Support or Funding InformationThis research was supported in part National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R03AA023612, Tennessee Board of Regents Diversity Research Grant (2014–2015), and by the East Tennessee State University Research Development Committee (E82262).