Utility of ApoB/ApoA1 Ratio for the Prediction of Cardiovascular Risk in Children with Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

To assess whether apoB/apoA1 ratio is associated or not with metabolic syndrome in obese children. A 198 obese children and 41 healthy control subjects were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. The apoB/apoA1 ratio and other metabolic syndrome components in obese children with/without metabolic syndrome were compared to healthy controls. The apoA1 level did not show significant difference (p = 0.664) but apoB level (p = 0.000) and apoB/apoA1 ratio (p = 0.001) were significantly higher in obese group than in control group. Also, the apoB/apoA1 ratio was significantly higher in obese children with metabolic syndrome when compared to obese children without metabolic syndrome (p = 0.007) and showed positive correlation with triglyceride (r = 0.404, p = 0.000) and negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = -0.593, p = 0.000). The apoB/apoA1 ratio is associated with metabolic syndrome in obese children. An elevated apoB/apoA1 ratio may constitute an important feature of the metabolic syndrome. There is a need for long term follow-up studies concerning cardiovascular risk in obese children with metabolic syndrome and high apoB/apoA1 ratio.