Low-grade systemic inflammation, hypoadiponectinemia and a high concentration of leptin are present in very young obese children, and correlate with metabolic syndrome

Objective: To determine the concentration levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin and adiponectin in obese pre-pubertal children, and their possible relation with metabolic syndrome, fibrinogen and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Methods: A study was carried out in 51 obese children (aged 6 to 9 years) and the same number of non-obese children (control group), matched by age and sex. (Cross-sectional study of obese children). Body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio (WHR) and blood pressure were determined for each child. Serum CRP, leptin, adiponectin, glucose, insulin, lipid profile, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and fibrinogen were all measured. Results: The levels of CRP serum (1.67 +/- 0.222 vs 0.92 +/- 0.16 mg/1) and leptin (15.56 +/- 1.27 vs 4.68 +/- 0.62 ng/ml) were significantly higher in obese children. The adiponectin level was significantly higher in non-obese children (11.58 +/- 0.63 vs 9.64 +/- 0.49 mug/dl). In the obese group, log. CRP showed a positive correlation with BMI, insulin, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid, PAI-1, fibrinogen and interleukin 6 (IL-6), and correlated negatively with apolipoprotein A-I and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The leptin was positively correlated with BMI, insulin, HOMA, triglycerides and PAI-1 and negatively with Apo A-I and HDL-C. Adiponectin correlated negatively with BMI, insulin, HOMA, and triglycerides. Conclusions: Low-grade systemic inflammation, elevated leptin concentration and low adiponectin level are described in very young obese children, correlating with a range of variables of metabolic syndrome. Inflammation and adipocytokines can play an important role in the etiopathogeny of metabolic syndrome.