ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The prevalence of obesity has significantly increased among children and adolescents worldwide and is becoming an important health care problem in parallel with the increased prevalence of obesity pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Betatrophin is a newly define hormone that is commonly secreted by liver and plays role in glucose tolerance. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum betatrophin levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children. METHODS: The study included 40 obese children with a body mass index (BMI) above 95th centile, and 35 non-obese subjects with a BMI 3-85th centile, whose age and gender were similar to those of the patient group. For the evaluation of metabolic parameters fasting serum glucose, insulin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lipid profile and serum betatrophin levels were measured. Total cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios were calculated as “atherogenic indices.” RESULTS: Serum betatrophin levels of the obese subjects were similar to that of non-obese subjects (p=0.90). Betatrophin levels were not correlated with the metabolic parameters. CONCLUSION: In the present study, levels of betatrophin are not different between obese and insulin resistant children and non-obese subjects, and they are not correlated with atherogenic indices. To elucidate the exact role of betatrophin in obesity, further studies are required to identify the betatrophin receptor and/or other possible cofactors.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child , Humans , Alanine Transaminase , Aspartate Aminotransferases , Blood Glucose , Body Mass Index , Cholesterol , Delivery of Health Care , Fasting , Glucose , Insulin , Lipoproteins , Liver , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease , Obesity , PrevalenceABSTRACT
Objectives: Childhood obesity is an important risk factor for adulthood obesity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between red cell distribution widths [RDW], ischemia modified albumin [IMA], mean platelet volume [MPV] and childhood obesity
Design: Prospective case-control study
Setting: General pediatric outpatient clinics of the Department of Pediatrics, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Hospital, Turkey
Subjects: One hundred and seven [57 obese and 50 normal weight] children and adolescents [aged 5-18 years]
Interventions: Age, gender, body mass index [BMI] were recorded. The serum IMA and complete blood count level of the subjects were measured. RDW, MPV, hemoglobin [Hb], hematocrit [Hct], mean corpuscular volume [MCV], red blood cell [RBC], platelet count and white blood cell [WBC] count were measured as part of the automated complete blood count
Main Outcome Measures: The RDW and IMA were found significantly higher in obese children and adolescents than normal weighted ones [p < 0.001]. MPV values were minimally increased in obese subjects as compared to normal weighted peers [p = 0.05]
Results: Hb, MCV, platelet and WBC counts were similar between normal and obese subjects. The Hct and RBC count were significantly higher in obese subjects
Conclusions: In the present study we demonstrated that IMA and RDW levels are significantly higher in obese children and adolescents as compared to those with normal weight. The IMA and RDW had positive correlation with BMI. These results support that oxidative and inflammatory processes of obesity begin in childhood