Serum Amyloid P and Endocrine Markers in a Cohort of Obese Children

OBJECTIVES: Obesity in children can lead to morbidity and mortality due to metabolic and inflammatory comorbidities. AIMS: The objective of the study was to investigate the alterations in acute inflammatory markers, serum amyloid P (SAP) and cortisol, and endocrine markers, leptin and insulin, in obese children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum leptin, insulin, cortisol, and amyloid P concentrations were measured in obese (BMI percentile >85, n = 17) and nonobese (BMI percentile < 75, n = 20) children using ELISA and Bio-Plex Bead-based assay. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Serum concentrations of analytes were compared between normal and obese groups using 2-tailed student's t-test. RESULTS: Mean leptin, insulin, and SAP serum concentrations were significantly higher in obese children as compared to the controls (97.19 vs. 4.06, P < 0.05; 21.31 vs 3.56, P < 0.05; 46.77 vs. 17.89, P < 0.05; respectively). No difference was found in mean serum cortisol levels of the two groups. However, cortisol values were higher in obese subjects compared to the control group (7.89 vs 6.30, P = 0.15). Leptin corelated with insulin (r = 0.42, P = 0.043) and cortisol (r = 0.48, P = 0.025) levels in the obese group. Furthermore, leptin, insulin, and SAP levels were corelated with BMI (r = 0.80, P < 0.000; r = 0.67, P = 0.015, respectively) and body weight (r = 0.52, P = 0.01; r = 0.52, P = 0.002; r = 0.54, P = 0.01, respectively) in the obese group but did not demonstrate a significant relationship in the nonobese group. CONCLUSION: Elevated SAP levels and increase in leptin and insulin indicated a preeminent disposition of morbidly obese children to the development of low-grade inflammation and metabolic syndrome.