Myokine–adipokine cross-talk: potential mechanisms for the association between plasma irisin and adipokines and cardiometabolic risk factors in Mexican children with obesity and the metabolic syndrome

BACKGROUND: Adipokines and the myokine irisin, involved in mechanisms associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS), are understudied in the pediatric population. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between irisin, and leptin, resistin, adiponectin, adipsin, anthropometric and cardiovascular risk factors in Mexican children. METHODS: A cross-sample of 126 Mexican children aged 6–12 years old were classified as normal weight (n = 46), obese (n = 40), and MS (n = 40) according to CDC’s and Cook’s age-modified criteria for obesity and MS. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were determined and percentiles calculated for age and gender. Irisin, leptin, adiponectin, adipsin, resistin, triglycerides, glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels, and physical activity were determined. Statistical tests for differences between groups, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Irisin plasma levels were significantly lower in the obese (6.08 [4.68–6.65]) and MS groups (6.46 [5.74–7.02]) compared with the normal-weight group (8.05 [7.24–8.94]) (p < 0.001). Irisin levels were not influenced by age or gender, but significant dispersion was observed in obese girls (95% CI median [2.29–6.30]). Leptin, resistin, and adipsin levels were significantly increased in the obese and MS groups. Lean-fat ratio was significantly higher in the NW group. Irisin correlated negatively with leptin (− 0.310), resistin (− 0.389), adipsin (− 0.362), BMI% (-0.472), WC% (− 0.453), BMI z-score (− 0.496), fat free mass (− 0.257), fat percentage (− 0.532), fat mass (− 0.515), triglycerides (− 0.291), the number of cardiometabolic risk factors (− 0.443) (p < 0.001); positively with lean-fat ratio (0.489) and HDL-c (0.328) (p < 0.001) and none with physical activity (p < 0.001). Following stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, the lean-fat ratio was the only determinant of irisin levels (B = 1.168, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lean-fat ratio, more than the absolute amount of muscle or fat mass, as well as potential myokine–adipokine cross-talk mechanisms may explain the lower irisin levels in children with obesity and MS, through blunted compensatory responses interfering with tissue-dependent irisin secretion, contributing to a continuous deleterious effect cycle. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13098-019-0458-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.