Fitness Levels and Gender Are Related With the Response of Plasma Adipokines and Inflammatory Cytokines in Prepubertal Children

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Changes in adipokines have been related with the development of metabolic syndrome, frequently associated with obesity, and other risk factors. Fitness seems to promote a healthy cardiovascular status and could be a protector factor, just from childhood. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between fitness levels with plasma adipokines and inflammatory biomarkers in prepubertal children. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-seven healthy normal-weight prepubertal children were recruited from local schools and divided after performing the fitness tests, into two groups according to fitness level—low cardiovascular fitness group (LF) and equal or higher cardiovascular fitness group (HF). Anthropometric variables, blood pressure (BP) and plasma insulin, and leptin, resistin, adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, hepatic growth factor, interleukin (IL)-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, nerve growth factor (NGF), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured fasting in both groups to be compared. Univariate analysis of variance, comparative analysis, binary logistic regression, stepwise linear regression, and principal component analysis were conducted to evaluate the association between fitness, BMI, gender, and the biochemical parameters. RESULTS: Girls and boys with HF presented lower waist circumference Z-score, BMI Z-score, systolic BP (only boys) as well as lower levels of leptin and NGF compared with their respective LF group. Regarding the association between variables, fitness showed an inverse relationship with BMI Z-score, leptin, PAI-1, HOMA-IR, resistin, IL-8, and NGF. CONCLUSION: An adequate level of fitness seems to protect against risk factors related to low-grade inflammation and altered adipokines that are related to the onset of obesity just from the prepubertal stage.