ESPE Abstracts (2018) 89 P-P2-149

ESPE2018 Poster Presentations Fat, Metabolism and Obesity P2 (58 abstracts)

Galanin is Positively Correlated with Insulin Resistance and Triglyceride Levels in Obese Children

Sezer Acar a , Ahu Paketçi a , Tuncay Küme b , Korcan Demir a , Özlem Gürsoy Çalan b , Ece Böber a & Ayhan Abacı a


aDivision of Pediatric Endocrinology, Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey; bDepartment of Medical Biochemistry, Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey


Introduction: Galanin is a neuropeptide involved in the regulation of food intake and glucose homeostasis. The objective of this study was to assess the relation of serum galanin levels with anthropometric and metabolic parameters in obese and healthy children.

Material and methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of 38 obese children (mean age, 11.9±3.0 years) and 30 healthy children (mean age, 11.4±2.0 years). Clinical and biochemical [glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) lipids, galanin, and leptin levels] parameters were analyzed.

Results: Serum galanin and leptin levels were significantly higher in obese children. In obese children, galanin levels were positively correlated with fasting glucose (r=0.398, P=0.013), insulin (r=0.383, P=0.018), HOMA-IR (r=0.375, P=0.020), and triglyceride levels (r=0.391, P=0.015). Multivariate backward regression analysis revealed that galanin levels were significantly associated with fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and triglyceride, which explained 42.0% of the variance (r2=0.483, P<0.001).

Conclusions: In obese children, serum galanin levels were significantly higher and were positively correlated with insulin resistance and triglycerides. Galanin may have a negative effect on glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism in childhood obesity.

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