ESPE Abstracts

Background: Chemerin is an adipocytokine which plays a great role in metabolism of carbohydrates. Chemerin concentration correlates positively with body mass (BM). GH deficiency (GHD) is associated with excess of abdominal fat tissue also in patients with normal BMI.

Objective and hypotheses: To estimate the chemerin concentration and its correlation with BM and carbohydrate metabolism in non-obese, prepubertal children with isolated GHD before (GHD untreated group) and after 6 months of GH therapy (GHD after 6 months group).

Method: 32 (22 boys, ten girls) children with GHD (mean height 117.9 cm, −2.77 SD, mean BMI −0.75 SD), mean age 8.87 years. Control group (CG): 18 (11 boys, nine girls) age matched healthy children (mean height 125.8 cm, −0.93 SD, mean BMI −0.28 SD). Serum fasting chemerin was measured in all. In GHD untreated and GHD after 6 months the following exams were done: body composition (bioimpedancy), fasting serum glucose and insulin. Fasting glucose/insulin ratio was calculated.

Results: The mean serum concentrations of chemerin did not differ significantly between CG, GHD untreated and GHD after 6 months. FGIR was significantly higher in GHD after 6 months comparing to FGIR in GHD untreated (0.076 vs 0.090, P<0.01). In GHD untreated chemerin concentration correlates positively with BM (both with lean and fat mass) and FGIR (r=0.35 and r=0.40 respectively). Δ chemerin (chemerin level GHD after 6 months – chemerin level GHD untreated) correlates negatively with FGIR and negatively with chemerin level in GHD untreated (r=−0.57 and r=−0.59). Δ chemerin correlates positively with Δ SD BM (r=0.44).

Conclusion: Chemerin concentration correlates positively with BM and FGIR in prepubertal non-obese children with GH deficiency before start of GH therapy whereas Δ chemerin correlates negatively with FGIR and Δ SD BM. It seems that Δ chemerin levels may influence carbohydrate metabolism during GH therapy in GHD children.

Funding: This work was supported by Department od Health Sciences, University od Jan Kochanowski, Kielce, Poland (internal grant).