ESPE Abstracts

Background: Inflammatory markers in obesity with metabolic syndrome (MS) have been postulated to be associated with development of CVS diseases in adults.

Objective: To study inflammatory marker levels in obese children.

Method: A cross-sectional study of obese children was conducted. Children with history of endogenous obesity, chronic diseases, drug ingestion/any acute illnesses within two weeks prior to enrolment were excluded. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), OGTT, insulin, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers were studied.

Results: 58 obese children (20 females/38 males) with a mean BMI z-score of 5.1±2.2 were enrolled. The prevalence of pre-diabetes and MS were 17.2 and 31% respectively. No case met the criteria diagnosis of diabetes. Although FBS, OGTT, lipid profiles, and HS-CRP level were not statistically different between obese children with and without MS, 69% of the cases had high hs-CRP level compared to normal values.

Conclusion: Obesity without MS could be at risk to develop CVS diseases due to high level of the inflammatory marker, HS-CRP. Early weight reduction in children with obesity should be emphasized on primary care physicians and their families.

Funding: This study has been fully supported by the Faculty of Medicine Endowment Fund from the Faculty of Medicine of Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.