ESPE Abstracts

Objectives: The obesity in population of children and adolescents is one of the biggest public health problems in word today. Early childhood obesity with cluster of metabolic disorders (insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia and hypertension) are risk factor for cardiovascular morbidly and mortality later in life. Catestatin is a Chromogranin A derived peptide which reduces hepatic/plasma lipids, plasma insulin, improves insulin sensitivity, reduces hypertension and inhibits obesity in murine models. In humans, there were few studies published witch showed level of catestatin is significant risk factor for hypertension in adult patients. To our knowledge, this the first report of serum level of catestatin in obese children and adolescents.

Methods: The study included 71 obese children and adolescent with body mass index z score >2 and control group of 25 healthy non obese children and adolescents. Anthropometric assessment (height, weight, BMI, waist circumferences and blood pressure) and fasting laboratory assessment (glucose, insulin, lipids and catestatin) parameters were measured. Obese subjects were dived in two groups depending on the presence of metabolic syndrome, which was defined by IDF criteria.

Results: There was no significant difference in age (13.78±2.26 vs. 13.48±2.08 years, P=0.532), gender (38 (53.5%) male and 33 (46.5%) female vs. 12 (48%) male vs. 13 (52%) female, P=0.635) and pubertal status between obese and control group. Catestatin was significantly lower in obese subjects (10.57±5.13 vs. 13.49±6.18 ng/mL, P<0.05). When we divided obese subjects in two groups with and without metabolic syndrome catestatin was significantly lowest in subgroup of obese children and adolescents with metabolic syndrome (8.52±3.89, P<0.05). Catestatin negatively correlated with both diastolic (r=−0.24, P<0.05) and systolic (r=−0.23, P<0.05) blood pressure.

Conclusions: In conclusion, this study demonstrated that obese children and adolescents had significantly lower catestatin levels in comparison with age and gender matched controls.