ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTLs) play critical roles in metabolism and are implicated in metabolic consequences of obesity. ANGPTL2 is a key adipocyte-derived inflammatory mediator that links obesity to systemic insulin resistance. ANGPTL3 directly regulate lipid, glucose and energy metabolism independent of angiogenic effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate the levels of ANGPTL2 and 3 in obese children and adolescents and their association with metabolic parameters.

Methods: Seventy children and adolescents (35 obese and 35 age- and gender-matched control subjects), were selected after thorough clinical evaluation and anthropometric measurements. Serum ANGPTL2 and 3 and insulin were assessed using ELISA, and insulin resistance (IR) was calculated by the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglyceride, total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C and HDL-C were also measured.

Results: ANGPTL2 and 3 levels were significantly elevated in obese children compared with controls; however, they were not significantly different in obese children with or without IR. ANGPTL3 was significantly higher in children with metabolic syndrome (MetS) compared to those without MetS. Both ANGPTL2 and 3 were positively correlated with BMI, TC and LDL-C as well as systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure. In partial correlation, controlling for BMI, the relationship between ANGPTL3 and both SBP and DBP remained significant. A significant positive correlation was found between ANGPTL2 and ANGPTL3 which remained significant after adjusting for BMI.

Conclusion: elevated levels of seum ANGPTL2 and 3 and their relationship with metabolic parameters, especially blood pressure, suggests that these two proteins might be involved in the development of obesity-associated metabolic syndrome and endothelial dysfunction.