ESPE Abstracts

Therapeutic interventions in obesity in addition to the weight loss, seek to improve the profile of cytokines. It is believed that physical activity, even in the absence of significant weight loss, may favorably increase the concentration of irisin and decrease the concentration of chemerin. The aim of the study was to compare the impact of a standard lifestyle intervention (SI) with an intense intervention (II) including controlled increase of daily physical activity (from 5 up to 15 min. daily) on the concentration of irisin and chemerin in prepubertal children with obesity.

Material and Methods: 20 children (6 boys, 14 girls) at the mean age 8.9 (SD 1.4), randomly assigned to two groups, group 1 (starting with II), and 2 (starting with SI), after 3 months the groups have been switched.

Results: The reduction of BMI-SDS and fat% in the whole body was observed after both types of intervention [ΔBMI-SDS (-) 0.5 vs. (-) 0.2; Δfat% (-)2.9 vs. (-) 1.4] after II and SI respectively; the difference in mean change value not statistically significant for any parameter). After II mean irisin level increased from 4.8 µg/mL to 5.1 µg/mL in the whole group. The increase was even more significant in group 1 (4.7 µg/mL vs. 5.4 µg/mL), contrary to group 2, where no increase was noticed after II (4.9 µg/mL vs. 4.7 µg/mL). Mean chemerin level after II decreased from 66.4 ng/mL to 60.1 ng/mL in whole group. The more favourable change of mean chemerin level was noticed in group 1 (64.4 ng/mL to 58 ng/mL) than in group 2 (67.6 ng/mL to 66 ng/mL). The differences in mean change values were statistically significant (P<0.05) for both investigated cytokines.

Conclusion: Even short, but regular and controlled physical activity has a beneficial effect on the concentrations of irisin and chemerin in children with obesity.