ESPE Abstracts

Background: C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related proteins (CTRPs) are the recently recognized members of the adipokine family, secreted from adipose tissue. Some types of CTRPs, including CTRP-13, play an important role in energy metabolism in humans. Also, CTRP-13 was found as an anorexigenic factor in experimental studies.

Objective: We aimed to investigate serum CTRP-13 levels in obese and healthy children, as well as the relationship between CTRP-13 and other adipokines, metabolic parameters, or binge eating disorder (BED).

Subjects and Methods: Clinical (metabolic syndrome, BED) and biochemical (glucose, insulin, lipids, leptin, adiponectin, CTRP-13 levels) parameters were assessed in pubertal subjects. There was no organic etiological cause in obese patients.

Results: The obese group consisted of 60 children [24 males (40%); median age: 14.7 (13.0 - 16.4) years] and the control group included 45 healthy children [15 males (33.3%); median age: 15.2 (14.1 - 16.5) years]. Body mass index SD scores were 2.7 (2.3 - 3.1) and -0.5 [(-1.2) - 0.6] in obese and control groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Serum adiponectin and CTRP-13 median levels were significantly lower in obese children than those in healthy children (7.1 vs 20.1 µg/ml, P < 0.001; 64.7 vs 103.8 ng/ml, P < 0.001, respectively). Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in the obese group than the control group (median; 46.4 vs 7.2 ng/ml, P < 0.001). CTRP-13 levels correlated negatively with BMI SD scores (Spearman rho = -0.237, P = 0.015) and positively with high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels (HDL-C) (Spearman rho = 0.218, P = 0.026). There was no significant difference in serum CTRP-13 concentrations in terms of the presence of metabolic syndrome or BED.

Conclusions: We demonstrated significantly lower CTRP-13 levels in obese children than the healthy ones, for the first time in literature. Childhood obesity seems to be causing dysregulation in adipokine production and function, including the down-regulation of CTRP-13. The positive correlation between CTRP-13 and HDL-C levels suggested a possible effect of this adipokine on lipid metabolism and it can be used as a marker for dyslipidemia in childhood obesity.