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Metabolic, inflammatory, endothelial and haemostatic markers in a group of Italian obese children and adolescents

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Abstract

Childhood obesity and its related comorbidities are increasingly recognised in children, predisposing them to early cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The objective of the study was to investigate markers of metabolism, inflammation and haemostasis in a group of Italian obese children and adolescents. Fifty-nine obese and 40 non-obese subjects were recruited. Fasting glucose and insulin, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and adiponectin were measured. Hypercoagulability was assessed by measuring the circulating levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), D-dimer, fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and von Willebrand Factor (vWF). A significant degree of insulin resistance was present in obese subjects compared with controls (p < 0.0001). The obese showed higher levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and lower levels of HDL cholesterol than controls (p < 0.0001). Circulating levels of hsCRP and TNF-α were significantly higher in obese than in controls while serum adiponectin levels were significantly lower in obese than non-obese subjects (p < 0.001; p = 0.031; p < 0.0001, respectively). vWF, TAT, D-dimer, fibrinogen and PAI-1 levels were significant higher in obese subjects compared with control group (p = 0.02; p < 0.0001; p = 0.0037; p < 0.0001; p = 0.017, respectively). In conclusion, our results suggest that childhood obesity per se is associated with a proinflammatory and prothrombotic state.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedicine of Developing Age, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare, 11, 70100, Bari, Italy

    Paola Giordano, Giovanni Carlo Del Vecchio, Valerio Cecinati, Maurizio Delvecchio, Maria Altomare, Fabrizia De Palma, Domenico De Mattia, Luciano Cavallo & Maria Felicia Faienza

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  1. Paola Giordano
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  2. Giovanni Carlo Del Vecchio
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  3. Valerio Cecinati
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  4. Maurizio Delvecchio
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  5. Maria Altomare
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  6. Fabrizia De Palma
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  7. Domenico De Mattia
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  8. Luciano Cavallo
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  9. Maria Felicia Faienza
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Correspondence to Maria Felicia Faienza.

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The authors do not have any financial relationship with the organization that sponsored the research.

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Giordano, P., Del Vecchio, G.C., Cecinati, V. et al. Metabolic, inflammatory, endothelial and haemostatic markers in a group of Italian obese children and adolescents. Eur J Pediatr 170, 845–850 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-010-1356-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-010-1356-7

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