title: The association of plasma homocysteine levels with serum leptin and apolipoprotein B levels in childhood obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) level has recently been established as an independent risk factor for thrombosis and vascular disease. However, the relationship between hyperhomocysteinemia and cardiovascular disease and obesity remains controversial. The aim of the study was to investigate a possible relationship between plasma tHcy levels and measures of childhood obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty children and adolescents with exogenous obesity and 20 non-obese subjects in an age-and sex-matched control group were investigated. Fasting samples were collected for plasma tHcy, serum insulin, leptin, vitamin B12, folate, creatinine and lipid parameters. Anthropometric characteristics and body compositions were assessed in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The obese patients had significantly higher tHcy levels than the non-obese controls (14.3+/-11.8 micromol/L vs 8.7+/-5.9 micromol/L; P=0.017). In both groups, plasma tHcy was positively related to serum leptin, but serum apolipoprotein B (apo B) levels were positively related to plasma tHcy levels only in obese patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates for the first time that leptin and apo B are main correlates of tHcy in obese children and adolescents and suggests that hyperleptinemia and increased apo B may contribute to impairment of tHcy metabolism in childhood obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey nnarin@erciyes.edu.tr
authors.forename: Figen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Narin
authors.forename: Mehmet Emre
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Atabek
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karakukcu
authors.forename: Nazmi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Narin
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurtoglu
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gumus
authors.forename: Bekir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coksevim
authors.forename: Rusen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood*; D049628:Body Size; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D006710:Homocysteine