[Visceral adiposity and its association with serum lipids in female obese teenagers].
BACKGROUND
Increased visceral or abdominal adipose tissue in children and adults is strongly associated with metabolic and a variety of chronic diseases.


OBJECTIVE
To study the association between visceral or external body measurements of adiposity with blood lipids, glucose and insulin levels, in obese female adolescents.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional study, 47 obese female adolescents (body mass index (BMI) >95th percentile) aged 10 to 15 years, were analyzed. Weight, height, BMI, Tanner pubertal stages, skinfold thickness, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting and 120 min post prandial blood glucose, serum insulin, and lipid profile were studied. Visceral fat was assessed by computed tomography at the L4-L5 level, measuring the fat area or the length of a straight drawn line between the spine and the internal border of the rectus abdominus muscle.


RESULTS
No association between lipid profile and BMI or external body measurements (skinfold thickness, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) was observed. Total serum cholesterol >170 mg/dL was positively associated with the straight line over 63 mm (a cut-off obtained by ROC analysis (RR 2.64; 1.15-6.08). This association was statistically significant in girls in Tanner I + II (n =21; Fisher, p <0.023), but not with Tanner III + IV (n=26) stages. Increased cholesterol (>170 mg/dL) was also positively associated with a serum insulin >17 uU/mL in the Tanner I + II group (Fisher p<0.05), but not with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA).


CONCLUSIONS
No external body measurement of adiposity was associated to increased serum cholesterol in these obese female adolescents. Increased total cholesterol (>170 mg/dL) was associated with visceral fat (evaluated through the straight line spina-rectus abdominus muscle), and also with a serum insulin >17 uU/ml in those teenagers with Tanner I or II pubertal stages.
Neri
Daniela
D
Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Espinoza
Aníbal
A
Bravo
Aurora
A
Rebollo
M Jesús
MJ
Moraga
Francisco
F
Mericq
Verónica
V
Castillo-Durán
Carlos
C
D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development / Q000502:physiology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D011627:Puberty / Q000378:metabolism; D012372:ROC Curve; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids; D002784:Cholesterol