title: C-reactive protein as an indicator of low intensity inflammation in children and adolescents with and without obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in children/adolescents with and without obesity and their correlation with body mass index (BMI) and clinical and laboratory variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study comparing two parallel groups, one a group of overweight or obese children/adolescents (obesity group, n = 131) and the other a control group of children/adolescents without obesity (control group, n = 114). High sensitivity nephelometry was used to determine hsCRP concentrations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The obesity group exhibited greater hsCRP concentrations than the control group (p < 0.0005). There were relationships between hsCRP and BMI (p < 0.0001) and hsCRP and triglycerides (p = 0.05). The relationship between hsCRP and triglycerides was attenuated by adjustment for BMI, losing its statistical significance (p = 0.10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hsCRP concentrations increased as BMI increased. The majority of individuals who were not overweight exhibited hsCRP concentrations of less than 2 mg/L.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriana R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Brasil
authors.forename: Rocksane C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: Márcia B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rossetti
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leão
authors.forename: Ricardo P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Mendes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein