title: Plasma proteomic analysis in obese and overweight prepubertal children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood obesity represents one of the most challenging health problems of our century and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in adult life. Proteomics is a large-scale analysis of proteins, which provides, information on protein expression levels, post-translational modifications, subcellular localization and interactions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether obesity in childhood is associated with alterations in plasma protein expression profiles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma samples from 10 obese [age: 10·75 ± 0·16 year; body mass index (BMI): 27·50 ± 0·69 kg m(-2) ], 10 overweight (age: 10·54 ± 0·1 year; BMI: 21·88 ± 0·28 kg m(-2) ) and 10 normal-weight (age: 10·89 ± 0·19 year; BMI: 18·34 ± 0·42kg m(-2) ) prepubertal boys were subjected to protein fractionation and analysed by two-dimensional electrophoresis, followed by protein identification using matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin, lipid and apolipopoprotein concentrations were determined in all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of apolipoprotein (Apo) A-I (ApoA-I) was significantly lower in obese and overweight children compared with children of normal BMI (P < 0·05). The expression of ApoE was significantly lower in overweight compared with normal-weight children (P < 0·05), while that of ApoA-IV was significantly higher in obese children compared with their normal counterparts (P < 0·01). Serum ApoA-I concentrations were significantly lower in obese (147 ± 4·27mg dL(-1) ) and overweight (145·5 ± 9·65mg dL(-1) ) than in normal-weight (157 ± 8·77mg dL(-1) ; P = 0·036) children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obese and overweight prepubertal children demonstrated prominent alterations in the expression of plasma apolipoproteins compared with their normal counterparts. Low ApoA-I plasma expression levels and serum concentrations in obesity might be present in childhood before any significant alterations in total or high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations are documented. We recommend that serum ApoA-I concentrations are determined in all overweight and obese children.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Zoi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Galata
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moschonis
authors.forename: Manousos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makridakis
authors.forename: Ploumisti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dimitraki
authors.forename: Nicolas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manios
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartzeliotou
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Chrousos
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Charmandari
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000378:metabolism*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin