title: Obesity and clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors are associated with elevated plasma complement C3 in children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship among obesity, cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs), and plasma complement C3 concentration in children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a nationwide survey conducted between 1992 and 2000, all school children aged 6-18 yr with abnormal results in repeated urine samples, including hematuria, proteinuria, and glucosuria (n = 97 312; 36 557 boys and 60 755 girls), were investigated for their body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, and plasma complement C3 concentrations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children in the higher percentile groups for BMI or having more CVDRFs, namely, hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, had higher plasma C3 concentrations independently (p for both trends <0.05, adjusted for age and gender). The odds ratios (ORs) for having one, two, or three CVDRFs in obese children were 4.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.47-5.03], 19.8 (95% CI = 17.8-22.0), and 139 (95% CI = 96.6-200), respectively, adjusted for age, gender, and family history of diabetes, which were substantially reduced after adjustment for plasma C3 concentrations. The ORs for children with plasma C3 concentrations in the highest quartile to have one, two, or three CVDRFs were 2.32 (95% CI = 2.21-2.44), 5.68 (95% CI = 4.83-6.67), and 58.6 (95% CI = 19.7-174), respectively, adjusted for age, gender, family history of diabetes, and BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity is associated with clustering of CVDRFs in children and adolescents. Obesity and clustering of CVDRFs are associated with elevated plasma complement C3. Children and adolescents with higher plasma C3 concentrations have higher risk of clustering of CVDRFs independent of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, 717, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jung-Nan
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Hung-Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fung-Chang
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Chau-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chuan-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Lee-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011153:Population; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D003176:Complement C3