title: Elevated serum IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, CRP, and IFN-γ levels in 10- to 11-year-old boys with increased BMI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many inflammation parameters are associated with obesity, but few comparable data are found in youth. This study aims to characterize the differences in serum levels of 13 biochemical inflammatory markers between boys with increased BMI and boys with normal BMI, and examine the relationships between inflammation markers, skinfold thicknesses, and body composition.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants were 38 boys (BMI above 85th percentile) and 38 boys (normal BMI) at the age of 10-11 years. Measurements included BMI, 9 skinfold thicknesses, waist and hip circumferences, and total body and trunk fat mass and percentage as indices of obesity, fasting insulin, glucose, and serum concentrations of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, VEGF, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), epidermal growth factor, and CRP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overweight boys (OWB) were taller and more frequently in puberty than normal-weight boys (NWB). Skinfold thicknesses and body composition parameters were higher in OWB. They had significantly higher serum IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, MCP-1, and CRP values compared to NWB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Six of 13 measured biochemical markers were significantly increased in OWB, indicating that many low-grade inflammatory processes are already involved in the development of obesity in childhood.
authors: University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. liina.utsal@ut.ee
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Utsal
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Tillmann
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Zilmer
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Mäestu
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Purge
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Jürimäe
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Saar
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Lätt
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Maasalu
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Jürimäe
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D056865:Ideal Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D012885:Skinfold Thickness
chemical_list: C111835:CCL2 protein, human; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D002097:C-Reactive Protein