title: Serum trace elements in obese Egyptian children: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date, only a few studies on child obesity concerned Trace Elements (TE). TE is involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and obesity related diseases. We tried to assess trace elements status [zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), iron (Fe), and chromium (Cr)] in obese Egyptian children and their relationships with serum leptin and metabolic risk factors of obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a case-control study performed with 80 obese children (BMI ≥ 95thcentile for age and gender) and 80 healthy non-obese children with comparable age and gender as the control group. For all subjects, serum Zn, Cu, Se, Fe, ferritin and Cr as well as biochemical parameters including lipid profile, serum glucose and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were assessed. Levels of serum leptin were measured by (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] method), and serum insulin was measured by an electrochemiluminesce immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the control group, serum Zn, Se, and Fe levels were significantly lower (all P < 0.01) and serum Cu level was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the obese children. Meanwhile, no significant differences were observed in serum ferritin or Cr levels (P > 0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between serum leptin and zinc levels in the obese children (r = -0.746; P < 0.01). Further, serum Zn showed significant negative correlations with total cholesterol TC levels (P < 0.05) and were positively correlated with high density lipoprotein- cholesterol HDL-C levels (P < 0.01) in the obese children. In addition, serum Se levels showed significant positive correlations with HOMA-IR values in the obese children (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obese children may be at a greater risk of developing imbalance (mainly deficiency) of trace elements which may be playing an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and related metabolic risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, 18 Omar Bin Elkhattab St, Al Qawmia, Zagazig City, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Seham_Azab@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Seham F A
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Azab
authors.forename: Safaa H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Wafaa F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Elsaeed
authors.forename: Mona A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Elshafie
authors.forename: Laila M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Sherief
authors.forename: Asmaa M H
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Esh
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001823:Body Composition; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D014131:Trace Elements