title: Perinephric adipose tissue thickness in relation to blood pressure, plasma apelin and C-reactive protein levels in obese adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Visceral adiposity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity related hypertension. Measurement of perinephric adipose tissue (PNAT) thickness has not been studied yet. We aimed to define the relation of PNAT with hypertension, and to investigate its correlations with apelin and C-reactive protein.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty obese adolescents (33 females, 27 males) with a mean age of 14.0±0.8 years and 29 age-matched lean controls were recruited. Obese subjects were divided as hypertensive (Group 1) and normotensive (Group 2) using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. PNAT was measured using ultrasonography bilaterally.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PNAT thickness was found increased by 0.5 mm for each point of increase in body mass index (BMI). Plasma apelin levels were significantly higher in Groups 1 and 2 than those in control group (P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). In Group 1 BMI, plasma insulin and cortisol levels were significantly higher. Apelin was positively correlated with BMI and PNAT (P<0.001 for both), and negatively correlated with pubertal stage (ρ=-0.313, P=0.003) and age (ρ=-0.250; P=0.018).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study showing direct correlation between PNAT and BMI and also between apelin and BMI in obese adolescents. Hypertension in adolescence is related to degree of obesity. While plasma apelin increases in obesity, it decreases with increasing age and pubertal stage.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pediatric Endocrinology, Goztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey - nurcancebeci@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ayse N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Cebeci
authors.forename: Ayla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guven
authors.forename: Lütfi I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Kuru
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000073861:Apelin; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: C115436:APLN protein, human; D000073861:Apelin; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein