title: Interleukin-6, soluble interleukin-6 receptor/interleukin-6 complex and insulin resistance in obese children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the characteristics of interleukin 6 (IL6), soluble form of interleukin 6 receptor (sILR)/IL6 complex in obese children and adolescents and its relationship with insulin resistance (IR).
  
  
  METHODS
  66 obese children and adolescents [34 boys, mean age 10.3 ± 2.9 years, z-score of body mass index (BMI) 4.76 ± 1.36] and 24 non-obese healthy sex- and age-matched controls. Fasting levels of glucose, insulin, IL6, sIL6, sgp130 were measured. IR was assessed by homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obese subjects showed increased levels of insulin and IL-6 and higher HOMA-IR compared to controls (117.67 ± 50.9 vs. 62.42 ± 29.4 pmol/L, 2.73 ± 0.98 vs. 1.07 ± 0.41 pg/ml and 4.03 ± 2.16 vs. 1.83 ± 1.05 for insulin, IL-6 and HOMA-IR, respectively, p < 0.01 in all cases). sIL-6R levels were significantly lower in obese subjects (34.7 ± 14.2 vs. 55.6 ± 15.2 ng/ml in controls, p = 0.005), whereas sgp130 levels were not significantly different. In obese subjects, IL-6 directly correlated with z-score BMI (r = 0.481, p = 0.009) and with waist-to-height ratio (r = 0.494, p = 0.007), while sIL6-R was inversely related to HOMA-IR (r = -0.522, p = 0.002). Insulin resistant subjects showed higher levels of IL6 and lower levels of sIL6R (3.31 ± 0.72 vs. 2.25 ± 0.64 pg/ml, p = 0.020 and 25.3 ± 9.3 vs. 42.5 ± 10.4 ng/ml, p = 0.013, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In obese children and adolescents, IR is associated with elevated levels of IL-6 and diminished values of sIL-6R.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Gaetano Rummo Hospital, Benevento, Italy. gianpaolo.defilippo@bct.aphp.fr.|Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Service d'Endocrinologie et Diabétologie Pédiatrique, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France. gianpaolo.defilippo@bct.aphp.fr.|Service d'Endocrinologie et Diabétologie Pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bicêtre, 78, rue du Général Leclerc, 94275, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France. gianpaolo.defilippo@bct.aphp.fr.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Filippo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rendina
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Unit, Gaetano Rummo Hospital, Benevento, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moccia
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Unit, Gaetano Rummo Hospital, Benevento, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rocco
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campanozzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6
keywords: IL-6; Insulin resistance; Obesity; Pediatrics; Transsignalling