title: Rapid growth and childhood obesity are strongly associated with lysoPC(14:0).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the growing interest in the early-origins-of-later-disease hypothesis, little is known about the metabolic underpinnings linking infant weight gain and childhood obesity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To discover biomarkers reflective of weight change in the first 6 months and overweight/obesity at age 6 years via a targeted metabolomics approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  This analysis comprised 726 infants from a European multicenter randomized trial (Childhood Obesity Programme, CHOP) for whom plasma blood samples at age 6 months and anthropometric data up to the age of 6 years were available. 'Rapid growth' was defined as a positive difference in weight within the first 6 months of life standardized to WHO growth standards. Weight change was regressed on each of 168 metabolites (acylcarnitines, lysophosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins, and amino acids). Metabolites significant after Bonferroni's correction were tested as predictors of later overweight/obesity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the overall 19 significant metabolites, 4 were associated with rapid growth and 15 were associated with a less-than-ideal weight change. After adjusting for feeding group, only the lysophosphatidylcholine LPCaC14:0 remained significantly associated with rapid weight gain (β = 0.18). Only LPCaC14:0 at age 6 months was predictive of overweight/obesity at age 6 years (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.04-1.69).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LPCa14:0 is strongly related to rapid growth in infancy and childhood overweight/obesity. This suggests that LPCaC14:0 levels may represent a metabolically programmed effect of infant weight gain on the later obesity risk. However, these results require confirmation by independent cohorts.
authors.affiliation: Division of Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rzehak
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hellmuth
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Uhl
authors.forename: Franca F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Kirchberg
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peissner
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Harder
authors.forename: Veit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xhonneux
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Langhendries
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferre
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Closa-Monasterolo
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verduci
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Socha
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gruszfeld
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koletzko
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines; C035255:myristoyllysophosphatidylcholine