title: Correlates of adiponectin in hepatitis C-infected children: the importance of body mass index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adiponectin is a regulator of cytokines that, in turn, play a vital role in inflammatory and immune responses. Adiponectin is therefore likely to have a contributory role in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We sought to characterize adiponectin levels and examine correlates in a pediatric HCV-infected cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional study in children (5-17 years of age, n = 86) in the Pediatric Study of Hepatitis C (PEDS-C) trial. Adiponectin levels were univariately correlated with patient demographics, anthropometrics, and viral and histological measures. Multivariate regression models were used to identify the unique (ie, nonconfounded) associations with adiponectin concentrations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body mass index (BMI) had the highest univariate inverse correlation with log(e) adiponectin (r = -0.5, P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, BMI remained inversely correlated with log(e) adiponectin after accounting for age and route of HCV transmission (r = -0.38, P = 0.0003). Steatosis and fibrosis were inversely related to log(e) adiponectin in univariate analysis, but these associations were not statistically significant after multivariate adjustments (P ≥ 0.1827).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High BMI among HCV-infected children is associated with lower adiponectin levels. Practitioners should be cognizant of the possible risks of low adiponectin when managing HCV-infected children who are overweight. Further studies are indicated to determine the impact of having low adiponectin on HCV infection in youth.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Pediatrics, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL †Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital ‡Gastrointestinal Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA §Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL ||Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Aymin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delgado-Borrego
authors.forename: Regino P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Peralta
authors.forename: Roshan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raza
authors.forename: Betania
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Negre
authors.forename: Zachary D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: Maureen M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.forename: Raymond T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ludwig
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin