title: Reduced retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in children with severe obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some optic nerve diseases are silent and insidious. Recently, reduced thickness of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) has been associated with increasing body mass index in adults.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of childhood obesity with RNFL measured by optical coherence tomography imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven children aged 5-14 years classified according to standard deviation score of body mass index (SDS-BMI) were included. Parameters of metabolic risk, adipocytokines (leptin, adiponectin) and interleukin-6 were analyzed. All subjects underwent a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination with direct ophthalmoscopy. Evaluation of RNFL with optical coherence tomography of the head of the nerve was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RNFL thickness on the average and inferior, superior and nasal quadrants were decreased in severely obese children (SDS-BMI > 4) with respect to the other groups. However, no statistically significant association was found between the different groups of children and RNFL thickness in the temporal quadrant. There was a significant inverse correlation of RNFL thickness with adiposity indices (P = 0.016), leptin (P = 0.029) and interleukin-6 (P = 0.030) in overweight and obese children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that adiposity and obesity-related inflammatory factors may be associated with the loss of retinal ganglion cells in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Doctor Peset University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pacheco-Cervera
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Doctor Peset University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.|Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Codoñer-Franch
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Doctor Peset University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simó-Jordá
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Doctor Peset University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pons-Vázquez
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Research Unit Santiago Grisolia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galbis-Estrada
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Doctor Peset University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.|Ophthalmic Research Unit Santiago Grisolia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.|Surgery-Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Pinazo-Durán
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D020738:Leptin
keywords: Leptin; optical coherence tomography; paediatric obesity; retinal nerve fibre layer