title: α-Defensins and bacterial/permeability-increasing protein as new markers of childhood obesity.
abstract: The aim of this paper is to test whether α-defensins and bacterial/permeability-increasing protein were related to obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in prepubertal children.
  
  
  
  Plasma α-defensins and bacterial/permeability-increasing protein, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), HOMA-IR and HMW-adiponectin were assessed.
  
  
  
  In a cross-sectional study (N = 250), higher α-defensins concentrations were positively associated with BMI, waist, SBP, cIMT, HOMA-IR and negative correlated with HMW-adiponectin (all between r = 0.191 and r = 0.377, p ≤ 0.01 and p ≤ 0.0001). Conversely, plasma bacterial/permeability-increasing protein concentrations presented inversed associated with the same parameters (all between r = -0.124 and r = -0.329; p ≤ 0.05 and p ≤ 0.0001). In a longitudinal study (N = 91), α-defensins at age 7 were associated with BMI (β = 0.189, p = 0.002; model R2= 0.847) and waist (β = 0.241, pthinsp;= 0.001; model R2= 0.754) at age 10.
  
  
  
  α-Defensins and bacterial/permeability-increasing protein may be the markers of childhood obesity. Increased concentrations of α-defensins may predict BMI and abdominal fat deposition in children.
authors.affiliation: Dr Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain.|Girona Institute for Biomedical Research, Girona, Spain.|Department of Physical Therapy, EUSES University School, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prats-Puig
authors.affiliation: Dr Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gispert-Saüch
authors.affiliation: Dr Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain.|Girona Institute for Biomedical Research, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carreras-Badosa
authors.affiliation: Salut Empordà Foundation, Figueres, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Osiniri
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Salut Empordà Foundation, Figueres, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soriano-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Dr Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Planella-Colomer
authors.affiliation: Department of Development & Regeneration, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Zegher
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Endocrinology, Sant Joan de Déu Children's Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ibánez
authors.affiliation: Dr Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain.|Girona Institute for Biomedical Research, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bassols
authors.affiliation: Dr Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain.|Girona Institute for Biomedical Research, Girona, Spain.|TransLab Research Group, Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Bermejo
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D023084:alpha-Defensins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D023084:alpha-Defensins; C021623:bactericidal permeability increasing protein
keywords: bacterial/permeability-increasing protein; children; insulin resistance; obesity; α-Defensins