Clinical Relevance of Transforming Growth Factor-β1, Interleukin-6 and Haptoglobin for Prediction of Obesity Complications in Prepubertal Egyptian Children.
BACKGROUND
The rate of obesity is increasing throughout the world. Obesity in adults' research is characterized by chronic inflammation, associated with type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular risk. The degree to which these changes occur in childhood obesity is not fully defined.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to explore the relation between circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and obesity.


METHODS
This cross sectional case control study was carried out in 50 randomly selected pre-pubertal overweight and obese children compared with fifty apparently healthy children of matched age and sex. Serum levels of transforming growth factor-β1, interleukin-6, and haptoglobin were quantified by ELISA technique.


RESULTS
ANOVA test followed by Post Hoc test showed highly significant increase in the serum levels of the transforming growth factor-β1, interleukin-6 and haptoglobin among obese children compared to overweight and healthy children respectively. The body weight, BMI and BMI z-score were significantly positively correlated with serum levels of the three pro-inflammatory cytokines. Serum levels of interleukin-6, and haptoglobin were found to be strong predictors of complications in severe obesity by linear regression analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation. High levels of interleukin-6 and haptoglobin are considered to be early biomarkers of inflammation associated with severe obesity with subsequent cardiovascular and type 2 diabetes risk.
Child Health Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
Inas R
IR
El-Alameey
Medical Physiology Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
Nevein N
NN
Fadl
Child Health Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
Enas R Abdel
ER
Hameed
Child Health Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
Lobna S
LS
Sherif
Hormones Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
Hanaa H
HH
Ahmed
Egyptian Children; Obesity Complications; Prepubertal; clinical relevance; haptoglobin; interleukin-6; prediction; transforming growth factor-β1