title: Elevated tumour necrosis factor-alpha was associated with intima thickening in obese children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the relationship between intima-media thickness (IMT) and immune parameters in obese children from five to 16 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 185 obese children with a mean age of 10.65 ± 2.10 years and 211 controls with a mean age of 10.32 ± 1.81 years. Glycometabolism, lipid metabolism, sex hormones, immune indices and carotid IMT were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, white blood cells and common and internal carotid artery IMTs in the obese group were higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05, respectively). Bivariate correlation analysis showed that the common carotid arterial IMT was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase, triglyceride, uric acid, apolipoprotein B, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone. Internal carotid artery IMT was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase and follicle-stimulating hormone. Both common and internal carotid artery IMTs were inversely correlated with apolipoprotein A1 (p < 0.05, respectively). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that testosterone, alanine aminotransferase and TNF-alpha were the independent determinants of common carotid arterial IMT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumour necrosis factor-alpha, alanine aminotransferase and testosterone were associated with intima thickening in the early life in obese children and may increase later risks of premature atherogenicity and adult cardio-cerebrovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.|Department of Paediatrics, Zhuji People's Hospital, Shaoxing, China.
authors.forename: Luo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yi-Can
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qing
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao-Hui
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Huang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chao-Chun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013739:Testosterone; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Carotid intima-media thickness; Immune parameters; Obese children; Tumour necrosis factor-alpha