title: The Relationship between Serum Zonulin Level and Clinical and Laboratory Parameters of Childhood Obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between zonulin levels and clinical and laboratory parameters of childhood obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included obese children with a body mass index (BMI) >95thpercentile and healthy children who were of similar age and gender distribution. Clinical (BMI, waist circumferences, mid-arm circumference, triceps skinfold, percentage of body fat, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure) and biochemical (glucose, insulin, lipid levels, thyroid function tests, cortisol, zonulin and leptin levels) parameters were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 43 obese subjects (23 males, mean age: 11.1±3.1 years) and 37 healthy subjects (18 males, mean age: 11.5±3.5 years) were included in this study. Obese children had significantly higher insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), zonulin and leptin levels than healthy children (p<0.05), while glucose levels were not different (p>0.05). Comparison of the obese children with and without insulin resistance showed no statistically significant differences for zonulin levels (p>0.05). Zonulin levels were found to negatively correlate with HDL-C and positively correlate with leptin levels, after adjusting for age and BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the relationship between circulating zonulin level (as a marker of intestinal permeability) and insulin resistance and leptin (as markers of metabolic disturbances associated with obesity) in childhood obesity. The results showed that zonulin was significantly higher in obese children when compared to healthy children, a finding indicating a potential role of zonulin in the etiopathogenesis of obesity and related disturbances.
authors.forename: Tuncay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Küme
authors.forename: Sezer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acar
authors.forename: Hale
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tuhan
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Çatlı
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anık
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Gürsoy Çalan
authors.forename: Ece
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Böber
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, İzmir, Turkey Phone: +90 232 412 60 76 E-mail: ayhanabaci@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abacı
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006242:Haptoglobins; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006242:Haptoglobins; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014280:Triglycerides; C408043:zonulin; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D002784:Cholesterol