ABSTRACT

Background: Apelin is a recently defined peptide relevant to the mechanism of obesity-related disorders. There has been no report so far about the levels of plasma apelin in obese children.

Methods: In this study plasma apelin, adiponectin, and high sensitivity C reactive protein levels were investigated in obese (n=32) and nonobese (n=40) children. The effects of pubertal status on the apelin and adiponectin levels were evaluated as well.

Results: When compared to nonobese controls, the obese children had significantly lower plasma apelin (p= 0.004), adiponectin and HDL cholesterol levels (p= 0.001 for both), and higher hs-CRP, triglycerides, insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) indexes (p< 0.001 for all). The difference between the apelin levels was present only in the pubertal period (p=0.002).

Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that plasma apelin levels are lower in child obesity and pubertal state is an important determinant of plasma apelin levels.