SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL & LABORATORY INVESTIGATION, cilt.73, sa.4, ss.355-360, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
Background. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear proteins that regulate transcriptional responses to peroxisome proliferators. There has been limited research concerned with the childhood expression of these receptors. In this study, we aimed to evaluate PPAR-gamma (PPAR-gamma) concentrations and their relationship to body mass index (BMI), ratio of waist and hip, blood pressure levels, insulin resistance and lipid profile in obese children and adolescents. Subjects and methods. Children aged 8-16 years old were included in the study; 44 obese children and 25 healthy children were taken into the study. Blood pressure and waist-hip circumference of obese patients were measured. Following a 12-hour nighttime fasting, venous blood samples were taken, including blood glucose, insulin, lipid profile, liver function tests and PPAR-gamma concentrations, and all samples were analyzed at the same time. Findings. PPAR-gamma concentrations were 0.226 vertical bar 0.128 in obese children and 0.547 vertical bar 0.546 in the control group. PPAR-gamma concentrations were lower in obese children and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.008). PPAR-gamma concentrations of control children were 2.42-fold higher than obese children. There was a negative correlation between PPAR-gamma concentrations and waist circumference, and a positive correlation between birth weight and PPAR-gamma concentrations in obese children. Conclusion. In our study we found that PPAR-gamma concentrations were low in obese children. In adults, treatment modalities aimed at enhancing the activation of PPAR in obesity lead to a decrease in obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease and this gives hope that similar treatment modalities can be used for children.