α-Defensins and bacterial/permeability-increasing protein as new markers of childhood obesity.

Summary: Objectives: The aim of this paper is to test whether α‐defensins and bacterial/permeability‐increasing protein were related to obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in prepubertal children. Methods: Plasma α‐defensins and bacterial/permeability‐increasing protein, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), HOMA‐IR and HMW‐adiponectin were assessed. Results: In a cross‐sectional study (N = 250), higher α‐defensins concentrations were positively associated with BMI, waist, SBP, cIMT, HOMA‐IR and negative correlated with HMW‐adiponectin (all between r = 0.191 and r = 0.377, p ≤ 0.01 and p ≤ 0.0001). Conversely, plasma bacterial/permeability‐increasing protein concentrations presented inversed associated with the same parameters (all between r = −0.124 and r = −0.329; p ≤ 0.05 and p ≤ 0.0001). In a longitudinal study (N = 91), α‐defensins at age 7 were associated with BMI (β = 0.189, p = 0.002; model R2 = 0.847) and waist (β = 0.241, pthinsp;= 0.001; model R2 = 0.754) at age 10. Conclusions: α‐Defensins and bacterial/permeability‐increasing protein may be the markers of childhood obesity. Increased concentrations of α‐defensins may predict BMI and abdominal fat deposition in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]