Childhood obesity: evidence of an association between plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels and visceral adiposity

J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2011;24(5-6):361-7. doi: 10.1515/jpem.2011.015.

Abstract

Background: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) has been considered as a cardiovascular risk factor, mainly because of its strong association with insulin resistance.

Methods: To detect independent predictors of circulating PAI-1 levels in obese pediatric patients, we evaluated 86 subjects (mean age 10.7 +/- 2.8 years), 42 of whom were male (49%). Subjects were divided in two groups according to body mass index (BMI): obese subjects (n=61) and healthy non-obese controls (n=25). They were also divided by pubertal status. Besides anthropometric data, levels of PAI-1, leptin and biochemical markers of metabolic syndrome were measured.

Results: The obese group had higher levels of PAI-1, leptin and biochemical markers of metabolic syndrome than nonobese controls (p<0.05). However, multivariate regression analysis showed that only puberty progression (p=0.005) and abdominal circumference/height index (p=0.002) remained independent predictors of PAI-1 levels.

Conclusion: In pediatric obesity, fat mass accumulation, mainly of visceral fat, and puberty progression were related to high PAI-1 levels, which might in turn contribute to cardiovascular risk.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Blood Pressure
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Insulin / blood
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat / metabolism*
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat / pathology*
  • Leptin / blood
  • Male
  • Metabolic Syndrome / blood
  • Metabolic Syndrome / complications
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Obesity / blood*
  • Obesity / complications
  • Obesity / pathology*
  • Obesity / physiopathology
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / blood*
  • Puberty / blood
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Insulin
  • Leptin
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
  • SERPINE1 protein, human
  • Triglycerides