Relationship between insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin resistance and metabolic profile with pre-obesity and obesity in children

Marina Jaksic; Milica Martinovic; Najdana Gligorovic-Barhanovic; Tanja Antunovic; Mirjana Nedovic-Vukovic

doi:10.1515/jpem-2020-0447

Relationship between insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin resistance and metabolic profile with pre-obesity and obesity in children

J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Feb 23;34(3):301-309. doi: 10.1515/jpem-2020-0447. Print 2021 Mar 26.

Authors

Marina Jaksic^{1

2}, Milica Martinovic², Najdana Gligorovic-Barhanovic³, Tanja Antunovic³, Mirjana Nedovic-Vukovic⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center for Laboratory Diagnostics, Clinical Center of Montenegro, Institute for Children's Diseases, Podgorica, Montenegro.
² Department of Pathophysiology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Montenegro, Faculty of Medicine, Podgorica, Montenegro.
³ Center for Laboratory Diagnostics, Clinical Center of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro.
⁴ Institute for Public Health of Montenegro, Center for Health System Development, Department for Health Statistics and Informatics, Podgorica, Montenegro.

PMID: 33618443
DOI: 10.1515/jpem-2020-0447

Abstract

Objectives: Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition with alarmingly high rates worldwide. There is controversy regarding the relationship between insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and pediatric obesity. We investigated the relationship between IGF-1, insulin resistance and metabolic profile with childhood pre-obesity/obesity.

Methods: The study involved 201 children aged 7-15 years, divided in three groups according to their nutritional status (International Obesity Task Force criteria): normal-weight (n=84), pre-obese (n=82), obese (n=35). Laboratory IGF-1, insulin, fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid profile, alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid (UA), anthropometric and body composition parameters were analyzed. Body mass index and IGF-1 standard deviation score (SDS), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) and Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) score were calculated.

Results: Pre-obese/obese children had significantly higher IGF-1 SDS, FBG, insulin, HOMA-IR, UA, ALT, triglycerides, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c); obese group had higher WtHR and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) compared to controls (p<0.05). In obese group, IGF-1 SDS was positively correlated with fat free/muscle mass, total body water (p<0.05) and negatively correlated with LDL-c (p<0.05). In pre-obese/obese HOMA-IR and insulin were positively correlated with age, total body fat (TBF) (p<0.05) and negatively correlated with HDL-c (pre-obese) (p<0.05). Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analyses showed that IGF-1 SDS (OR=1.94; 95%CI: 1.21-3.11), TBF (OR=1.37; 95%CI: 1.21-1.54) were predictors of nutritional status (p<0.001). FBG (OR=42.39; 95%CI: 2.31-77.2) and UA (OR=1.03; 95%CI: 1.01-1.05) were predictors of IR (p<0.001).

Conclusions: IGF-1 SDS and TBF were predictors of nutritional status. Further studies are required to clarify the role of IGF-1 in pathophysiology of obesity and its comorbidities.

Keywords: childhood obesity; insulin resistance; insulin-like growth factor-1; metabolic profile.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Blood Glucose / analysis
Body Composition
Child
Female
Humans
Insulin Resistance*
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / analysis
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / physiology*
Lipids / blood
Logistic Models
Male
Pediatric Obesity / metabolism*

Substances

Blood Glucose
Lipids
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I