Abstract
AIM: This is a case-controlled study, with two hundred children enrolled. They were divided into an obese group of 100 children who had BMI ≥ 95th percentile according to CDC criteria and a group of 100 children with normal weight. All enrolled children were subjected to detailed medical history and clinical examination, in addition to measuring fasting blood sugar, fasting serum insulin, HOMA-IR calculation, lipid profile analysis, total serum cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), and serum triglyceride (TG). Two adipokines (lipocalin-2 and adipsin) serum levels plus IL-10 serum level were assessed. RESULTS: Higher Z score of weight, MI, and waist/height ratio and high serum cholesterol, LDL, TG, and low HDL were observed in obese children. Higher levels of serum lipocalin-2 and adipsin and lower IL-10 blood level were observed in the obese group in comparison with the normal weight children. Higher insulin resistance index was observed in the obese group, with positive correlation of HOMA-IR with the anthropometric measurements and lipocalin serum level, while negative correlation was observed between IL-10 and fasting insulin in obese children. CONCLUSION: Simple measurement of general and central adiposity markers and serum lipocalin-2 can predict insulin resistance in obese children while serum adipsin and IL-10 had no association with insulin resistance.