Abstract:

Aim: The prevalence of obesity in children is on the incline globally. Obese children and adolescents have been found to have low concentrations of iron, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin E. The relationshipbetween micronutrient status and comorbidities, such as chronic inflammation and insulin resistance (IR) is unclear in obese children and adolescents.The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the relationship of micronutrient status with body mass index, lipid profile, IR and inflammation in pediatric obese and nonobese subjects. Materials and Methods: The study included 77 obese and 34 healthy children 10 to 18 years of age. Serum levels of the following parameters were studied: ironlevels, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc, lipids, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), glucose and insulin. Transferrin saturation index (TSI) was calculated by the formula: iron/TIBC x 100. The diagnosis of insulin resistance (IR) was defined by the homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results: The obese children had significantly lowerserum iron levels and TSI than the controls (p=0.02, p=0.00, respectively). Serum vitamin E, vitamin A and zinc levels were lower in obese children but these differences did not reach a significant level (p>0.05). The two groups were similar in terms of folate, vitamin B12 and hemoglobin levels. The presence of IR was significantly associated with decreased serum iron and TSI levels (p=0.01; p=0. Moreover, iron and TSIwere inversely correlated with HOMA-IR, (r=-0.40, p=0.00 and r=-0.38; p=0.00, respectively) and hsCRP (r=-0.286,p=0.004 and r=-0.282, p=0.005, respectively). Conclusion: Obese children have decreased levels of iron and TSI, both of which are also associated with inflammation and IR, suggesting that obese children should be closely monitored in terms of micronutrients deficiency.

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