Department of Pediatrics, Well-Child Care Clinic, University of Health Sciences, Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Education & Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Department of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Health Sciences, Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Education & Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Mar 28;35(5):649-655. doi: 10.1515/jpem-2021-0721. Print 2022 May 25.
Babies born small for gestational age (SGA) are at risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Spexin (SPX) is a novel peptide implicated in food intake and obesity. Spexin levels are lower in obese subjects. This study investigated the potential association of SPX and some obesity related peptides such as leptin and active ghrelin with size at birth and MetS components in prepubertal children born term and either SGA or appropriate for GA (AGA). Secondary aim was to identify whether any of the investigated peptides were associated with MetS components.
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 37 consecutive (median age: 5.6 y) SGA- and 50 (median age: 5.9 y) AGA-born children. Clinical evaluations were performed using standard methods. Several biochemical variables (SPX, total leptin, and active ghrelin levels) were analyzed. Age-dependent cut-off values were used to define MetS components, including excess adiposity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. The associations between the assessed clinical and laboratory variables and MetS components were investigated.
Children born SGA had higher frequencies of MetS components than AGA-born peers (p < 0.01). None of the investigated peptides were different between children born SGA and AGA after correcting for body mass index (p > 0.05 for all). Serum SPX levels were lower in children with at least one metS component than those without MetS components (p = 0.018).
Size at birth had no association with serum SPX. Serum SPX levels are decreased in prepubertal children with MetS components.
出生体重小于胎龄（SGA）的婴儿有肥胖和代谢综合征（MetS）的风险。Spexin（SPX）是一种与食物摄入和肥胖有关的新型肽。肥胖患者的 SPX 水平较低。本研究旨在探讨 SPX 与一些肥胖相关肽（如瘦素和活性胃饥饿素）与足月出生且 SGA 或适合胎龄（AGA）的儿童出生时体重和 MetS 成分的潜在相关性。次要目的是确定是否有研究的肽与 MetS 成分相关。
我们对 37 名连续（中位数年龄：5.6 岁）SGA 和 50 名（中位数年龄：5.9 岁）AGA 出生的儿童进行了横断面研究。使用标准方法进行临床评估。分析了几种生化变量（SPX、总瘦素和活性胃饥饿素水平）。使用年龄依赖性截断值定义 MetS 成分，包括肥胖、高血压、胰岛素抵抗和血脂异常。研究了评估的临床和实验室变量与 MetS 成分之间的关系。
SGA 出生的儿童比 AGA 出生的儿童发生 MetS 成分的频率更高（p<0.01）。在校正体重指数后，SGA 和 AGA 出生的儿童之间没有一种肽是不同的（p>0.05）。至少有一种 MetS 成分的儿童的血清 SPX 水平低于无 MetS 成分的儿童（p=0.018）。
出生体重与血清 SPX 无关。青春期前儿童出现 MetS 成分时，血清 SPX 水平降低。
