Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Chemerin is a pro-inflammatory adipokine, which has been shown as a mediator between obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of chemerin with insulin resistance and the effects of lifestyle interventions on circulating chemerin levels in Chinese obese children.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 225 obese children (101 with MetS and 124 without MetS) and 119 lean controls, and a lifestyle intervention was performed in a subgroup of 60 obese children for 6 months. Anthropometric parameters, clinical data and circulating adipokines (chemerin, leptin and adiponectin) levels were measured at baseline and after lifestyle intervention.

Results: Chemerin was significantly higher in obese children, especially in those with MetS [(96.8±10.2) ng/ml vs. (104.7±15.1) ng /ml vs. (113.6±10.6) ng/ml, P < 0.01], and negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI) (r=0.45, P < 0.01), waist circumference (r=0.38, P < 0.01) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (r=0.41, P < 0.01). Independent of other well-known risk factors, chemerin was a significant predictor of MetS in children. In the longitudinal study, lifestyle intervention led to significant weight loss and lower chemerin levels [(114.9±17.2) ng/ml vs. (102.8±11.1) ng/ml, P < 0.01]. Furthermore, changes in BMI significantly correlated with the decreasing magnitude of chemerin (r=0.35, P=0.01).

Conclusion: Serum chemerin is regulated by weight status and seems to be correlated with metabolic disorders in Chinese children.