Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Some of neurohormonal peptides, such as dopamine and leptin, get involved in modulationof food ingestion, eating behaviorand obesity.

Study aim was to detect associations blood dopamine, leptin and anthropometric indexes to predict the probability of obesity in children.

Material and Methods: 223 children (11–17.9 y.; II – V Tanner stages) with BMI ≥2 SDS and BMI = ± 1 SDS (normal weight (NW) were included into retrospective cross-sectional study. We use anthropometric data (weight, height, BMI, SDS BMI); blood dopamine (DA) and leptin (L) concentrations results (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method). Children were split up into three groups: NW (n = 30); alimentary obesity (AO, SDS BMI ≥2 & ≤ 4; n = 86), extreme obesity (EO, SDS BMI > 4; n = 107) andalso into gender (girls/boys; n = 111/112) and pubertal subgroups (early (EP)/late puberty (LP); n = 71/152). Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametrical indexes, Spearman’s correlations and binary logistic regression (P < 0.05).

Results: DA levels were increased in EO children (30.00 (7.60–97.50) pg/ml) relatively NW (6,28 (4,57–26,54) pg/ml; P = 0,003) and AO peers (10,44 (4,80–46,88) pg/ml; P = 0,01). Only boys had similar pattern of blood DA differences: 31.88 (9,69–93,75) pg/ml in EO group, compared to NW – 6,46 (3,73–26,54) pg/ml; P = 0,008) and AOpeers (7,83 (4,47–13,04) pg/ml; P = 0,001). Girls did not have DA differences (P > 0.05). DA levels had weak positive correlations with BMI (r = 0.4; P < 0,001) and BMI SDS (r = 0.4; P = 0.002)in the both gender LP patients. L concentrations gradual raised from NW group (4.77 (2.43–11.06); P_{NW – AO} < 0.001); through AO (22.65 (12.60–35.86); P_{AO – EO} = 0.02) to EO peers (31.29 (18.67–50.70) ng/ml; P_EO – _NW < 0.001). Girls had the same pattern of raised Lconcentrations (P ≤ 0.001). L levels had mild correlation with BMI (r = 0.6; P < 0.001) and BMI SDS (r = 0.7; P < 0.001) in EP childrenrelatively to LP peers (r = 0.3; P = 0,01 and r = 0.4; P = 0,001 properly). We developed math models to predict the probability of obesity depends on the DA and L concentrations. These models had high percentage of correct predicted values (86.7 – 90.4%), applied to prognosis the probability of a progressive childhood obesity and its variants (AO and EO).

Conclusion: DA concentrations were associated to BMI and SDS BMI in children with obesity particularly in boys and LP subgroups (P < 0.05). L levels had positive relationships with anthropometric indexes mostly in girls and EP participants (P ≤ 0.001). Math models, based on the DA and L concentrations, allowed to predictthe probability of obesity (AO and EO) in children.