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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #298121
Title: Obese, Mexican-American children have elevated non-traditional metabolic risk factors

Author
item MCFARLIN, BRIAN - University Of Houston
item JOHNSTON, CRAIG - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item MORENO, JENNETTE - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item BRESLIN, WHITNEY - University Of Houston
item FOREYT, JOHN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Annual Scientific Meeting NAASO, The Obesity Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/13/2012
Publication Date: 9/21/2012
Citation: McFarlin, B.K., Johnston, C.A., Moreno, J.P., Breslin, W.L., Foreyt, J.P. 2012. Obese, Mexican-American children have elevated non-traditional metabolic risk factors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of 30th Annual Scientific Meeting NAASO, The Obesity Society, September 20-24, 2012, San Antonio, Texas. p. s147.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: There is a health disparity for obesity amongst Mexican-Americans compared to other race/ethnic groups. In particular Mexican-American children who are obese are likely to become obese adults. The purpose of this study was to examine traditional and non-traditional risk factors in a subset of Mexican-American children prior to their participation in a larger clinical weight loss study. Venous blood samples were collected from self-identified Mexican-American children (12-14y) who were assigned to one of three weight groups based on their zBMI; normal weight (N=66), overweight (N=23), or obese (N=39). Serum was analyzed for interleukin 6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), C-peptide, Ghrelin, GIP, GLP-1, Glucagon, Insulin, Leptin, Macrophage Chemoattractant Protein 1 (MCP-1), and Pancreatic Polypeptide (PP) using a Luminex MagPix based assay (EMD Millipore). Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose were analyzed using enzymatic assays. Data were analyzed for significance using separate ANOVA tests, with significance set at P<0.05. Relative to normal weight and overweight, obese children had significantly elevated C-peptide (P<0.0001), insulin (P<0.0001), leptin (P<0.0001), MCP-1 (P=0.005), and TNF-a (P=0.006). There were no other differences for any of the other measured variables. The changes we observed are consistent with what our lab and others have previously reported. Collectively these findings indicate differences in plasma proteins that may relate to disease risk in Mexican-American children of differing body weight. More research is needed to determine how these variables may change in children who are actively attempting to reduce their zBMI.