Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is the primary metabolic disorder associated with obesity. Obesity is a growing worldwide health problem affecting both adults and children. Objectives: To determine the association between leptin and IR, and to identify the ratio of fasting glucose/leptin (G/L) and insulin/leptin (I/L) as a new simple method for the detection of IR in obese children.
Methods: This study was done in the National Diabetic
Center/ AL-Mustansiriya University during the period from
May 2013 until the end of October 2013. Fasting blood
glucose (FBG), serum insulin, leptin, and lipid profile were
measured in 52 obese children (24 children with IR and 28
without IR); their age range was (5-15) years, they were
compared with 38 healthy children as a control group.
Results: Means of FBG, insulin, leptin, total cholesterol
(TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), low density lipoprotein
cholesterol (LDL-C), and non high density lipoprotein
cholesterol (non HDL-C) were significantly increased in
obese children with IR as compared in children without IR,
(P<0.05), while there was a significant decrease in serum
level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in
obese children with IR when compared with obese children
without IR, (P=0.001). There was a decrease in the ratio of
G/L and an increase in the ratio of I/L in obese children with
IR, but it was not significant. A significant positive
correlation was found between serum leptin verse body
mass index (BMI), FBG, insulin, homeostasis model
assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), I/L ratio, TC,
TAG, LDL-C, and non HDL-C, while a significant negative
correlation was found between serum leptin and HDL-C in
obese children with IR.
Conclusions: The present results showed that serum leptin
is correlated with BMI, FBG, insulin, HOMA-IR, I/L ratio, TC,
TAG, LDL-C, and non HDL-C in obese children with IR. The
G/L ratio can be used in addition to me /L ratio, and HOMA
to accurately assess IR in obese children |