Associations of adiposity and adipokine concentrations with anti- and oxidative markers in Brazilian children

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of body fat, anti- and inflammatory adipokines with anti- and oxidative markers.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 378 schoolchildren ages 8 to 9 y in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We obtained information on sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics via questionnaires, measured height and weight, and estimated body fat by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Blood sample was collected to analyze the adipokines (adiponectin, leptin, chemerin, and retinol-binding protein 4) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on the sandwich principle; and anti- and oxidant markers (plasma ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP], superoxide dismutase [SOD], and malondialdehyde [MDA]) by enzymatic methods. Concentrations of anti- and oxidant markers were compared by percent body fat quartiles and adipokine concentrations terciles using of linear regression adjusted for potential confounders.

Results: Total and central body fat were positively associated with FRAP. Every 1 standard deviation (SD) of total fat was associated with 4.8 higher FRAP (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7-7). Additionally, every 1 SD of truncal, android, and gynoid fat were associated with, respectively, 5, 4.6, and 4.6 higher FRAP (95% CI, 2.9-7.1; 2.6-6.7; and 2.4-6.8, respectively). However, adiponectin was inversely associated with FRAP; every adiponectin SD was related to -2.2 lower FRAP (95% CI, -3.9 to -0.5). Chemerin was positively associated with SOD [5.4 (95% CI, 1.9-8.8) SOD units per chemerin SD].

Conclusions: The body fat measures and adiposity-related inflammation (chemerin) were positively associated with antioxidative markers in children, whereas the adiponectin (anti-inflammatory marker) was inversely associated with FRAP (antioxidative marker).