The Evaluation of Current Molecules and Receptor Profiles Associated with Pediatric Obesity

Children between the ages of 6 and 18 years without acute or chronic diseases and without major congenital anomalies were included in the study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from children admitted to Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics after 8-12 hours of fasting. Two groups were formed from 30 children with obesity BMI values above the 95th percentile according to the WHO criteria accepted by the Ministry of Health and 30 children with healthy BMI values between the 85th and 15th percentiles who constituted the control group. Of the 60 children, 35 were girls and 25 were boys.

Before the study, Ethics Committee approval documents numbered 2020.01.01.01 were obtained from Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University where the study was conducted. The families of the children, especially their parents, were informed. After a detailed pediatric physical examination and informing them about their inclusion in the study, signed consent forms from the consenting parents were obtained, and the children were informed verbally. Peripheral blood samples obtained from the children were collected, centrifuged, and stored in the biochemistry laboratory in deep freezers at -80°C.

The weights, heights, and waist, hip, head, and neck circumferences (Cs) of all the children were measured and recorded. BMI, waist/hip ratios, and other ratios and formulas related to obesity were calculated from anthropometric measurements, and statistical analyses of the anthropometric measurements of controls and children with obesity were performed.

NLRP3, leptin, acylated ghrelin, deacyl ghrelin, preptin, PPAR γ, LEPR, GHSR, KISS1R, and IL-18 were analyzed by the sandwich ELISA method, and ghrelin and KISS1 parameters were analyzed by the competitive ELISA method in the control and obese groups.

In the statistical evaluation of the data, parametric or nonparametric statistical tests appropriate for the distribution characteristics of the data obtained were applied. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine whether the values of the parameters conformed to a normal distribution. Independent samples t tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to evaluate the differences between the groups, and Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses were performed to examine whether the values of the parameters changed together. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U test was applied with the Bonferroni correction in the evaluation of subgroups.