Nesfatin-1 in childhood and adolescent obesity and its association with food intake, body composition and insulin resistance

• We investigated serum nesfatin-1 in childhood and adolescent obesity.
• Serum nesfatin-1 levels were significantly higher in obese group than control.
• Nesfatin-1 positively correlated with BMI.
• Nesfatin-1 positively correlated with serum insulin and HOMA-IR.
• Nesfatin-1 might have a role in regulation of food intake and pathogenesis of insulin resistance.

Nesfatin-1 is an anorexigenic peptide that controls feeding behavior and glucose homeostasis. However, there is little data that exists regarding nesfatin-1 secretion in obese children and young adolescents. The aim of this study is to investigate serum nesfatin-1 in childhood and adolescent obesity and to study potential correlations with food intake, anthropometric indices, body composition and insulin resistance. Forty obese children and adolescents and 40 healthy control subjects were studied. Anthropometric measurements were assessed, dietary food intake was evaluated based on 3-days food record and body composition indices were evaluated using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR were measured. Fasting serum nesfatin-1 was quantitatively assayed by ELISA. Serum nesfatin-1 was significantly higher in obese group (2.49 ± 1.96 ng/ml) than in control group (0.70 ± 0.81 ng/ml), P = 0.001. Positive correlations with serum insulin (P = 0.001), HOMA-IR (P = 0.000), BMI-SDS (P = 0.04), body fat % (P = 0.000), fat mass (P = 0.000), fat free mass (P = 0.03), CHO % (P = 0.000), and saturated fat % (P = 0.01) were found. While significant negative correlation with protein % (P = 0.000) was observed. In conclusion, our results denote that nesfatin-1 might have an important role in regulation of food intake and pathogenesis of insulin resistance in obese children and young adolescents.