Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Studies in adults have clearly demonstrated that obesity is a main factor implicated in increased oxidative stress and platelet activation, both predisposing factors for cardiovascular disease leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the metabolic syndrome (MetS), the clustering of abnormalities, such as central obesity, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance and hypertension, which is an important cardiovascular risk factor in adults, is also highly prevalent among obese adolescents. However, scarce data on the presence of oxidative stress among obese adolescents with full or partial metabolic syndrome exist.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress in obese adolescent girls with full or partial MetS.

Methods: A total of 53 obese adolescent girls and 20 normal-weight, age matched adolescent controls participated in the study. The obese adolescents were subdivided in two groups, the first one comprising 17 girls with a mean age of 12.12±4.17 years, BMI 35.39±5.01 kg/m² and full MetS (group AD-MetS), while the second group included 36 obese girls with a mean age of 12.79±5.12 years, BMI 31.38±3.19 kg/m² and partial MetS (group AD-PMetS). The oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring plasma levels of 15-F₂t-Isoprostane (15-F₂t-ISOP), the most reliable biochemical index of the oxidative stress and antioxidant deficiency, using a reliable enzyme – immunoassay method.

Results: Plasma 15-F₂t-ISOP levels in the AD-MetS group were 34.96±7.14 pg/ml versus 13.89±2.68 pg/ml in controls (P<0.001). Plasma 15-F₂t-ISOP levels (23.94±4.97 pg/ml) in the AD-PMetS group were significantly lower than in the AD-MetS group (P<0.05) but significantly higher than in controls (P<0.001). There was a positive correlation between 15-F₂t-ISOP levels and BMI.

Conclusion: The oxidative stress increases in obese adolescent girls, with increasing levels of obesity, being also higher among those with full metabolic syndrome than partial metabolic syndrome. The coexistence of increased oxidative stress and metabolic syndrome constitutes a further unfavorable prognostic set up for cardiovascular risk.