Natural antibiotics in children during prepuberty may predict obesity

Increased concentrations of alpha-defensin antimicrobial peptides in children during prepuberty may be predictors of weight gain and abdominal fat depots, according to research presented at the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology Annual Meeting.

The population of children producing higher levels of these natural antibiotics could have an increased likelihood for developing obesity and cardiovascular disease, Anna Prats-Puig, PhD, of the Biomedical Research Institute of Girona, Spain, and colleagues suggest.

Anna Prats-Puig

“Alpha-defensins and bacterial permeability-increasing protein concentrations may be new markers of childhood obesity,” Prats-Puig told Endocrine Today. “Increased concentrations of alpha-defensins at 6 years old may predict weight gain and abdominal fat deposition in pre-pubertal children at 10 years old.”

In 250 asymptomatic white children (50% girls, 21% overweight) aged 7 years, the researchers examined the effect of pro-inflammatory alpha-defensins (mainly DEFA1-3) and anti-inflammatory bacterial permeability-increasing protein (BPI) on obesity and CV risk.

Plasma alpha-defensins and BPI (detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests), BMI, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin were assessed cross-sectionally. In a subset of 89 children (49% girls, 0% overweight) at approximately age 10 years, the researchers longitudinally assessed alpha-defensins and BPI.

Higher alpha-defensin concentrations correlated with a poorer cardiometabolic profile; positive associations were seen with BMI, waist circumference, systolic BP, CIMT and HOMA-IR, and negative correlations with HMW adiponectin (all between r=0.191 and r=0.377; P<.01 and P<.0001).

Higher plasma BPI concentrations, however, correlated with a better cardiometabolic phenotype; negative associations were seen with BMI, waist circumference, systolic BP, CIMT and HOMA-IR, and positive correlations with HMW adiponectin (all between r=−0.124 and r=−0.329; P<.05 and P<.0001).

In the longitudinal study, plasma concentrations of only alpha-defensins at age 7 years were associated with increased BMI (beta=0.189; P=.002; overall R²=0.847) and waist circumference (beta=0.241; P=.001; overall R²=0.754) at age 10 years.

“The benefits of this study on patient lives may involve the development of new diagnostic techniques for the detection of the population at risk for suffering from obesity and cardiovascular diseases later in life,” Prats-Puig said. — by Allegra Tiver

For more information:

Prats-Puig A. Abstract #P1-D1-106. Presented at: European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology Annual Meeting; Sept. 18-20, 2014; Dublin.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.