α ‐Defensins and bacterial/permeability‐increasing protein as new markers of childhood obesity

Summary Objectives The aim of this paper is to test whether α ‐defensins and bacterial/permeability‐increasing protein were related to obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in prepubertal children. Methods Plasma α ‐defensins and bacterial/permeability‐increasing protein, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), HOMA‐IR and HMW‐adiponectin were assessed. Results In a cross‐sectional study ( N  = 250), higher α‐defensins concentrations were positively associated with BMI, waist, SBP, cIMT, HOMA‐IR and negative correlated with HMW‐adiponectin (all between r  = 0.191 and r  = 0.377, p  ≤ 0.01 and p  ≤ 0.0001). Conversely, plasma bacterial/permeability‐increasing protein concentrations presented inversed associated with the same parameters (all between r  = −0.124 and r  = −0.329; p  ≤ 0.05 and p  ≤ 0.0001). In a longitudinal study ( N  = 91), α ‐defensins at age 7 were associated with BMI ( β  = 0.189, p  = 0.002; model R 2  = 0.847) and waist ( β  = 0.241, p thinsp;= 0.001; model R 2  = 0.754) at age 10. Conclusions α ‐Defensins and bacterial/permeability‐increasing protein may be the markers of childhood obesity. Increased concentrations of α ‐defensins may predict BMI and abdominal fat deposition in children.