Circulating pro-neurotensin levels predict bodyweight gain and metabolic alterations in children
(2021) In Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases 31(3). p.902-910- Abstract
Background and aims: Neurotensin (NT) is an intestinal peptide released after fat ingestion, which regulates appetite and facilitates lipid absorption. Elevated plasma levels of its stable precursor pro-neurotensin (pro-NT) are associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular mortality in adult populations; no data on pro-NT and metabolic disease are available in children. Aim of the study was to evaluate plasma pro-NT in relation to the presence of obesity in children, and to test if high pro-NT associates with the development of metabolic impairment later in life. Methods and results: For this longitudinal retrospective study, we studied 151 overweight/obese children undergoing metabolic evaluations at University of... (More)
Background and aims: Neurotensin (NT) is an intestinal peptide released after fat ingestion, which regulates appetite and facilitates lipid absorption. Elevated plasma levels of its stable precursor pro-neurotensin (pro-NT) are associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular mortality in adult populations; no data on pro-NT and metabolic disease are available in children. Aim of the study was to evaluate plasma pro-NT in relation to the presence of obesity in children, and to test if high pro-NT associates with the development of metabolic impairment later in life. Methods and results: For this longitudinal retrospective study, we studied 151 overweight/obese children undergoing metabolic evaluations at University of Cagliari, Italy. Pro-NT was also assessed in 46 normal-weight, age-, sex-comparable normal-weight children, selected as a reference group. At the baseline, pro-NT was comparable between overweight/obese and normal-weight children and correlated positively with age (p < 0.001), triglycerides (p < 0.001) and inversely with HDL levels (p = 0.008). Plasma pro-NT associated with high triglycerides with OR = 5.9 (95%CI: 1.24–28.1; p = 0.026) after adjustment for multiple confounders. At the 6.5-year follow-up, high basal pro-NT associated with impaired β-cell function to compensate for insulin-resistance (disposition index: r = −0.19, p = 0.035) and predicted bodyweight increase, as indicated by percentage change of standard deviation score BMI (median(95%CI) = +20.8(+4.9-+27.5)% in the highest tertile), independently from age, sex, triglycerides and insulin-resistance (standardized β = 0.24; p = 0.036). Conclusions: Elevated pro-NT levels in children are significantly associated with weight gain later in life and may represent a marker of susceptibility to metabolic impairment in presence of obesity.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Disposition index, Insulin-resistance, Neurotensin, Obesity, pro-NT, Triglycerides
- in
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases
- volume
- 31
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 902 - 910
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85100443382
- pmid:33549442
- ISSN
- 0939-4753
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.numecd.2020.11.025
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- da046f46-3236-4527-9683-c3df609e5054
- date added to LUP
- 2021-02-18 10:25:19
- date last changed
- 2024-06-27 08:39:29
@article{da046f46-3236-4527-9683-c3df609e5054, abstract = {{<p>Background and aims: Neurotensin (NT) is an intestinal peptide released after fat ingestion, which regulates appetite and facilitates lipid absorption. Elevated plasma levels of its stable precursor pro-neurotensin (pro-NT) are associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular mortality in adult populations; no data on pro-NT and metabolic disease are available in children. Aim of the study was to evaluate plasma pro-NT in relation to the presence of obesity in children, and to test if high pro-NT associates with the development of metabolic impairment later in life. Methods and results: For this longitudinal retrospective study, we studied 151 overweight/obese children undergoing metabolic evaluations at University of Cagliari, Italy. Pro-NT was also assessed in 46 normal-weight, age-, sex-comparable normal-weight children, selected as a reference group. At the baseline, pro-NT was comparable between overweight/obese and normal-weight children and correlated positively with age (p < 0.001), triglycerides (p < 0.001) and inversely with HDL levels (p = 0.008). Plasma pro-NT associated with high triglycerides with OR = 5.9 (95%CI: 1.24–28.1; p = 0.026) after adjustment for multiple confounders. At the 6.5-year follow-up, high basal pro-NT associated with impaired β-cell function to compensate for insulin-resistance (disposition index: r = −0.19, p = 0.035) and predicted bodyweight increase, as indicated by percentage change of standard deviation score BMI (median(95%CI) = +20.8(+4.9-+27.5)% in the highest tertile), independently from age, sex, triglycerides and insulin-resistance (standardized β = 0.24; p = 0.036). Conclusions: Elevated pro-NT levels in children are significantly associated with weight gain later in life and may represent a marker of susceptibility to metabolic impairment in presence of obesity.</p>}}, author = {{Barchetta, Ilaria and Bertoccini, Laura and Sentinelli, Federica and Bailetti, Diego and Marini, Giacomo and Cimini, Flavia Agata and Ceccarelli, Valentina and Struck, Joachim and Schulte, Janin and Loche, Sandro and Cossu, Efisio and Melander, Olle and Cavallo, Maria G. and Baroni, Marco G.}}, issn = {{0939-4753}}, keywords = {{Disposition index; Insulin-resistance; Neurotensin; Obesity; pro-NT; Triglycerides}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{3}}, pages = {{902--910}}, publisher = {{Elsevier}}, series = {{Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases}}, title = {{Circulating pro-neurotensin levels predict bodyweight gain and metabolic alterations in children}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2020.11.025}}, doi = {{10.1016/j.numecd.2020.11.025}}, volume = {{31}}, year = {{2021}}, }