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Circulating pro-neurotensin levels predict bodyweight gain and metabolic alterations in children

Barchetta, Ilaria LU ; Bertoccini, Laura ; Sentinelli, Federica ; Bailetti, Diego ; Marini, Giacomo ; Cimini, Flavia Agata ; Ceccarelli, Valentina ; Struck, Joachim ; Schulte, Janin and Loche, Sandro , et al. (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.

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organization
publishing date
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
2024-04-18 02:03:54
@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 &lt; 0.001), triglycerides (p &lt; 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}},
}