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Insulin resistance and lung function in obese asthmatic pre-pubertal children

  • Paola Di Filippo EMAIL logo , Alessandra Scaparrotta , Daniele Rapino , Tommaso de Giorgis , Marianna Immacolata Petrosino , Marina Attanasi , Sabrina Di Pillo , Francesco Chiarelli and Angelika Mohn
Published/Copyright: January 15, 2018
Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
From the journal Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism Volume 31 Issue 1

Abstract

Background:

Recent findings have supposed that the underlying association between the increased prevalence of both asthma and obesity may be insulin resistance (IR).

Methods:

Insulin and glucose serum levels were analyzed to calculate the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) for IR in 98 pre-pubertal children. Lung function and allergy status evaluation were performed. The study population was divided into four groups: (1) obese asthmatic children (ObA); (2) normal-weight asthmatic children (NwA); (3) normal-weight non-asthmatic children (Nw) and (4) obese non-asthmatic children (Ob).

Results:

Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was slightly lower in obese subjects compared with normal-weight subjects and forced vital capacity (FVC) appeared lower in asthmatics, whereas between non-asthmatics subjects, it was lower in the obese group than in the normal-weight one. The post hoc analysis revealed a statistically significant reduction in FEV1, peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory flows (FEF) between 50% and 25% of the FVC (FEF50 and FEF25) between ObA and Nw and in FEV1, FVC, PEF, FEF50 and FEF25 between NwA and Nw, but no statistically significant differences of lung function parameters were observed between ObA and NwA. We found an inverse relationship between HOMA-IR and all spirometric parameters, although without any statistical significance. We also observed a significantly lower FVC in insulin-resistant children (HOMA-IR>95th percentile) (p=0.03).

Conclusions:

This study suggests that lung function could be early altered in obese children, already in pre-pubertal age. Although IR should not manifest its effects on lungs in pre-pubertal obese children, the prevention or treatment of obesity in the pre-pubertal period may prevent definitive negative effects on lungs.

Keywords: child; insulin resistance; lung function; obesity
Corresponding author: Paola Di Filippo, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Chieti, Via dei Vestini 5, 66100, Chieti, Italy, Phone: +39 0871358018/+39 0871358690/+39 0871357378, Fax: +39 0871357590

  1. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

  2. Research funding: None declared.

  3. Employment or leadership: None declared.

  4. Honorarium: None declared.

  5. Competing interests: The authors declare no conflict of interests.

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Received: 2017-5-8
Accepted: 2017-11-2
Published Online: 2018-1-15
Published in Print: 2018-1-26

©2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Editorial
  3. Growth and growth hormone: recent papers on efficacy and adverse effects of growth hormone and World Health Organisation growth standards
  4. Review
  5. Allergic and non-allergic skin reactions associated with growth hormone therapy: elucidation of causative agents
  6. Original Articles
  7. Adherence to growth hormone therapy in children and its potential barriers
  8. Short-term adverse effects of testosterone used for priming in prepubertal boys before growth hormone stimulation test
  9. Growth response to growth hormone treatment in patients with SHOX deficiency can be predicted by the Cologne prediction model
  10. WHO 2006 Child Growth Standards overestimate short stature and underestimate overweight in Japanese children
  11. Identifying depressive symptoms among diabetes type and the impact on hemoglobin A1c
  12. Insulin resistance and lung function in obese asthmatic pre-pubertal children
  13. Obesity is associated with vitamin D deficiency in Danish children and adolescents
  14. Daily sitting time associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adolescents
  15. Molecular basis and clinical presentation of classic galactosemia in a Croatian population
  16. Clinical outcome in a series of pediatric patients with congenital generalized lipodystrophies treated with dietary therapy
  17. Letter to the Editor
  18. Spondyloepiphyseal or spondylometaphyseal dysplasia in ancient Greek art
  19. Case Reports
  20. Sirolimus therapy for congenital hyperinsulinism in an infant with a novel homozygous KCNJ11 mutation
  21. Veganism as a cause of iodine deficient hypothyroidism
  22. A case of Riley Ruvalcaba syndrome with a novel PTEN mutation accompanied by diffuse testicular microlithiasis and precocious puberty
  23. Addison’s disease presenting with perimyocarditis
https://doi.org/10.1515/jpem-2017-0182
Keywords for this article
child; insulin resistance; lung function; obesity

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Editorial
  3. Growth and growth hormone: recent papers on efficacy and adverse effects of growth hormone and World Health Organisation growth standards
  4. Review
  5. Allergic and non-allergic skin reactions associated with growth hormone therapy: elucidation of causative agents
  6. Original Articles
  7. Adherence to growth hormone therapy in children and its potential barriers
  8. Short-term adverse effects of testosterone used for priming in prepubertal boys before growth hormone stimulation test
  9. Growth response to growth hormone treatment in patients with SHOX deficiency can be predicted by the Cologne prediction model
  10. WHO 2006 Child Growth Standards overestimate short stature and underestimate overweight in Japanese children
  11. Identifying depressive symptoms among diabetes type and the impact on hemoglobin A1c
  12. Insulin resistance and lung function in obese asthmatic pre-pubertal children
  13. Obesity is associated with vitamin D deficiency in Danish children and adolescents
  14. Daily sitting time associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adolescents
  15. Molecular basis and clinical presentation of classic galactosemia in a Croatian population
  16. Clinical outcome in a series of pediatric patients with congenital generalized lipodystrophies treated with dietary therapy
  17. Letter to the Editor
  18. Spondyloepiphyseal or spondylometaphyseal dysplasia in ancient Greek art
  19. Case Reports
  20. Sirolimus therapy for congenital hyperinsulinism in an infant with a novel homozygous KCNJ11 mutation
  21. Veganism as a cause of iodine deficient hypothyroidism
  22. A case of Riley Ruvalcaba syndrome with a novel PTEN mutation accompanied by diffuse testicular microlithiasis and precocious puberty
  23. Addison’s disease presenting with perimyocarditis
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