Correlates of Adiponectin in Hepatitis C–Infected Children: The Importance of Body Mass Index

• Published in: Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition Vol. 60; no. 2; pp. 165 - 170
• Main Authors: Delgado-Borrego, Aymin, Gonzalez-Peralta, Regino P, Raza, Roshan, Negre, Betania, Goodman, Zachary D, Jonas, Maureen M, Chung, Raymond T, Ludwig, David A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States by European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology 01.02.2015
• Subjects: Adiponectin - blood; Adolescent; Age Factors; Body Mass Index; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Fatty Liver - blood; Female; Hepatitis C, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis C, Chronic - transmission; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis - blood; Male
• ISSN: 0277-2116; 1536-4801
• DOI: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000000604

OBJECTIVES:Adiponectin is a regulator of cytokines that, in turn, play a vital role in inflammatory and immune responses. Adiponectin is therefore likely to have a contributory role in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We sought to characterize adiponectin levels and examine correlates in a pediatric HCV-infected cohort. METHODS:We performed a cross-sectional study in children (5–17 years of age, n = 86) in the Pediatric Study of Hepatitis C (PEDS-C) trial. Adiponectin levels were univariately correlated with patient demographics, anthropometrics, and viral and histological measures. Multivariate regression models were used to identify the unique (ie, nonconfounded) associations with adiponectin concentrations. RESULTS:Body mass index (BMI) had the highest univariate inverse correlation with loge adiponectin (r = −0.5, P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, BMI remained inversely correlated with loge adiponectin after accounting for age and route of HCV transmission (r = −0.38, P = 0.0003). Steatosis and fibrosis were inversely related to loge adiponectin in univariate analysis, but these associations were not statistically significant after multivariate adjustments (P ≥ 0.1827). CONCLUSIONS:High BMI among HCV-infected children is associated with lower adiponectin levels. Practitioners should be cognizant of the possible risks of low adiponectin when managing HCV-infected children who are overweight. Further studies are indicated to determine the impact of having low adiponectin on HCV infection in youth.