Relationship between Low-grade Inflammation and Arterial Hypertension at Obese Children

Background: Obesity is characterized by a state of low-grade inflammation at all ages. Body fat correlates with the different components of the metabolic syndrome (MS). There is evidence to show that chronic subclinical inflammation in childhood is associated with metabolic dysfunction, which can lead to insulin resistance and the MS.

The aim of the study was: To investigate the relationship between inflammatory parameters and arterial hypertension (AH) in obese children and to elucidate their effects on the development of MS.

Methods: The investigation included 218 children with obesity/overweight at the age of 10-18 (108 (49,54%) hypertensive children and 110 (50,46%) normotensive children), 46 of children (21,10%) – met the criteria for the MS. We determined TNFα, hsCRP, lipid profile and serum insulin. MS was diagnosed according to the IDF criteria.

Results: Children with AH had significantly higher levers of inflammatory markers as compared with normotensives. But the highest values of hsCRP (3,7±0,14 vs 2,3±0,08 mg/l; p<0,001) and TNFα (13,1±0,68 vs 7,5±0,21 pg/ml; p<0,001) were found at children with MS as compared with the ones without it. hsCRP and TNFα has been correlated positive, statistically significant, with BMI (r=+0,71, p<0,001 and, respectively, r=+0,75, p<0,001), AC (r=+0,75, p<0,001 and respectively, r=+0,75, p<0,001), tension values (r=+0,63 p<0,001 and, respectively, r=+0,55, p<0,001), total cholesterol (r=+0,44, p<0,001 and, respectively, r=+0,43, p<0,001), LDL-C (r=+0,55, p<0,001 and, respectively, r=+0,52, p<0,001), triglycerides (r=+0,47, p<0,001 and, respectively, r=+0,45, p<0,001), serum insulin (r=+0,67, p<0,001 and, respectively, r=+0,69, p<0,001) and negative with HDL-C (r=-0,62 p<0,001 and, respectively, r=-0,56, p<0,001).

Conclusion: Our results suggest that overweight is implied in the modification of the proinflammatory parameters. Higher rate of these disorders at hypertensive children, and the ones diagnosed with MS denotes the fact that low grade inflammation can make a pathogenic chain between obesity, AH and MS.