Role of Lifestyle Intervention Programme in Regulating Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Obese Children with Metabolic Syndrome

Background / Aim: Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin potentially involved in the pathophysiology of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) in adults. This research work was undertaken to analyze serum BDNF and to explore its relationship with metabolic syndrome components before and after one year of lifestyle intervention programme in obese children.

Subjects and Methods: Forty obese children and forty age and gender-matched lean controls were studied. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, lipid profile, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and serum BDNF, before and after one year of diet control and physical activity were measured.

Results: At baseline, fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides were significantly higher in obese children relative to controls (P=0.00). However, serum BDNF concentration was significantly lower in obese children than in lean controls (P=0.00), and its mean concentration of the subjects with MS was significantly lower than those without MS, and control group (p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis suggested that high waist: hip ratio, body adiposity index, fat percentage, diastolic BP, fasting blood glucose, LDL and HOMA-IR are good predictors for decreased serum BDNF concentration in obese children. After one year intervention programme, obese group showed significant increase in serum BDNF, and HDL, paralleled by significant decline in fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides as compared to the baseline (P = 0.00).

Conclusion: Serum BDNF tended to be lower in obese children than in lean controls, and seemed to be linked with the metabolic syndrome components. One year lifestyle intervention programme succeeded to enhance BDNF serum concentration in these children.