Metabolic Syndrome and its Components among Egyptian Obese Adolescents’ Girls: Influence of ApolipoproteinE Polymorphism

Metabolic complications with obesity are increasing in childhood and extend to adulthood.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) among a sample of Egyptian adolescent girls and investigate its association with Apolipoprotein E.

Subjects & Methods: A cross sectional study included 200 Egyptian adolescent girls aged between 12-18 years.They were subjected to blood pressure measurement, anthropometric measurements (weight, height and waist circumference), Laboratory investigations (fasting glucose and lipid profile) and molecular analysis (Apo E).

Results: Overweight/obese girls were suffering significantly more than normal weight girls from hypertension (66.7% vs40.8%),diabetic (46.7% vs 31.2%) and low HDL (64% vs 59.2%).Girls withMS had significant higher values of BMI-Z score, WC, blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides, and significant lower HDL. Allele E3 was more frequent among girls with MS (59.1% vs 55.1%), while allele E4 was more frequent among girls without MS (41% vs 36.4).Genotype E3/E4 was more frequent among girls with MS (45.5% vs 23.1%), while genotype E3/E3 was more frequent among girls without MS (43.6% vs 36.4%). MS was the most prominent among E3/E4 genotype (35.7%) which had the highest frequency of elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and blood glucose, while genotype E2/E4; which was rare among both groups; had the highest frequency of elevated blood pressure (68.8%) and low HDL (71.4%).

Conclusion: MS was significantly more prominent among overweight/obese girls compared to the normal weight ones, and among E3/E4 genotype; which had the highest frequency of disturbed lipid profile and blood glucose.