Summary:
The problem of childhood obesity has taken massive dimensions in recent years,
especially in Greece, with consequent increased complications, both in the
direction of the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk, as well as in the
increased incidence of affective disorders.
Often, obesity is accompanied by deregulation of the stress system. The
deregulation of the HPA axis, resulting in hypo or hypercortisolism, plays a
key role in pathophysiological interpretation of complications of obesity.
In recent years, there has been an increased research interest at the
identification of biomarkers, indicative of disturbance or damage of the cells
of the CNS, in response to long-term stress or neuropsychiatric disorders. The
S100B protein has been in the main focus of the research, compare to the rest
of the molecules studied.
Aim of the study: A. The consequence of psychopathology (symptoms of anxiety
and depression, and externalizing and internalizing disorders) in obese
children compared to the general population and the correlations of affective
disorders with BMI and the diurnal variation of cortisol. B. Obese children,
are possible to have higher levels of S100B, than the normal weight children,
either because of their increased adipose tissue or due to the increased
incidence of psychopathology. Correlations between BMI, the diurnal variation
of cortisol and the occurrence or not psychopathology and S100B and Metabolic
Syndrome parameters, has been estimated.
Methods: 128 overweight and obese children and adolescents (and 48 children and
adolescents, normal weight, participated in the study. The population,
underwent a complete physical examination and was also assessed by their
psychometric profile, using specific questionnaires (CDI, STAIC, CBCL, YSR),
their biochemical profile (glucose, insulin, serum lipids and S100B) and their
neuroendocrine profile (morning serum cortisol and diurnal cortisol in saliva).
Results: We found a higher consequence of affective disorders among obese
children. We were unable to support the mediator role of cortisol between the
affective disorders and obesity. Obese children had almost twice the
concentration of S100B serum, compared to the control population, while no
correlation was observed with affective disorders.
Keywords:
childhood obesity, metabolic syndrome in children, affective dissorders in obese children, cortisol disregulation, serum s100b in obese children