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Vaspin is related to gender, puberty and deteriorating insulin sensitivity in children

International Journal of Obesity volume 35, pages 578–586 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background:

Visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin) has been suggested as a novel adipocytokine related to obesity and insulin sensitivity in adults.

Design:

We quantified vaspin serum concentrations in 65 lean and 67 obese children and aimed to evaluate the relationship of vaspin with physical development, obesity, and metabolic and cardiovascular phenotypes in children. We further assessed the acute vaspin response to glucose provocation in 20 obese adolescents and evaluated tissue expression patterns of vaspin in humans.

Results:

Vaspin levels were significantly higher in girls than in boys. In girls, vaspin increased with age and pubertal stage, whereas there was no change with development in boys. Obese girls had lower vaspin serum levels than those of lean controls, but there was no significant correlation with body mass index (BMI). Independent of sex, age and BMI, lower vaspin was associated with better insulin sensitivity, with higher systolic blood pressure and impaired endothelial function. In response to glucose provocation during an oral glucose tolerance test, vaspin serum levels declined by approximately 25% in adolescents with hyperinsulinemia, whereas there was no significant decline in normoinsulinemic patients. In support of our clinical data, we not only confirmed vaspin mRNA expression in adipose tissue but also found consistent expression of vaspin in the liver and indications for expression in the pancreas and the skin.

Conclusion:

We showed that gender differences in circulating vaspin levels develop during pubertal progression in girls. Although vaspin's association with obesity remains controversial, vaspin was increased with worsening insulin resistance already in children and was acutely down-regulated following glucose provocation in insulin-resistant adolescents independent of obesity. Besides adipose tissue, vaspin expression in the liver and the pancreas may potentially contribute to circulating vaspin levels and their regulation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all children and their families who participated in the studies. We gratefully appreciate the help of the nurses, technical assistants and physicians who performed the clinical examinations and data collection. Particularly, the technical assistance of Daniela Walther and Antje Berthold with the immunoassays, and of Rita Ketzscher with blood pressure measurements are highly appreciated. This work was supported by grants from the German Research Council (DFG) KFO 152 ‘Atherobesity’ KO3512/1-1 (to AK and SE) and KO3880/1-1 (to PK and MB), the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation (to AK), the German Diabetes Association (to DF and AK), the Interdisciplinary Centre of Clinical Research (‘Lipigenetics’) (to AK), and the LARGE consortium funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the competence network ‘Obesity’ (to AK and WK).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Women and Child Health, University Hospital for Children & Adolescents, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    A Körner, M Neef, D Friebe, K Dittrich, S Blüher, T M Kapellen & W Kiess

  2. Leipzig Heart Center, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    S Erbs

  3. Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry & Molecular Diagnostics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    J Kratzsch

  4. Interdisciplinary Center of Clinical Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    P Kovacs

  5. Department of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    M Stumvoll & M Blüher

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  1. A Körner
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  2. M Neef
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  3. D Friebe
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  7. S Blüher
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  8. T M Kapellen
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  12. W Kiess
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Correspondence to A Körner.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on International Journal of Obesity website

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Körner, A., Neef, M., Friebe, D. et al. Vaspin is related to gender, puberty and deteriorating insulin sensitivity in children. Int J Obes 35, 578–586 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.196

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