Study on the correlation between calprotectin level in children with simple obesity

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum and fecal calprotectin levels in children with simple obesity, and to analyze the correlation of calprotectin with body mass index, inflammatory factors, and insulin resistance. Fifty-four children with simple obesity who visited the Department of Pediatrics of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from August 2018 to October 2020 were selected as the experimental group, and 60 healthy children with normal weight were selected as the control group. Height, weight, and body mass index were measured in the experimental and control group. Serum and fecal calprotectin, serum TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8,C-reactive protein, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose and insulin were measured. Differences between the two groups were compared. The differences in body mass index, serum and fecal calprotectin, serum cytokines, and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance between the two groups were statistically significant (p > 0.05). Serum calprotectin was correlated with body mass index, serum cytokines, and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance, whereas fecal calprotectin was only correlated with body mass index. Obese children were in a state of metabolic disorders and chronic inflammation, including an intestinal inflammation. Calprotectin may be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated chronic inflammation and insulin resistance.