Sex‐specific association of plasma nesfatin‐1 concentrations with obesity in children

Summary Background Nesfatin‐1, an anorexigenic peptide, has been associated with food intake and thermogenesis, with discordant findings in humans and scarce studies in children to date. Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of obesity with nesfatin‐1 levels in two cohorts of children. Methods Plasma nesfatin‐1 concentrations were analyzed in 6‐ to 9‐year‐olds (n = 140) and 12‐ to 16‐year‐old children (n = 96), including children with obesity and their sex‐ and age‐matched normal‐weight counterparts. Anthropometric measurements were assessed. Cholesterol and triglycerides were determined enzymatically, insulin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay using a commercial kit and nesfatin‐1, leptin and hs‐CRP concentrations were determined using commercial ELISA kits. Results Nesfatin‐1 concentrations were significantly lower in younger (P = .001) and older (P = .009) girls with obesity than in their normal‐weight counterparts, without showing significant differences in boys. Nesfatin‐1 showed a negative significant (P