Omentin as an Independent Predictor of Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity Among Adolescents in Northeast China

Abstract

Purpose

We investigated the association of omentin with metabolic syndrome (MetS), MetS components, and obesity in adolescents.

Methods

A total of 742 middle-school students from Liaoyang City were enrolled in this cross-sectional study using the stratified cluster sampling method. Clinical information and blood samples were collected, and serum omentin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Mean plasma omentin levels were lower in male than in female participants (88.25 (interquartile range 63.02–133.61) vs 99.46 (interquartile range 69.08–188.35) ng/L, P = 0.004). The participants were divided into four groups according to the quartile (Q) values of omentin from low to high. With increasing omentin levels from Q1 to Q4, the age of adolescents and the proportion of males gradually increased (P < 0.05), whereas the body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.05) and prevalence of MetS (P > 0.05) tended to decrease. Omentin levels were significantly and negatively correlated with waist circumference and BMI (correlation coefficients of ˗0.099 and ˗0.115, respectively). Regression analysis showed that omentin level was independently associated with the risk of MetS (Odds ratio, OR = 0.639, 95% confidence interval, CI (0.432, 0.945)), which was attributed to the association with central obesity (OR = 0.775, 95% CI (0.605, 0.993)) among MetS components. Increased omentin levels also indicated a reduced risk of obesity (OR = 0.700, 95% CI (0.563, 0.870)).

Conclusion

Omentin is an independent predictor of MetS and obesity among adolescents in northeast China.

Keywords:

• metabolic syndrome
• omentin
• adolescents
• obesity
• insulin resistance

Abbreviations

MetS, metabolic syndrome; Q, quartile; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; FINS, fasting insulin; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; TG, triglyceride; TC, total cholesterol; WC, waist circumference; WHR, waist to hip ratio; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.

Ethics Approval

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University.

Consent to Participate

We conducted a questionnaire survey to obtain informed consent of the students and their guardians to participate in the study.

Disclosure

The authors declare no competing interests in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Fund for the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province in China (grant number 2020-MS-153).