Mini Review

Insulin Resistance Markers in Children
Francisca Eyzaguirre^{a, b}, Verónica Mericq<sup>a

a</sup>Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, and
^bChilean Society of Endocrinology, Santiago, Chile

Address of Corresponding Author

Horm Res 2009;71:65-74 (DOI: 10.1159/000183894)

  Key Words

• Obesity
• Overweight
• Insulin resistance
• Children
• Adolescents

  Abstract

The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents is progressively increasing around the world. One of the important consequences of obesity is the development of insulin resistance (IR). This condition has a multifactorial pathogenesis and is associated with cardiovascular risk, diabetes, hypertension, polycystic-ovary syndrome and a shorter lifespan. IR during childhood may be diagnosed by physical examination or there may be clues in the histories of the patient and his/her family. When IR is suspected, tests on a blood sample (which are more reliable) are recommended. Most of the biochemical markers have been well defined in adults, but appropriate reference data for children are still lacking. Here we discuss the usefulness of various currently known biochemical markers to evaluate insulin sensitivity (homeostatic model assessment, the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, the oral glucose tolerance test, Matsuda method and the whole-body insulin resistance index), hormones (leptin, adiponectin, resistin, glucocorticoids, the insulin-like growth factor-1-binding protein/growth hormone axis, ghrelin, sex hormone-binding globulin and retinol-binding protein-4) and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, IL-6, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin), which can be used in the diagnosis of IR in children.

Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Verónica Mericq, MD
Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile
Casilla 226-3
Santiago, Chile
Tel. +56 2 424 8280, Fax +56 2 424 7240, E-Mail vmericq@med.uchile.cl

  Article Information

Received: March 6, 2008
Accepted: September 1, 2008
Published online: January 8, 2009
Number of Print Pages : 10
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 81