Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab.  2018 Jun;23(2):81-87. 10.6065/apem.2018.23.2.81.

Visceral fat thickness and its associations with pubertal and metabolic parameters among girls with precocious puberty

• Kim DW
• Suh J
• Kwon AR
• Chae HW
• Yoon CS
• Kim HS
• Kim DH

• KMID: 2417764
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.6065/apem.2018.23.2.81

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to investigate associations of central obesity with sexual maturation and metabolic parameters in Korean girls with precocious puberty.
METHODS
This retrospective study evaluated data from 72 girls under 8 years of age with a chief complaint of early breast development. The patients were categorized as central precocious puberty (CPP) subjects or non-CPP subjects based on their gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test results. Visceral fat thickness (VFT) was measured using ultrasonography and defined as the distance from the linea alba to the aorta. Patient anthropometric, metabolic, and hormonal parameters were also evaluated.
RESULTS
Increased VFT was correlated with an earlier onset of thelarche among all study subjects (r=-0.307, P=0.034). Overweight CPP subjects showed higher insulin resistance than normal weight CPP subjects. Insulin resistance was not significantly different between overweight and normal weight non-CPP subjects. VFT was not significantly different between CPP and non-CPP subjects (2.22±0.79 cm vs. 2.74±1.47 cm, P=0.169). However, overweight and obese CPP subjects (body mass index percentile>85%) had lower VFT than non-CPP obese subjects.
CONCLUSIONS
Central obesity, defined using ultrasonography-measured VFT, might be associated with early pubertal development in Korean girls. However, VFT was not higher in CPP than non-CPP patients and was not significantly correlated with insulin resistance. Further longitudinal studies with a larger cohort are needed.

Keyword

Visceral fat thickness; Ultrasound; Precocious puberty

MeSH Terms

Aorta
Breast
Cohort Studies
Female*
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
Humans
Insulin Resistance
Intra-Abdominal Fat*
Longitudinal Studies
Obesity, Abdominal
Overweight
Puberty, Precocious*
Retrospective Studies
Sexual Maturation
Ultrasonography
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. VFT, IGF-1, HOMA-IR, and estradiol level among CPP and non-CPP groups categorized by BMI percentage. Values are presented as median. (A) Significant difference (P=0.016) was shown between overweight CPP and overweight non-CPP groups. (B) Significant difference (P<0.001) was shown between overweight CPP and overweight non-CPP groups. (C) Significant difference (P=0.013) was shown between overweight CPP and nonoverweight CPP groups. (D) Significant difference (P=0.033) was shown between overweight CPP and overweight non-CPP groups. VFT, visceral fat thickness; IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor-1; BMI, body mass index; HOMA-IR, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance; CPP, central precocious puberty.

Reference

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