Circulating Osteonectin and Adipokine Profiles in Relation to Metabolically Healthy Obesity in Chinese Children: Findings From BCAMS

Background The role of adipokine dysregulation in determining the metabolic fate of obesity is not well studied. We aimed to examine whether the matricellular protein osteonectin and the profiles of certain adipokines could differentiate metabolically healthy obese (MHO) versus metabolically unhealthy obese phenotypes in childhood. Methods and Results This study included 1137 obese children and 982 normal‐weight healthy (NWH) controls recruited from the BCAMS (Beijing Child and Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome) study. MHO was defined by the absence of insulin resistance and/or any metabolic syndrome components. Six adipokines—osteonectin, leptin, adiponectin, resistin, FGF21 (fibroblast growth factor 21), and RBP‐4 (retinol binding protein 4)—were assessed. Approximately 20% of obese children displayed the MHO phenotype. MHO children had a more favorable adipokine profile than metabolically unhealthy obese children, with lower osteonectin, leptin, and RBP‐4 and higher adiponectin (all P<0.05). Compared with ...