Physical exercise intervention at school improved hepcidin, inflammation, and iron metabolism in overweight and obese children and adolescents

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2017

Authors

Susana Coimbra (Author) Other; Cristina Catarino (Author) FFUP; Henrique Nascimento (Author) Other; Ana Inês Alves (Author) Other; Ana Filipa Medeiros (Author) Other; Elsa Bronze-da-Rocha (Author) FFUP; Elísio Costa (Author) FFUP; Petronila Rocha-Pereira (Author) Other; Luísa Aires (Author) Other; André Seabra (Author) FADEUP; Jorge Mota (Author) FADEUP; Helena Ferreira Mansilha (Author) Other; Carla Rêgo (Author) Other; Alice Santos-Silva (Author) FFUP; Luís Belo (Author) FFUP

Journal

Title: Pediatric Research

Vol. 82 No. 5

Pages: 781-788

ISSN: 0031-3998

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 15 Citations

Scopus - 15 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00N-4VP

DOI: 10.1038/pr.2017.139

Abstract (EN): BACKGROUND: Obesity is often associated with iron deficiency in children and adolescents. We aimed to study the effect of an 8-month physical exercise (PE) intervention on hepcidin and other markers of inflammation and on iron status in overweight/obese children and adolescents. METHODS: Seventy-three overweight/obese children and adolescents participated in the 8-month-long longitudinal study. They were divided into two groups according to their participation in an after-school PE program: the PE group (n = 44) and the control group (n = 29). Hepcidin, interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), iron, ferritin, transferrin, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) were evaluated. RESULTS: At baseline, IL-6 correlated positively with hepcidin and negatively with iron and transferrin saturation, suggesting that increasing adiposity associates with increasing IL-6 and hepcidin synthesis, reducing iron availability. After 8 months, the PE group showed a decrease in BMI z-score (P = 0.003), body fat mass (P = 0.012), CRP (P = 0.002), IL-6 (P = 0.048), ferritin (P = 0.013), hepcidin (P = 0.040), and sTfR (P = 0.010), and an increase in iron concentration (P = 0.002). Moreover, the PE group, when compared with the control group, showed lower weight (P = 0.026), BMI (P = 0.040), waist circumference (P = 0.010), and waist-to-height ratio (P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: We showed that an 8-month-long intervention at school allowed a reduction in BMI z-score and an improvement in inflammation, reducing hepcidin levels and the disturbances in iron status.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 8