Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives, 2014, 02, 204─210

Relationship between serum levels of body iron parameters and insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in Korean Children

Hye-ja Lee, Hjang, J Kang, S Park, J Song

Abstract

Objectives: An increase in serum ferritin and levels of the cleaved soluble form of transferrin receptor (sTfR) are related to several metabolic conditions. We eval- uated the relationship between body iron status indicators, including ferritin and sTfR, and insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean children.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1350 children in Korea. Anthropometrical parameters; lipid pro？les; levels of glucose, insulin, and lep- tin; and iron status indicators, including sTfR, serum ferritin, serum iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation (TS), were analyzed.
Results: Although serum sTfR levels were signi？cantly higher in boys than in girls (2.20 vs. 2.06 mg/L, p < 0.0001), serum iron and TS were higher in girls than in boys (101.38 vs. 95.77 mg/L, p Z 0.027 and 30.15 vs. 28.91%, p Z 0.04, respectively). Waist circumference (WC) and leptin were most signi？cantly associated with body iron indicators when adjusted for age and sex. After adjusting for age, sex, and WC, sTfR levels showed the strongest positive asso- ciation with leptin levels (p Z 0.0001). Children in the highest tertile for ho- meostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) had higher TIBC (p Z 0.0005) and lower serum iron (p Z 0.0341), and the lowest TS (p < 0.0001) after adjustment for confounders. Children with higher sTfR were most signi？- cantly associated with risk of MetS compared with those lower sTfR (pZ0.0077).
Conclusion: The associations of serum levels of iron metabolism markers with leptin levels, HOMA-IR, and MetS suggest that iron-related factors may involve insulin resistance and MetS.

• ISBN or ISSN: 2210-9099

• 본 연구는 질병관리본부 연구개발과제(과제번호 2010-N64001-00) 연구비를 지원받아 수행되었습니다.
• This research was supported by a fund(code 2010-N64001-00) by Research of Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.