Body fat, inflammation and gut microbiota in Cuban adolescents

Background and objectives: Body fat excess is associated with insulin resistance, hyperlipemia, inflammation and gut microbiota changes. The aim of this study was to identify these associations in adolescents. Methods: From 420 subjects in study (12-15 years), 26 with overweight, randomly selected, and paired by age and sex with 26 normal adolescents were submitted to records of body fat by deuterium dilution and
anthropometry, epidemiologic and life style recall, clinical history, arterial blood pressure (following the recommendations of the 2004 IV Report on Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents), 24 h dietary recall, physical activity by Actiheart monitors (2 week days, 1 week end day), glycaemia, serum lipids, serum citoquines (CPR, TNF-α and IL-6 by ELISA), and composition of the gut microbiota. Results: Our results in overweight adolescents were as follows: hyperglycemia (17% of cases and no controls), low HDL Cholesterol (40% vs.13%), low physical activity, high levels of  inflammatory citoquines, and 50% higher values of E. coli, Bifidobacteria and Enterobacteria.
Conclusions: Overweight classification only by size and not by body composition not favoured the comprehension of the associations between body fat, glucose intolerance, and serum affections. In all subjects, a mean 18 kg overweight was registered, but 12 kg were fat. Those differences shall be considered.