Adipocytokine imbalance and bone mineral properties in Hispanic youth

Childhood obesity may have a negative impact on bone mineral properties, with unclear underlying mechanisms. We investigated the relationship of adipocytokine imbalance to bone mineral properties in adolescence, and sex related differences. A cohort of 501 pubertal Hispanic youth (47% male), 10–19 years of age underwent assessment of body composition, bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) by DXA; fasting glucose, insulin, estradiol, testosterone, leptin, and adiponectin concentrations. HOMA-IR and leptin to adiponectin ratio (LAR) were calculated. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as reflected by VO2 max was measured using a treadmill ramp protocol. LAR was higher in youth with obesity and with overweight compared with normal weight. LAR negatively contributed to the variance in BMC (β = −0.096, p = 0.001) (R2 = 0.887, p < 0.001) together and independently of HOMA-IR, sex steroids, and CRF. This relationship persisted in males but weakened in females when the 2 sexes were examined separately. Similar findings were seen with BMD as the dependent variable. LAR has a negative relationship with BMC and BMD in pubertal youth, with a more notable adverse relationship in males. This suggests that adipocytokine dysregulation may contribute to the adverse effects of childhood obesity on bone mineral properties, with sex-differences related to body fat topography.