Composition and Characterization of the Different Lipoproteins in Overweight/Obese Children vs. Normal-Weight Children

Background: Childhood obesity and overweight have increased considerably in recent years, representing a major global public health problem. This was a comparative study between a group of overweight or obese children and a group of normal-weight children, within an observational setting, performed in a previously studied cohort in which, in the present work, the objective was specifically to evaluate lipoprotein subclasses, particle size, particle number and lipid composition. Methods: We studied the different lipoprotein particles using the Liposcale test. The number of particles of each lipoprotein subclass was quantified by 1H-NMR. This method measures the signals emitted by the protons of the terminal methyl group of the four types of lipids present in the lipoprotein particles. Results: It was found that the concentrations of VLDL-C, VLDL-TG, IDL-TG, and HDL-TG, as well as the number of VLDL-Ps and all their subclasses, were statistically higher in the overweight/obese children group. REM-C was also higher in overweight/obese children, and they had a smaller mean LDL-Z. Conclusions: These results support the presence, already in prepubertal childhood, of early metabolic alterations, associated with excess weight, and show that advanced lipoprotein profiling may provide additional information beyond the conventional lipid profile.