Clinical significance of acanthosis nigricans in children and adolescents with obesity induced metabolic complications

Chueh, Hee Won; Cho, Gyu Rang; Yoo, Jaeho

Original Article

Korean Journal of Pediatrics 2007;50(10):987-994.
Published online October 15, 2007.

Clinical significance of acanthosis nigricans in children and adolescents with obesity induced metabolic complications

Hee Won Chueh¹, Gyu Rang Cho¹, Jaeho Yoo²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Pusan, Korea
²Medical Sciences Research Institute, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Pusan, Korea

비만으로 인한 대사적 합병증을 가진 소아 및 청소년에서 흑색가시세포증의 임상적 의의

최희원^¹^, 조규랑^¹^, 유재호^²

^¹동아대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^²동아대학교 의과대학 의과학연구원

Correspondence:
Jaeho Yoo, Email: pedendo@dau.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: This study investigated the clinical significance of AN in children and adolescents with obesity induced metabolic complications.
Methods
: Forty-nine patients who had obesity induced metabolic complications were participated in this cross-sectional study. Obesity induced metabolic complications are as follows: hypertension, dyslipidemia, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)>3.16. Clinical characteristics, such as, age, percentage-weight-for-height (PWH), pubertal status, blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma insulin level, fasting and post-oral glucose tolerance test 2-hour glucose levels, liver function test, lipid profile, HOMA-IR were compared according to the presence of AN.
Results
: Sixty-five percent of patients had AN, 57.1% NASH, 57.1% dyslipidemia, 55.1% hypertension, 46.9% IFG, 24.5% HOMA-IR>3.16 and 16.2% IGT. The patients who were moderately to severely obese with AN had higher incidence of IGT and HOMA-IR>3.16. The patients with AN had significantly higher diastolic BP (79.4?.9 vs 75.4?.6 mmHg), fasting levels of plasma insulin (10.6?.0 vs 6.2?.4 IU/mL), HOMA-IR index (2.6?.4 vs 1.4?.3) and PWH (42.4?3.0 vs 34.3?.8%). The increasing tendency for the presence of AN was significantly related to the cumulative number of obesity induced metabolic complications. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of AN was significantly associated with fasting plasma insulin level, PWH and IFG.
Conclusion
: AN could be useful as a clinical surrogate of obesity induced metabolic complications.

Key Words: Acanthosis nigricans, Obesity