Pentraxin 3 as a Marker for Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Overweight and Obese Children

Background: Pentraxin 3 is an inflammatory mediator that may be associated with subclinical inflammation in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. This study investigated the predictive value of pentraxin 3 as an inflammatory biomarker in overweight and obese children. Methods: Participants were categorized into three groups: overweight (n = 35), obese (n = 35), and healthy controls (n = 70). Cardiovascular parameters and pentraxin 3 were measured in all participants. Results: The mean pentraxin 3 level was significantly higher in the overweight (10.23 +/- 4.42 ng/ml) and obese (11.20 +/- 4.12 ng/ml) groups compared to the control (7.93 +/- 4.35 ng/ml) group. Pentraxin 3 was significantly correlated with carotid intima media thickness and epicardial adipose tissue thickness in the overweight group. In the linear regression analysis, body mass index and systolic blood pressure were significantly correlated with pentraxin 3 levels in the overweight group, whereas only heart rate was correlated with pentraxin 3 levels in the obese group. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cut-off value for pentraxin 3 in the obese group was 9.321 ng/mL, with sensitivity and specificity of 77.1% and 74.3%, respectively [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.764, p < 0.001]. In the overweight group, the optimal cut-off value of pentraxin 3 was 9.263 ng/mL, with sensitivity and specificity of 62.9% and 72.9%, respectively (AUC = 0.687, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Pentraxin 3 may be an early marker of cardiovascular risk in overweight children. Future longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the predictive value of pentraxin 3 for cardiovascular disease.