Leipzig Adipose Tissue Childhood Cohort

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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In this study the investigators hypothesize that pathological alterations in adipose tissue biology already occur during the development and progression of obesity in children and adolescents. The investigators aim to identify and characterize mechanisms and molecular targets that affect the development of adipose tissue and ensuing obesity in childhood and adolescence.

Detailed Description
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The investigators aim to identify how adipose tissue dysfunction in childhood contributes to the development of obesity and related comorbidities and to characterize factors that play a role in the development of adipose dysfunction in children. The investigators will employ a translational approach which is based on the characterization of adipose tissue biology in samples of children to determine alterations leading to adipose tissue dysfunction. These include assessment of the composition (including BAT), remodeling, function, metabolism and inflammation of adipose tissue as well as the adipokine profile. For the assessment of clinical relevance, these experimental data will then be correlated with the clinical phenotype. Finally, we aim to identify factors responsible for early adipose tissue dysfunction and characterize them for their clinical and functional relevance.

Official Title
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Determinants of Adipose Tissue Development and Obesity in Children and Adolescents

Conditions
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Childhood Obesity, Insulin Resistance

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: body weight: 3000 g - 180 kg suitable surgical procedure signed informed consent by the guardians and the study participant, if older 12 years Exclusion Criteria: severe chronic and inflammatory diseases acute or chronic infections oncological diseases clotting disorders complications during surgical procedure drug treatment nil by mouth
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| lean and obese children and adolescents<br>study cohort may be stratified for lean (definded as BMI <1.28 SDS) and overweight/obese (definded as BMI>= 1.28 SDS) children for posthoc analyses no intervention | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Adipose tissue dysfunction | Adipose tissue dysfunction is assessed by evaluation of adipocyte size and number (hypertrophy vs. hyperplasia), adipocyte proliferation and differentiation, (lipid) cellular metabolism, inflammation, gene expression, fibrosis, and others; the association of AT dysfunction with clincial phenotype will be assessed | 10 years | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Presence of brown adipose tissue (BAT) | Adipose tissue samples will be evaluated for the presence of BAT on histological and molecular level and association with clinical phenotype will be investigated | 10 years | 
| Inflammation of adipose tissue | Inflammation will be assessed by evaluating macrophage infiltration on histological and molecular expression level. Also, association with clinical phenotype will be assessed. | 10 years | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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children, obesity, adipose tissue dysfunction, inflammation, macrophage infiltration, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia