OBJECTIVESome research has shown that C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sLR) and blood lipids are involved in the development of obesity. This study aimed to investigate the changes of leptin resistance, blood lipids and inflammatory response before and after the exercise therapy in children with obesity.

METHODSFifty-one obese children at ages of 12 years received an exercise therapy for 2 months. The levels of serum leptin, sLR, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured before and after the exercise therapy. Forty normal children served as the control group.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, serum levels of leptin, TG, TC, LDL-C and hs-CRP and the body mass index (BMI) in the obese group increased (p<0.01), while the serum level of sLR decreased significantly (p<0.05). The levels of hs-CRP, leptin, TC, TG, LDL-C and BMI in the obese group were significantly reduced after the exercise therapy (p<0.05). In the obese group, the serum leptin level was positively correlated with the levels of blood lipids and hs-CRP (p<0.05); serum levels of leptin and hs-CRP were negatively correlated with the sLR level (p<0.05); the hs-CRP level was positively correlated with the levels of blood lipids (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSLeptin resistance and the changes of blood lipids and inflammatory response are found in children with obesity. Exercise therapy can partially improve these changes.