Fig. 4

PPARα is negatively correlated with abdominal skinfold and pro-inflammatory markers from leukocytes of an obese pediatric population. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) mRNA levels were downregulated in leukocytes from obese children and adolescents. Both receptors were negatively correlated with the abdominal skinfold, indicating its participation in fat distribution. The expression of PPARα and PPARβ/δ was negatively associated with the TNF-α and IL-8 pro-inflammatory markers suggesting a contribution of those isotypes in the modulation of inflammation observed in pediatric obesity. The levels of IL-8 and TNF-α were significantly increased in the serum of obese children and adolescents. Both cytokines are involved in the infiltration of immune cells in adipose tissue and contribute to the inflammatory process