elevated serum syndecan-1 levels are associated with obesity-related complications in children

Background: syndecan-1 plays a crucial role in cell differentiation, growth, adhesion, wound healing, and inflammatory processes. it has been linked to obesity, particularly overweight and chronic low-grade inflammation. objectives: this study aimed to compare serum syndecan-1 levels between obese children and a healthy control group and to investigate the relationship between serum syndecan-1 levels and renal and cardiovascular complications associated with obesity in children. methods: we assessed 30 obese and 30 healthy children aged 8 - 16 years. blood samples were collected from both groups to measure serum aspartate aminotransferase (ast), syndecan-1, fasting blood glucose (fbg), alanine aminotransferase (alt), creatinine, and urea concentrations. in the obese group, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (hdl-c), insulin, triglyceride (tg), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ldl-c) levels were also measured, along with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (homa-ir). results: the mean serum syndecan-1 levels in the obese and control groups were 15.65 ± 10.01 ng/ml and 6.99 ± 3.79 ng/ml, respectively, with a significantly higher level observed in the obese group (p < 0.005). significant differences were also found in bmi, bmi sds, creatinine, ast, and alt levels between the two groups (p < 0.05), with all parameters being higher in the obese group. a significant positive linear association was identified between syndecan-1 levels and creatinine, tg, and bmi sds (r = 0.711, r = 0.630, r = 0.682, p < 0.01). additionally, a strong negative correlation was found between syndecan-1 and hdl-c levels (r = -0.609, p < 0.001). no significant linear relationship was detected between syndecan-1 levels and ldl-c, alt, ast, glucose, urea, insulin levels, or homa-ir measurements (p > 0.05). linear regression analysis revealed that serum creatinine levels and bmi sds were significantly linked to changes in syndecan-1 levels. conclusions: syndecan-1 is elevated in obese children due to inflammation and may serve as an early biomarker for endothelial damage. it can be useful in detecting obesity-related renal damage and cardiovascular risk in children.