Metabolic features of adiposity and glucose homoeostasis among school-aged inuit children from Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada)

• Published in: International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Main Authors: Thierry Comlan Marc Medehouenou, Cynthia Roy, Pierre-Yves Tremblay, Audray St-Jean, Salma Meziou, Gina Muckle, Pierre Ayotte, Michel Lucas
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2021
• Subjects: children; diabetes; metabolism; obesity; acylcarnitines; aromatic amino acids; branched-chain amino acids; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic; Canada; Nunavik; Circumpolar Health; International Journal of Circumpolar Health; inuit
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2020.1858605; https://doaj.org/article/5a6230417bcc4d238c0102cc8d0c2a4e

In contrast to most Indigenous people in Canada, Inuit appeared until recently to have been protected from type 2 diabetes (T2D) related to obesity. We assessed the associations of metabolites (amino acids, acylcarnitines) with adiposity and biomarkers of T2D in school-aged Inuit children of Nunavik (Canada). Concentrations of metabolite were measured in plasma samples from a cross-sectional analysis of 248 children (mean age = 10.8 years). We assessed associations of plasma metabolites with adiposity measures (BMI, skinfold thicknesses) and T2D markers (insulin, glucose, adiponectin). Plasma concentrations of valine and tyrosine were higher in obese and overweight children compared to those of normal weight children (P < 0.05). An increment of 1-SD in BMI (SD = 3.3 kg/m2) was statistically associated with an increment of 0.21 (95% CI: 0.08, 0.33) for valine, 0.15 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.27) for isoleucine and 0.17 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.29) for tyrosine. Insulin concentration increased with concentrations of all amino acids (P < 0.05) except methionine. None of the acylcarnitines measured were statistically significantly associated with adiposity or T2D biomarkers A signature of metabolites, particularly higher levels of branched-chain amino acids, might allow for early detection of T2D among school-aged Inuit children.