Are catalase -844A/G polymorphism and activity associated with childhood obesity?

Catalase (CAT) is a peroxisomal antioxidant enzyme that is up-regulated upon oxidative stress. Previous studies have found associations between some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the CAT promoter region in a variety of metabolic diseases. This is the first study that analyzes the association between erythrocyte CAT activity and candidate CAT SNPs with childhood obesity. The association study showed a significant positive association of the promoter variant -844A/G with childhood obesity and biomarkers of obesity such as weight, body mass index (BMI), BMI Z-Score, and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, along with a tendency toward significance with insulin resistance biomarkers. In addition, CAT erythrocyte activity was found to be significantly lower in obese children, and it was significantly correlated with obesity and insulin resistance biomarkers. No association was found between erythrocyte CAT activity and the SNP -844A/G. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to fully understand the role of CAT activity and SNPs in the development of insulin resistance in the setting of obesity. We hypothesize that CAT plays a role in early metabolic complications of obesity.