Evaluation of DGBIs Prevalence (Rome IV Criteria) in Paediatric Patients with Obesity and Correlation with Inflammatory Markers

Background Several studies demonstrated a link between obesity and Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBIs). In patients with obesity, it has been shown an alteration of inflammation markers. The study aims to assess the prevalence of DGBIs in pediatric population with obesity and to examine any potential differences in inflammation markers between children with and without DGBIs. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational study in children with obesity, analyzing age, sex, puberal stage, anthropometry, clinical history, laboratory tests, abdominal ultrasound, bile acid levels (BA) and evaluation of DGBIs assessed via Rome IV criteria Results A total of 200 children with BMI > 95 ^th were enrolled. Results showed that 36.5% of the children had at least one DGBI, with functional constipation (FC) (70.4%) being the most prevalent. A significant association was found between DGBIs and altered serum BA levels, with a higher prevalence in prepubertal children. Additionally, 41.1% of DGBI patients exhibited non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Conclusions Our results confirm that DGBIs are very common in the pediatric population with obesity and the most prevalent is FC. Moreover, the strong association between altered serum BA levels, NAFLD, and DGBI suggests a shared metabolic pathway that could be utilized for diagnosis and treatment.