Study population

This case-control study included 57 patients (24 males and 33 females: mean age, 12.40±0.26 years [range, 9 to 18 years]) and 63 controls (28 males and 35 females: mean age, 13.39±0.38 years [range, 8 to 18 years]) from children and adolescent of Isfahan (a central city in Iran) [14]. According to the modified Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria [15], the MetS was defined as clustering of the following three or more factors in one person (1) fasting TG ≥100 mg/dL; (2) HDL-C <50 mg/dL; (3) waist circumference >75th percentile for age and gender in the studied population; (4) systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure >90th percentile for gender, age, height [16]; and (5) fasting blood sugar ≥100 mg/dL. An oral assent was obtained from participants, and all parents signed a written informed consent after explaining the study objectives and details. Blood samples were collected in two separate tubes for DNA analysis and biochemical tests.