OBJECTIVE : Obesity in childhood is one of a major health concern in the world. It has been reported that obesity is considered as a low-grade inflammatory process and may contribute to the development of diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the degree of obesity with TNF-? and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in children.
METHODS : In this cross-sectional study, subjects aged 7-12 years old were randomly recruited from 5 Elementary Schools in Semarang during November 2018 – January 2019. The degree of obesity was measured using the Body Mass Index (BMI) based on the WHO Z-score. The correlation of TNF-?, FBG levels, and the degree of obesity were analyzed by Spearman and Pearsons correlation test.
RESULTS : Thirty three subjects analyzed had a mean of BMI 26.92 ± 4,39 kg/m2, with 45,5% were overweight and 54,5% were obese. Mean of FBG levels were 95,48 ± 8,19 mg/dl and TNF-? levels were ranged between 0.03 – 15.06 pg/ml. There were no statistically significant correlations between the degree of obesity with TNF-? level (Spearman) and  FBG levels (Pearson). The mean of FBG levels was higher in the obese children (97,50±3,52 mg/dl) than overweight ones (93,07±5,3 mg/dl) and the TNF-? levels were lower in obese children (3.52 ± 3.14 pg/ml) than overweight (5.29 ± 4.26 pg/ml). 
CONCLUSION : There were no significant correlations between the degree of obesity with      TNF-? and FBG levels. FBG levels was higher while TNF-? levels was lower in obese children. Further studies with examinations of skin fold thickness and body fat mass are needed to determine the causal relationship between the degree of obesity with TNF-? and FBG levels in children.