J Korean Soc Endocrinol.  2002 Apr;17(2):226-235.

The Association between CRP and the Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults

• Kim SG
• Kim DL
• Shin DH
• Kim NH
• Choi KM
• Baik SH
• Choi DS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterized by insulin resistance accompanied by one or more of the following: obesity, hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance, low HDL cholesterol levels, and/or hypertriglyceridemia. However, the precise underlying pathogenic mechanism of MS is not known. Several recent reports have suggested a positive association between components of MS and markers of the acute-phase response, including C-reactive protein (CRP). These results imply that MS is accompanied by an ongoing inflammatory process. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the association between circulating levels of C-reactive protein, a sensitive systemic marker of inflammation, with components of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults.
METHODS
A total of 1,461 subjects aged between 20 and 81 years, who visited the Health Management Center at Korea university between November 2000 and February 2001 were studied. We investigated the correlation between CRP levels and components of MS. The components of MS were categorized, and age-sex adjusted mean values of CRP calculated for the categorized components. The BMI was categorized into 5 classes, and the CRP levels examined according to their BMI class. In addition, subjects with a different number of the MS components were grouped as follows: group 1 for 0 components, group 2 for 1 components, group 3 for 2 components and group 4 for > or = 3 components, and the CRP levels calculated for each group.
RESULTS
There were significant positive correlations of CRP levels with age, BMI, TG, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBS), uric acid, insulin,and homeostasis model assessment IR (HOMAIR). A significant inverse correlation was observed between CRP levels and serum HDL. From the multivariate analysis, age and BMI were significantly correlated with CRP levels. The means of the CRP for the categorized components of MS were significantly higher in the BMI categories: > or =25 for female/27 for male, TG > or =200 mg/dL, fasting plasma glucose > or =126 mg/dL and blood pressure > or =140/90 mmHg, and the CRP levels by BMI class were: 1.19 (BMI <18.5), 1.54 (BMI 18.5~22.9), 1.59 (BMI 23.0~24.9), 1.77 (BMI 25.0~29.9) and 2.07 (BMI >30.0) mg/L. Furthermore, the increase in the CRP levels in relation to the numbers of MS were 1.46 (group 1), 1.70 (group 2), 1.95 (group 3) and 2.11 mg/L (group 4) with statistical significance.
CONCLUSION
The above data showed associations between the CRP levels and the different components of MS. This might suggest that MS in Koreans could be accompanied by a systemic inflammation response

MeSH Terms

Acute-Phase Reaction
Adult*
Blood Glucose
Blood Pressure
C-Reactive Protein
Cholesterol, HDL
Fasting
Glucose
Homeostasis
Humans
Hypertension
Hypertriglyceridemia
Inflammation
Insulin Resistance
Korea
Male
Multivariate Analysis
Obesity
Uric Acid
Blood Glucose
C-Reactive Protein
Cholesterol, HDL
Glucose
Uric Acid