Endocrinol Metab.  2015 Jun;30(2):185-194. 10.3803/EnM.2015.30.2.185.

Comparison of Serum Adipocytokine Levels according to Metabolic Health and Obesity Status

• Lee TH
• Jeon WS
• Han KJ
• Lee SY
• Kim NH
• Chae HB
• Jang CM
• Yoo KM
• Park HJ
• Lee MK
• Park SE
• Oh HG
• Park CY
• Lee WY
• Oh KW
• Park SW
• Rhee EJ

• KMID: 2282009
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2015.30.2.185

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Metabolic health is an emerging concept that is highly correlated with various metabolic complications, and adipocytokines have been causally linked to a wide range of metabolic diseases. Thus, this study compared serum adipocytokine levels according to metabolic health and obesity status.
METHODS
Four hundred and fifty-six nondiabetic subjects (mean age, 40.5 years) were categorized into four groups according to metabolic health and obesity status: metabolically healthy nonobese (MHNO), metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically unhealthy nonobese (MUHNO), and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUHO). Being metabolically healthy was defined as the presence of fewer than two of the following five metabolic abnormalities: high blood pressure, high fasting blood glucose, high triglyceride, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and being in the highest decile of the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance index. Obesity status was assessed using body mass index (BMI), with obesity defined as a BMI higher than 25 kg/m2. Levels of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) were also evaluated.
RESULTS
Of the 456 subjects, 247 (54.2%) were in the MHNO group, 66 (14.5%) were in the MHO group, 66 (14.5%) were in the MUHNO group, and 77 (16.9%) were in the MUHO group. There were no significant differences in IL-6 or MCP-1 levels among the groups, but levels of TNF-alpha and A-FABP were significantly higher in the MUHNO group compared to the MHNO group.
CONCLUSION
High TNF-alpha and A-FABP levels are significantly associated with metabolically unhealthiness in nonobese Korean individuals.

Keyword

Obesity; Metabolic health; Adipocytokine

MeSH Terms

Adipocytes
Adipokines
Blood Glucose
Body Mass Index
Carrier Proteins
Chemokine CCL2
Cholesterol, HDL
Fasting
Hypertension
Insulin Resistance
Interleukin-6
Metabolic Diseases
Obesity*
Triglycerides
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Adipokines
Blood Glucose
Carrier Proteins
Chemokine CCL2
Cholesterol, HDL
Interleukin-6
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Selection of the participants.

• 

  Fig. 2 Comparison of mean (A) tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and (B) adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) levels according to four groups divided by metabolic health and obesity. MHNO, metabolically healthy nonobese; MHO, metabolically healthy obese; MUHNO, metabolically unhealthy nonobese; MUHO, metabolically unhealthy obese. a,bDifferent letters denote significant differences between the designated groups in post hoc analyses. Otherwise, groups showed no significant differences between each groups with post hoc analyses.

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