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Title: Plasma biomarkers of chronic inflammation are elevated in overweight Mexican-American children

Author
item MCFARLIN, BRIAN - UNIVERSITY HOUSTON
item JOHNSON, CRAIG - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item TYLER, CHERMAINE - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item HUTCHISON, ALEXANDER - UNIVERSITY HOUSTON
item KUEHT, MICHAEL - UNIVERSITY HOUSTON
item REEVES, REBECCA - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item Foreyt, John

Submitted to: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2007
Publication Date: 5/30/2007
Citation: McFarlin, B.K., Johnson, C.A., Tyler, C., Hutchison, A.T., Kueht, M.L., Reeves, R., Foreyt, J.P. 2007. Plasma biomarkers of chronic inflammation are elevated in overweight Mexican-American children [abstract]. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 39(5):S156.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Excess body weight is associated with an accumulation of chronic, low-grade inflammation that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of various diseases. The obesity epidemic is more prevalent in certain ethnic groups. Despite this health disparity, few published studies have measured biomarkers of chronic inflammation in Mexican-American children of differing body mass index. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of body mass index on blood profile, insulin resistance, and inflammatory biomarkers in Mexian-American children. Boys and girls (13.3+/-0.1 y) were recruited from a local school and assigned to one of three groups as a volunteer sample: healthy weight (HW, 10th-84th BMI percentile, n=42), at risk of overweight (RO, 85th-95th, n=25), or overweight (OW, >95th, n=42). All the participants in the present study self-identified their race/ethnic group as Mexican-American. Venous blood samples were collected following an overnight fast (>8h). Plasma concentrations of insulin, hsCRP, sCD14, sIL-6R, sTNF-alphaR1, sTNF-alphaR2, IL-6, and TNF-alpha were determined by ELISA. Plasma glucose was determined using an automated analyzer, and insulin resistance scores (HOMA-IR) were calculated. OW children had significantly greater plasma concentrations of hsCRP (P=0.003), sCD14 (P=0.013), sIL-6R (P=0.010), sTNF-alphaR1 (P<0.001), sTNF-alphaR2 (P=0.005), insulin (P=0.001), HOMA-IR (P=0.001), TC: HDL ratio (P<0.001), and triglycerides (P<0.001) than HW children. However, we did not find a difference for either IL-6 or TNF-alpha. Also, plasma concentrations of hsCRP, sIL-6R, and sTNF-alphaR1 were significantly greater in OW compared to RO. When sorted based on HOMA-IR, insulin-resistant children had significantly higher TNF-alpha than non-insulin-resistant children (P=0.006). These findings are consistent with previous reports in obese adults. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report that sCD14 is elevated in overweight compared to healthy weight individuals.