Relationship of C-reactive protein with components of the metabolic syndrome in a Tunisian population

Background

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an independent risk factor of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and it is proposed as a component of metabolic syndrome (MS). This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between CRP and various characteristics of the MS in a sample of the Tunisian population

Methods

One hundred and forty nine patients with MS and 152 controls, aged 35-70 years were recruited. Waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), glucose, insulin and CRP were measured. Insulin resistance was assessed by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). MS was defined by NCEP-ATPIII report

Results

CRP levels were significantly higher in MS group (4.41 ± 3.73 mg/L vs. 2.68 ± 2.59 mg/L, p < 0.001) compared to without MS group. For both sexes, CRP increased as the number of MS components increased (p = 0.015 for men and p < 0.001) after adjustment for age, smoking, alcohol intake and, for women, menopause. There were statistically significant positive correlations for log CRP with WC, log TG, and log HOMA-IR in both sexes adjusted for confounding factors listed above. A significant negative correlation was found between HDL-C and log CRP only in women. In both sexes, WC was identified, by multiple linear regression models, as significant independent predictor of CRP level variability. HDL-C showed also a significant contribution only in women

Conclusions

The present study provides evidence that CRP levels are elevated in MS subjects. In addition, WC and HDL-C are significant predictors of the CRP elevation.