Increase of inflammatory state in overweight adults with combined hyperlipidemia

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Elevated levels of acute phase reactants are found in patients with cardiovascular disease. It is suggested that adipose tissue is a determinant of a low level of inflammatory state in overweight persons. The aim of the study was to determine, whether combined hyperlipidemia, which is an important factor of atherosclerosis, has influence on the inflammatory response in overweight adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: Levels of soluble cell adhesion molecules sICAM-1, sE-selectin and sP-selectin, PAI-1 Ag (by Elisa test), orosomucoid (ORM) and transferrin (TRF) (by microturbidimetry) and fibrinogen (FBG) according to Clauss were examined in peripheral blood of overweight adults (n 33, body mass index 27.1 +/- 1.8 kg/m2) with combined hyperlipidemia and in equal numbers of age, sex and BMI matched non-hyperlipidemic group. Overweight adults with combined hyperlipidemia had significantly higher plasma levels of sICAM-1 (376.5 +/- 107.4 ng/mL vs 239.3 +/- 60.4 ng/mL; p < 0.001), sE-selectin (70.4 +/- 20.2 ng/mL vs 48.5 +/- 25.6 ng/mL; p = 0.005), sP-selectin (228.2 +/- 88.6 ng/mL vs 123.1 +/- 45.3 ng/mL; p < 0.001) and positive acute phase proteins ORM (0.82 +/- 0.16 g/L vs 0.64 +/- 0.20 g/L; p = 0.005), FBG (3.42 +/- 0.54 g/L vs 2.74 +/- 0.57 g/L; p = 0.037) and PAI-1 Ag (97.9 +/- 40.6 ng/mL vs 56.4 +/- 25.6 ng/mL; p < 0.05), and a decrease of negative acute phase protein TRF (2.14 +/- 0.40 g/L vs 2.77 +/- 0.45 g/L; p < 0.001) compared to the results in overweight non-hyperlipidemic controls. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that overweight adults have an increase of inflammatory response dependent on hyperlipidemia. It was apparent from the elevation of sE--selectin, sP--selectin and sICAM-1 and from an increase of systemic inflammatory response according to the increase of "positive" acute phase proteins (APRs) and the decrease of "negative" APR protein levels in these patients.