Endocrinology and Metabolism (Jun 2015)

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

  • Tae Hoon Lee,
  • Won Seon Jeon,
  • Ki Joong Han,
  • Shin Yeoung Lee,
  • Nam Hee Kim,
  • Hyun Beom Chae,
  • Choel Min Jang,
  • Kyung Mo Yoo,
  • Hae Jung Park,
  • Min Kyung Lee,
  • Se Eun Park,
  • Hyung Geun Oh,
  • Cheol-Young Park,
  • Won-Young Lee,
  • Ki-Won Oh,
  • Sung-Woo Park,
  • Eun-Jung Rhee

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2015.30.2.185
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 30, no. 2
pp. 185 – 194

Abstract

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BackgroundMetabolic 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.MethodsFour 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 α (TNF-α), and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) were also evaluated.ResultsOf 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-α and A-FABP were significantly higher in the MUHNO group compared to the MHNO group.ConclusionHigh TNF-α and A-FABP levels are significantly associated with metabolically unhealthiness in nonobese Korean individuals.

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