LYMPHOCYTE SUBPOPULATION PROFILE IN YOUNG MEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a chronic subclinical inflammation. Published data on the immune state in metabolic syndrome are inconsistent, and, moreover, the gender features of metabolic syndrome are not described in details. The purpose of the study was to determine subpopulation profile of peripheral lymphocytes in young men with metabolic syndrome, as well as in cases of combined abdominal obesity and hypertension. The study included seventy-seven men aged 20-45 years. The men were divided into four groups matched by age: Group 1 represented healthy controls; group 2 included male patients with isolated abdominal obesity; group 3 consisted of males with a combination of abdominal obesity and hypertension; group 4, males with metabolic syndrome. The major lymphocyte subpopulations were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry, i.e. T lymphocytes, T helpers, T-cytotoxic cells, TNK-lymphocytes, NK-cells, B-cells, as well as CD3+CD25+ and CD3+HLADR+ lymphocytes. In male patients with isolated abdominal obesity, we revealed increased relative contents of T lymphocytes, and increased proportion of the cells with CD3+CD8+, CD3+CD25+ phenotypes and higher B-cell numbers. A combination of abdominal obesity with hypertension in men was characterized by decreased ratio of T-helper/T-cytotoxic lymphocytes, due to reduced relative contents of CD3+CD4+ cells and increase in CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes. The numbers of T-helper cells in this group were significantly lower than in controls and among patients with isolated abdominal obesity. The number of T-cells with CD3+HLADR+ phenotype proved to be 2-fold higher than in the group of healthy male controls.

Keywords

• lymphocyte subpopulations
• abdominal obesity
• hypertension