Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

C-reactive protein is independently associated with total body fat, central fat, and insulin resistance in adult women

  • Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Obesity Submit manuscript

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations are influenced by body composition, insulin resistance, and body fat distribution in healthy women.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of CRP plasma levels in adult women.

SUBJECTS: A total of 201 apparently healthy normal weight, overweight, and obese women, aged 18–60 y.

MEASUREMENTS: CRP plasma levels, several fatness and body fat distribution parameters (by bioimpedance analysis and anthropometry), and insulin resistance (HOMAIR), as calculated by homeostatic model assessment.

RESULTS: CRP was positively correlated with age, body mass index (BMI), waist, fasting glucose and insulin, HOMAIR, fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM). After multivariate analyses, age, HOMAIR, waist and FM maintained their independent association with CRP.

CONCLUSION: Our study has shown an independent relationship of central fat accumulation and insulin resistance with CRP plasma levels, thus suggesting that mild, chronic inflammation may be a further component of the metabolic syndrome and a mediator of the atherogenic profile of this syndrome.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pepys MB . The acute-phase response and C-reactive protein. In: Weatherall DJ, Ledingham JGG, Warrell DA (eds). Oxford textbook of medicine, 2nd edn Oxford University Press: Oxford 1995 pp 1527–1533.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ridker PM, Buring JE, Shih J, Matias M, Hennekens CH . Prospective study of C-reactive protein and the risk of future cardiovascular events among apparently healthy women Circulation 1998 98: 731–733.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ridker PM, Cushman M, Stampfer MJ, Tracy RP, Hennekens CH . Plasma concentration of C-reactive protein and the risk of developing peripheral vascular disease Circulation 1998 97: 425–428.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Koenig W, Sund M, Frohlich M, Fischer HG, Lowell H, Doring A, Hutchinson WL, Pepys MB . C-reactive protein, a sensitive marker of inflammation, predicts future risk of coronary heart disease in initially healthy middle-aged men Circulation 1999 99: 237–242.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Pepys MB, Rowe IF, Baltz ML . C-reactive protein: binding to lipids and lipoproteins Int Rev Exp Pathol 1985 27: 83–111.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Volanakis JE . Complement activation by C-reactive protein complexes Ann NY Acad Sci 1982 389: 235–250.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Cermak J, Key NS, Bach RR, Balla J, Jacob HS, Vercellotti GM . C-reactive protein induces human peripheral blood monocytes to synthesize tissue factor Blood 1993 82: 513–520.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Rohde LEP, Hennekens CH, Ridker PM . Survey of C-reactive protein and cardiovascular risk factors in apparently healthy men Am J Cardiol 1999 84: 1018–1022.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Visser M, Bouter LM, McQuillan GM, Wener MH, Harris TB . Elevated C-reactive protein levels in overweight and obese adults JAMA 1999 282: 2131–2135.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hotamisligil GS, Arner P, Caro JF, Atkinson RL, Spiegelman BM . Increased adipose tissue expression of tumor necrosis factor-α in human obesity and insulin resistance J Clin Invest 1995 95: 2409–2415.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Purhoit A, Ghilchik MW, Duncan L, Wang DY, Singh A, Walker MM, Reed MJ . Aromatase activity and interleukin-6 production by normal and malignant breast tissue J Clin Endocrinol 1995 9: 61–72.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Baumann H, Gauldie J . The acute-phase response Immunol Today 1994 25: 74–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Papanicolaou DA, Wilder RL, Manolagas SC, Chrousos GP . The pathophysiologic roles of interleukin-6 in human disease Ann Intern Med 1998 128: 127–137.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Yudkin JS, Stehouwer CDA, Emeis JJ, Coppack SW . C-reactive protein in healthy subjects: associations with obesity, insulin resistance, and endothelial dysfunction Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1999 19: 972–978.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Matthews DR, Hosker JP, Rudenski AS, Naylor BA, Treacher DF, Turner RC . Homeostatic model assessment: insulin resistance and β-cell function from fasting glucose and insulin concentrations in man Diabetologia 1985 28: 412–419.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Report of the Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus . Diabetes Care 1997 20: 1183–1197.

  17. Heitmann BL . Prediction of body water and fat in adult Danes from measurement of electrical impedance. A validation study. Int J Obes 1990 14: 789–802.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Ridker PM, Hennekens CH, Buring JE, Rifai N . C-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation in the prediction of cardiovascular disease in women New Engl J Med 2000 342: 836–843.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Pi-Sunyer FX . Health implications of obesity Am J Clin Nutr 1991 53: 1595S–1603S.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E, Ascherio A, Spiegelman D, Colditz GA, Willett WC . Body size and fat distribution as predictors of coronary heart disease among middle-aged and older US men Am J Epidemiol 1995 141: 1117–1127.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Folsom AR, Stevens J, Schreiner PJ, McGovern PG . Body mass index, waist/hip ratio, and coronary heart disease incidence in African-Americans and whites Am J Epidemiol 1998 148: 1187–1194.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Gaudet D, Vohl MC, Perron P, Tremblay G, Gagné C, Lesiege D, Bergeron J, Moorjani S, Després JP . Relationship of abdominal obesity and hyperinsulinemia to angiographically assessed coronary artery disease in men with known mutations in the LDL receptor gene Circulation 1998 97: 871–877.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Després JP . The insulin resistance-dyslipidemic syndrome of visceral obesity: effect on patients' risk Obes Res 1998 6: (Suppl 1): 8S–17S.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Imbeault P, Lemieux S, Preud'homme D, Tremblay A, Nadeau A, Després JP, Mauriege P . Relationship of visceral adipose tissue to metabolic risk factors for coronary heart disease: is there a contribution of subcutaneous fat cell hypertrophy? Metabolism 1999 48: 355–362.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Reeder B, Bouchard C . Obesity and cardiovascular diseases Can J Cardiol 1999 15: (Suppl G): 69G–72G.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Mendall MA, Patel P, Ballam L, Strachan D, Northfield TC . C-reactive protein and its relation to cardiovascular risk factors Br Med J 1996 312: 1061–1065.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Tracy RP, Lemaitre RN, Psaty BM, lves DG, Evans RW, Cushman M, Meilahn EN, Kuller LH . Relationship of C-reactive protein to risk of cardiovascular disease in the elderly Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1997 17: 1121–1127.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Pratley RE, Wilson C, Bogardus C . Relation of the white blood cell count to obesity and insulin resistance: effect of race and gender Obes Res 1995 3: 563–571.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Fried SK, Bunkin DA, Greenberg AS . Omental and subcutaneous adipose tissues of obese subjects release interleukin-6 J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998 83: 847–850.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Hotamisligil GS, Peraldi P, Budavari A, Ellis R, White MF, Spiegelman BM . IRS-1-mediated inhibition of insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity in TNF-α- and obesity-induced insulin resistance Science 1996 271: 665–668.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Hotamisligil GS . The role of TNF alpha and TNF receptors in obesity and insulin resistance J Intern Med 1999 245: 621–625.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Hotamisligil GS . Mechanisms of TNF-alpha-induced insulin resistance Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1999 107: 119–125.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Festa A, D'Agostino R Jr, Howard G, Mykkanen L, Tracy RP, Haffner SM . Chronic subclinical inflammation as part of insulin resistance syndrome: the insulin resistance atherosclerosis study Circulation 2000 102: 42–47.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency and Transplant, Section of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    N Pannacciulli, A Minenna, M Bellacicco & R Giorgino

  2. Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, Section of Rheumatology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    FP Cantatore & G De Pergola

Authors
  1. N Pannacciulli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. FP Cantatore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A Minenna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M Bellacicco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. R Giorgino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. G De Pergola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G De Pergola.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pannacciulli, N., Cantatore, F., Minenna, A. et al. C-reactive protein is independently associated with total body fat, central fat, and insulin resistance in adult women. Int J Obes 25, 1416–1420 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801719

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801719

  • Springer Nature Limited

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation