The metabolic profile in patients with skin tags

Clinical and Experimental Medicine volume 10, pages193–197(2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Although skin tags are associated with diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, hypertension, obesity, atherogenic lipid profile, no data in the literature show that the presence of skin tags is associated with serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein, uric acid, free fatty acid and leptin level. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and obesity in patients with skin tags and to compare patients with skin tags and normal healthy subjects for insulin resistance, serum lipids, insulin, glucose, leptin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, free fatty acid levels. We evaluated 113 patients with skin tags and 31 healthy subjects. The two groups were compared with respect to BMI, lipid profile, blood pressure, insulin resistance, serum lipids, insulin, glucose, leptin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, free fatty acid and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Total 53.9 and 33.6% of patients with skin tags were overweight and obese, respectively. The frequency of hypertension 30.1%, dyslipidemia 59.3% and insulin resistance 21.2% were detected. HOMA-IR (P < 0.001) and serum glucose (P < 0.001), insulin (P = 0.002), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (P = 0.001), uric acid (P = 0.001), free fatty acid (P = 0.002), HbA1c (P < 0.001), total cholesterol (P = 0.018), LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.023), and triglyceride levels (P = 0.001) were higher in patients with skin tags than control group. Overweight and/or obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance and elevated high-sensitive C-reactive protein are seen in patients with skin tags. Skin tags may be a marker of increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

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

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

US$ 39.95

Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. 1.

    Crook MA (2000) Skin tags and the atherogenic lipid profile. J Clin Pathol 53:873–874

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. 2.

    Banik R, Lubach D (1987) Skin tags: localization and frequencies according to sex and age. Dermatologica 174(4):180–183

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. 3.

    Hidalgo LG (2002) Dermatological complications of obesity. Am J Clin Dermatol 3(7):497–506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. 4.

    Hud JA, Cohen JB, Wagner JM, Cruz PD Jr (1992) Prevalence and significance of acanthosis nigricans in an adult obese population. Arch Dermatol 128:941–944

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. 5.

    Mathur SK, Bhargava P (1997) Insulin resistance and skin tags. Dermatology 195(2):184

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. 6.

    Norris PG, McFadden J, Gale E, Griffiths WA (1988) Skin tags are more closely related to fasting insulin than fasting glucose levels. Acta Derm Venereol 68(4):367–368

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. 7.

    Agarwal JK, Nigam PK (1987) Acrochordon: a cutaneous sign of carbohydrate intolerance. Australas J Dermatol 28(3):132–133

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. 8.

    Kahana M, Grossman E, Feinstein A, Ronnen M, Cohen M, Millet MS (1987) Skin tags: a cutaneous marker for diabetes mellitus. Acta Derm Venereol 67(2):175–177

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. 9.

    Margolis J, Margolis LS (1976) Skin tags—a frequent sign of diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 294(21):1184

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. 10.

    Hostetter AL (1995) Screening for dyslipidemia. Practice parameter. Am J Clin Pathol 103(4):380–385

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. 11.

    Peters AL (2000) The clinical implications of insulin resistance. Am J Manag Care 6(13):668–674

    Google Scholar 

  12. 12.

    Fernandez-Real JM, Ricart W (2003) Insulin resistance and chronic cardiovascular inflammatory syndrome. Endocr Rev 24(3):278–301

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. 13.

    Rifai N, Ridker PM (2001) High-sensitivity C-reactive protein: a novel and promising marker of coronary heart disease. Clin Chem 47:403–411

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. 14.

    Thappa DM (1995) Skin tags as markers of diabetes mellitus: an epidemiological study in India. J Dermatol 22(10):729–731

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. 15.

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

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. 16.

    Dianzani C, Calvieri S, Pierangeli A, Imperi M, Bucci M, Degener AM (1998) The detection of human papillomavirus DNA in skin tags. Br J Dermatol 138(4):649–651

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. 17.

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

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. 18.

    Yudkin JS, Stehouwer CD, Emeis JJ, Coppack SW (1999) C-reactive protein in healthy subjets: associations with obesity, insulin resistance, and endothelial dysfunction: a potential role for cytokines originating from adipose tissue ? Arteriol Thromb Vasc Biol 19:972–978

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. 19.

    Erdogan BS, Aktan S, Rota S, Ergin S, Evliyaoglu D (2005) Skin tags and atherosclerotic risk factors. J Dermatol 32(5):371–375

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. 20.

    Demir S, Demir Y (2002) Acrochordon and impaired carbohydrate metabolism. Acta Diabetol 39(2):57–59

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. 21.

    Lewis GF, Uffelman KD, Szeto LW, Weller B, Steiner G (1995) Interaction between free fatty acids and insulin in the acute control of very low density lipoprotein production in humans. J Clin Invest 95(1):158–166

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. 22.

    Steinberg HO, Tarshoby M, Monestel R, Hook G, Cronin J, Johnson A, Bayazeed B, Baron AD (1997) Elevated circulating free fatty acid levels impair endothelium-dependent vasodilation. J Clin Invest 100(5):1230–1239

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. 23.

    Kelley DE, Mokan M, Simoneau JA, Mandarino LJ (1993) Interaction between glucose and free fatty acid metabolism in human skeletal muscle. J Clin Invest 92(1):91–98

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. 24.

    Shankar SS, Steinberg HO (2005) FFAs: do they play a role in vascular disease in the insulin resistance syndrome? Curr Diab Rep 5(1):30–35

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. 25.

    Gabay C, Kushner I (1999) Acute-phase proteins and other systemic responses to inflammation. N Eng J Med 340:448–451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. 26.

    Morrow DA, Ridker PM (2000) C-reactive protein, inflammation and coronary risk. Med Clin North Am 84:149–161

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. 27.

    Marques-Vidal P, Mazoyer E, Bongard V, Gourdy P, Ruidavets JB, Drouet L, Ferrieres J (2002) Prevalence of insulin resistance syndrome in southwestern France and its relationship with inflammatory and hemostatic markers. Diabetes Care 25(8):1371–1377

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. 28.

    Kawamoto R, Tomita H, Oka Y, Ohtsuka N (2006) Relationship between serum uric acid concentration, metabolic syndrome and carotid atherosclerosis. Intern Med 45(9):605–614

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. 29.

    Ruggiero C, Cherubini A, Ble A, Bos AJ, Maggio M, Dixit VD, Lauretani F, Bandinelli S, Senin U, Ferrucci L (2006) Uric acid and inflammatory markers. Eur Heart J 27(10):1174–1181

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. 30.

    Erdogan D, Gullu H, Caliskan M, Yildirim E, Bilgi M, Ulus T, Sezgin N, Muderrisoglu H (2005) Relationship of serum uric acid to measures of endothelial function and atherosclerosis in healthy adults. Int J Clin Pract 59(11):1276–1282

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. 31.

    Ren J (2004) Leptin and hyperleptinemia-from friend to foe for cardiovascular dysfunction. J Endocrinol 181(1):1–10

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. 32.

    Abdella NA, Mojiminiyi OA, Moussa MA, Zaki M, Al Mohammedi H, Al Ozairi ES, Al Jebely S (2005) Plasma leptin concentration in patients with type 2 diabetes: relationship to cardiovascular disease risk factors and insulin resistance. Diabet Med 22:278–285

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest related to the publication of this manuscript.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, School of Medicine, Akdeniz University, 07070, Antalya, Turkey

    Ramazan Sari & Mustafa Kemal Balci

  2. Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey

    Ayse Akman & Erkan Alpsoy

Authors
  1. Ramazan Sari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ayse Akman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Erkan Alpsoy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mustafa Kemal Balci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ramazan Sari.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sari, R., Akman, A., Alpsoy, E. et al. The metabolic profile in patients with skin tags. Clin Exp Med 10, 193–197 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-009-0086-5

Download citation

Keywords

  • Skin tags
  • Insulin resistance
  • Obesity
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Dyslipidemia
  • High-sensitive C-reactive protein
  • Free fatty acid
  • Uric acid
  • Leptin