Abstract P301: Adipocytokines and Vitamin D in a Biracial Sample of Young Metabolically Healthy Obese and Metabolically Abnormal Obese Women

Abstract

Purpose: Adipocytokines and vitamin D (vitD) concentrations may contribute to cardiometabolic risk profiles in obese populations. To address this potential relationship we assessed levels of adipocytokines and vitD concentrations between young metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically abnormal obese (MAO) black and white women. Methods: Project Health included 46 overweight/obese young women (BMI ≥25 kg/m2, age=19-35 years, 61% Black). Women were classified as MHO (<2 abnormal cardiometabolic risk factors) or MAO (≥2 abnormal cardiometabolic risk factors) based on: blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg; triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL; HDL-C <50 mg/dL; glucose ≥100 mg/dL; CRP ≥90th %tile; HOMA-IR ≥90th %tile). Serum levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured by an immunoturbidimetric assay; levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay; adiponectin by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitD) by a radioimmunoassay. Total body fat was measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry. Pearson correlations were used to test the associations between body fat and serum measures. T-tests and linear regression (adjusting for race and body fat) were used to examine differences between MHO and MAO. Results: Compared to MAO (n=9, 20%), MHO (n=37; 80%) had significantly lower BMI values (MHO: 30.5±3.5; MAO: 34.3±3.9 kg/m2, p=0.004), but there was no significant difference in body fat (mean in total sample: 45.3±6.2%). CRP concentration was significantly associated with higher body fat (%) in MAO (r=0.78, p=0.007), but this relationship was not significant in MHO. IL-6, TNF-α and vitD were not significantly correlated with percent body fat in either MHO or MAO. Compared to MHO, MAO had significantly higher CRP levels (log mg/L MHO: 0.82±1.2 vs. MAO 1.8±0.9, p=0.01); and significantly lower adiponectin levels (log ng/mL MHO: 9.7±0.5 vs. MAO 9.0±0.3; p=0.0004). These differences remained significant after adjusting for race and body fat. There were no significant differences between MHO and MAO for IL-6, TNF-α or VitD levels. Conclusion: Compared to MHO, young women who are MAO have higher levels of CRP and lower levels of adiponectin even after controlling for potential confounders. Our findings suggest that chronic inflammation may play an important role in the mechanism of abnormal cardiometabolic risk as it differentiates young MHO and MAO women.