Gonzalez-Gil EM, et al. - Researchers sought to examine the inflammatory status by metabolic health/body mass index (BMI) category and, they intended to determine how inflammatory markers can predict the cardio-metabolic profile in European adolescents, considering BMI. Findings demonstrated association between metabolic/BMI status and inflammatory biomarkers, being the C-reactive protein (CRP), complement factors (C3, C4) the most related inflammatory markers with this condition. Data also highlighted a consistent association of C3 and C4 with the cardio-metabolic health.

Methods

• Researchers performed this study on 659 adolescents (295 boys) from a cross-sectional European study.
• They divided adolescents by metabolic health based on age- and sex-specific cut-off points for glucose, blood pressure, triglycerides, high density cholesterol and BMI.
• Study participants were assessed for C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL-6), complement factors (C3, C4) and cell adhesion molecules.

Results

• Higher values of C3 (p < 0.001) and C4 (p=0.032) were observed in metabolically abnormal (MA) adolescents vs those metabolically healthy (MH).
• A significant increase in C3 concentrations was evident with the deterioration of the metabolic health and BMI (p < 0.001).
• Findings also revealed that adolescents with higher values of CRP had higher probability of being in the overweight/obese-MH group than those allocated in other categories.
• Finally, researchers noted that high C3 and C4 concentrations increased the probability of having an unfavorable metabolic/BMI status.