Metabolically unhealthy and overweight phenotypes are associated with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines: a population-based study

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Los Angeles County, Calif.), 2022-04, Vol.96, p.111590-111590, Article 111590
• Main Authors: Ferreira, Fabrícia Geralda, Reitz, Luiza Kuhnen, Valmorbida, Aline, Papini Gabiatti, Mariana, Hansen, Fernanda, Faria Di Pietro, Patrícia, Licursi de Oliveira, Leandro, Santos de Moraes Trindade, Erasmo Benício, Zarbato Longo, Giana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Age; Biomarkers; Body fat; Body Mass Index; Body weight; Cardiovascular diseases; Censuses; Chronic illnesses; Cytokines; Fasting; Genotype & phenotype; Glucose; Health care; Health risks; Humans; Inflammation; Insulin resistance; Metabolic phenotypes; Metabolic Syndrome - metabolism; Metabolism; Obesity; Obesity, Metabolically Benign; Overweight; Phenotype; Phenotypes; Population; Population studies; Population-based studies; Quartiles; Regression analysis; Regression models; Risk Factors; Sample size; Smoking; Sociodemographics; Statistical analysis; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Uric acid; Visceral adiposity; Vitamin D; Womens health
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2022.111590

•Overweight plus metabolic alterations are associated with proinflammatory cytokines.•Metabolically unhealthy normal weight and metabolically healthy overweight phenotypes are associated with higher levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-12 p70.•Metabolic alterations and overweight are important cardiovascular risk factors.•Identifying metabolic phenotypes is important for prevention of chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the association between cytokine levels in metabolic phenotypes. Our hypothesis was that an unhealthy metabolic profile is associated to higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines. The study sample was composed of 743 Brazilian adults classified in four phenotypes: metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW), metabolically healthy overweight (MHOW), and metabolically unhealthy overweight (MUOW). Sociodemographic, anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical parameters were collected. Six different cytokines were analyzed from blood samples using the CBA Human Inflammatory cytokines kit and the values divided in quartiles for analysis. Logistic regression models were constructed to assess the association between metabolic phenotypes and cytokines concentrations, adjusted for potential confounders and P < 0.05 was used. The MUOW phenotype showed a higher risk for increased levels of all cytokines analyzed compared with the reference group (MHNW). These results indicated that excess weight and altered metabolic profile are related to inflammation, especially when both conditions are associated, possibly linked to visceral adiposity. Therefore, the categorization of metabolic phenotypes in populations is an important factor for prevention of chronic diseases, as inflammation is associated with cardiovascular risk and obesity is not the only influencing factor. [Display omitted]