Association Of Serum Tumour Necrosis Factor-α With Serum Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol And Blood Pressure In Apparently Healthy Japanese Women

• Published in: Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology 2001-03, Vol.28 (3), p.188-192
• Main Authors: Ito, Hiroyuki, Ohshima, Akiko, Tsuzuki, Misako, Ohto, Naoko, Takao, Kaoru, Hijii, Chiga, Yanagawa, Mami, Ogasawara, Masashi, Nishioka, Kazuo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Arteriosclerosis - pathology; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Blood Pressure - physiology; Body Composition - physiology; Body Mass Index; cardiovascular disease; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; cytokine; dyslipidemia; Female; Humans; hypertension; inflammation; insulin resistance; lipid; Lipoproteins, LDL - blood; Middle Aged; obesity; Risk Factors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 0305-1870; 1440-1681
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1681.2001.03429.x

SUMMARY 1. The pro‐inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α is considered to be involved in the development of atherosclerosis by inducing local inflammatory responses in the vascular wall. Because TNF‐α is also known to affect lipid and glucose metabolism, the association between the circulating concentration of TNF‐α and atherogenic risk factors was examined in 82 apparently healthy Japanese women (aged 19–69 years; mean age 48.5 years). 2. The mean (±SD) serum TNF‐α concentration was 2.7±0.9 pg/mL (range 1.4–5.9 pg/mL). The TNF‐α concentration showed significant correlations with age (r = 0.28; P = 0.01), body mass index (r = 0.27; P = 0.01), the waist–hip ratio (r = 0.41; P = 0.0002), percentage body fat (r = 0.30; P = 0.006), systolic (r = 0.32; P = 0.004) and diastolic (r = 0.24; P = 0.03) blood pressure, total cholesterol (r = 0.27; P = 0.02) and low‐ density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL‐C; r = 0.36; P = 0.001), while the correlations with high‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol (r = –0.20; P = 0.08) and insulin resistance estimated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMAIR; r = 0.16; P = 0.15) were not statistically significant. 3. When adjusted for age and menopause, TNF‐α was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.25; P = 0.02) and LDL‐C (r = 0.27; P = 0.02). The association between TNF‐α and LDL‐C remained significant when adjustment was made for age, menopause and the waist–hip ratio (r = 0.24; P = 0.03). 4. Our results indicate that TNF‐α may play a role in modulating blood pressure and LDL‐C.