Host characteristics associated with serologic inflammatory biomarkers in women

• Published in: Cytokine (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 2022-01, Vol.149, p.155726-155726, Article 155726
• Main Authors: Wang, Sophia S., Zhong, Charlie, Epeldegui, Marta, Nunes, Sarah, Magpantay, Larry, DeHart, Jessica Clague, Hurley, Susan, Goldberg, Debbie, Martinez, Elena, Lacey, James V., Martinez-Maza, Otoniel, Reynolds, Peggy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: B-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Biomarkers - metabolism; Blood; Body Mass Index; Circulating markers; Cross-sectional; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cytokines - metabolism; Diabetes; Epidemiology; Exercise - physiology; Female; Human; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - metabolism; Logistic Models; Macrophage Activation - physiology; Macrophages - metabolism; Obesity; Odds Ratio; Physical activity; Prospective Studies; Statins; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism
• ISSN: 1043-4666; 1096-0023
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155726

•Obesity was positively associated with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL6, sCD27 and sTNFR2.•Having diabetes was positively associated with the pro-inflammatory/ macrophage activation pathway.•Physical activity was inversely associated with detectable levels of TNF-R2, TNFα and IL6. There is growing evidence that exposure to low-grade inflammation may be associated with adverse health outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional study within the California Teachers Study prospective cohort, among female participants who had completed a questionnaire that asked about their health behaviors (e.g., diabetes, physical activity, body mass index, medication use) and who had donated blood within a year of their questionnaire. 822 women with stored serum were evaluated for 16 immune biomarkers. In addition, four immune pathways were constructed: Th1, pro-inflammatory/macrophage activation, B-cell activation, and T-cell activation. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between host characteristics and immune biomarkers were assessed using logistic regression models. Compared to women of a normal BMI, obese women (>30 kg/m2) were positively associated with sTNFR2, CD27, IL6, CXCL13, sIL-2Rα, and IL6Ra levels above the median, with odds ratios ranging from 1.5 to 6.0. The pro-inflammatory/macrophage activation pathway was positively associated with diabetes (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.14–3.95), fueled by individual associations between diabetes and sTNF-R2, TNFα and sCD27. Physical activity was inversely associated with sTNF-R2, TNFα, CXCL13, IL6, IL10, and IFN-γ levels, particularly for the highest category of activity (5.88+ hours/week) (ORs = 0.32–0.69). In pathway-based analyses, the Th1 pathway which includes decreased levels of IL4 and IL10 was positively associated with elevated physical activity (OR = 1.5). In contrast, the pro-inflammatory, B- and T-cell activation pathways were positively associated with higher BMI (OR ranging from 1.6 to 3) and inversely associated with increasing levels of physical activity. Several host characteristics were associated with circulating levels of immune biomarkers, including markers of inflammation. Further understanding of associations between immune marker profiles with human disease are warranted.