Adipose tissue activity in relation to overweight or obesity

Introduction: Obesity is associated with a number of diseases resulting from the excessive amount of adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the quantity of adipose tissue and the prevalence of metabolic disturbances, and the concentration of adipokines and proinflammatory cytokines in obese or overweight patients. Material and methods: Fifty-five middle-aged subjects with body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m(2) took part in this study. Twenty-three healthy people with normal BMI formed the control group. Twenty-one people from the study group were on a low-calorie diet. All subjects underwent anthropometric assessment, laboratory investigations, and blood-pressure examination. Results: Patients with obesity or overweight, in comparison to those with normal BMI, showed insulin resistance and a higher concentration of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), and interleukin 6(Il-6). The concentration of adiponectin was significantly lower in this group. The patients on the low-calorie diet had significantly lower concentrations of leptin when compared to other obese people; moreover, a trend towards decreased hs-CRP concentration was seen. A significant positive correlation between leptin and hs-CRP was observed. The serum concentration of adiponectin was inversely correlated with that of TNE-alpha, IL-6, hs-CRP, and PAI-1. Conclusions: The results of this study may suggest the beneficial impact of a low-calorie diet on the slowing down of inflammatory processes. The observed negative correlation between the concentrations of adiponectin and inflammatory cytolcines may confirm the anti-inflammatory activity of this adipokine. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (2): 160-168)