Relationship of serum interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels with abdominal fat distribution evaluated by ultrasonography in overweight or obese postmenopausal women.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to measure associations of circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) levels with anthropometric and abdominal fat distribution in overweight or obese postmenopausal women.


METHODS
One hundred eight overweight or obese postmenopausal were evaluated. Demographic and anthropometric measurements were done. Serum IL-6, TNF-alpha, glucose, and insulin levels were measured. Insulin resistance was calculated by using homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The assessment of abdominal fat distribution was performed by ultrasonography. Statistical analysis was made with Pearson and partial correlation analysis.


RESULTS
There was a positive correlation between serum IL-6 and TNF-alpha (r = .19; p = .047). IL-6 was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) (r = .43; p = .0001), waist circumference (r = .41; p = .0001), and visceral fat layer (r = .33; p = .0001) measurements and HOMA-IR index (r = .31, p = .001). A positive relationship between HOMA-IR and visceral fat layer thickness was observed (r = .320; p = .0001). TNF-alpha was positively associated with BMI but not with any measures of central obesity. When adjustment for BMI was performed, there were no significant relationships between the studied parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
There are no significant correlations between abdominal fat distributions measured by ultrasonography and circulating IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels. BMI may have a stronger association with circulating inflammatory cytokine concentrations than with different measures of central obesity in overweight or obese postmenopausal women.
Fenkci
Semin
S
Departmentof Internal Medicine, Pamukkale University, School of Medicine, Denizil, Turkey. sfenkci@yahoo.com
Rota
Simin
S
Sabir
Nuran
N
Sermez
Yurdaer
Y
Guclu
Aydin
A
Akdag
Beyza
B
D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050177:Overweight; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D014463:Ultrasonography
C508600:IL6 protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha