Sex differences in the association between leptin and CRP: results from the Dallas Heart Study.
OBJECTIVE
Higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in women compared with men may reflect sex differences in the relationship between obesity and inflammation. We evaluated how the adipokine leptin influenced these relationships.


RESULTS
Dual energy X-ray absorptometry measurements of fat mass and plasma levels of leptin and CRP were measured in 1188 women and 1102 men from the Dallas Heart Study. Analyses were stratified by sex and a leptin/percent fat index was created to evaluate the association between leptin and CRP independent of fat mass. Women had higher body mass index, percent fat mass, and plasma levels of CRP and leptin. CRP levels correlated with leptin levels in both women (Spearman rho=0.48, p<0.0001) and in men (rho=0.27, p<0.0001). In multivariable models adjusting for confounders including total fat mass, leptin/percent fat index remained significantly associated with logCRP in women (p=0.005), but not in men (p=0.95). A significant interaction was observed between sex and leptin levels on CRP (p(interaction)=0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Leptin was associated with CRP independent of other measures of obesity in women, but not in men. These findings suggest that sex differences in CRP may reflect sex-related differences in the inflammatory responses to obesity, and may in part, be mediated by leptin.
Abdullah
Shuaib M
SM
Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9047, USA. Shuaib.abdullah@utsouthwestern.edu
Khera
Amit
A
Leonard
David
D
Das
Sandeep R
SR
Canham
Russell M
RM
Kamath
Sandeep A
SA
Vega
Gloria L
GL
Grundy
Scott M
SM
McGuire
Darren K
DK
de Lemos
James A
JA
D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D020738:Leptin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein