High sensitivity C-reactive protein is associated with the metabolic syndrome independent to viral and bacterial pathogen burden.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influences of bacterial or viral pathogen burden in the relationship of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and the metabolic syndrome in a population-based study.


METHODS
Data from 1754 men and women aged >or=25 years, from the Persian Gulf Healthy Heart Study were analyzed. The definition of the metabolic syndrome according to the Adult Treatment Panel III was used. Sera were analyzed for IgG antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae, Herpes simplex virus type 1, Helicobacter pylori and cytomegalovirus using ELISA. Measurement of CRP by a high-sensitivity CRP assay was done.


RESULTS
The subjects with the metabolic syndrome had a higher geometric mean of CRP levels than the normal persons (p<0.0001). A linear relationship between an increase in the number of metabolic syndrome components and CRP concentrations was observed (p for trend<0.0001). In multiple logistic regression models, hs-CRP showed significant associations with the metabolic syndrome after controlling for cardiovascular risk factors and infectious burden divided into 2, 3 and 4 pathogens [OR=2.06, CI (1.32-3.21), p=0.001; OR=1.75, CI (1.26-2.42), p=0. 001; OR=2.12, CI (1.46-3.08), p<0.0001; respectively].


CONCLUSIONS
There was a strong association between inflammation and the metabolic syndrome independent to viral and bacterial infectious burden.
Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Abdolali
A
Ebrahimi
Iraj
I
Nabipour
Katayoun
K
Vahdat
Seyed Mojtaba
SM
Jafari
Moradali
M
Fouladvand
Majid
M
Assadi
Ali
A
Movahed
Narges
N
Obeidi
Zahra
Z
Sanjdideh
D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol