C-reactive protein and hormones but not IL-6 are associated to body mass index in first trimester of pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate if body mass index (BMI) is related to inflammatory markers and hormones in early pregnancy.


METHODS
A prospective study with 190 pregnant women evaluated at 10 weeks when leptin, insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured. Median and inter-quartile values of hormones and inflammatory markers are presented according to BMI quintiles. Spearman correlations and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance were implemented followed by Mann-Whitney post hoc pair-wise tests.


RESULTS
Leptin (P < 0.001), insulin (P = 0.005), HOMA-IR (P = 0.015), and CRP (P = 0.026) assumed higher and significantly median values as BMI quintiles increases, but no differences were observed for IL-6 (P = 0.859). Pair-wise comparisons among quintiles (Q) of BMI were significant for leptin (Q1 × Q3, Q1 × Q4, Q1 × Q5, Q2 × Q4, Q2 × Q5, Q3 × Q5), insulin (Q1 × Q5, Q2 × Q5, Q3 × Q5, Q4 × Q5) and for CRP (Q1 × Q4, Q1 × Q5, Q2 × Q5). Spearman correlation coefficients between BMI showed significant results for leptin (r (s) = 0.58, P < 0.001), insulin (r (s) = 0.19, P = 0.018), HOMA-IR (r (s) = 0.22, P = 0.007), CRP (r (s) = 0.26, P < 0.001), but not for IL-6 (r (s) = -0.06, P = 0.526). Median (mg/L) values of CRP were higher in overweight (35.26) than in normal weight women (21.28, P = 0.051).


CONCLUSIONS
The present investigation provides evidences on the positive relationship between BMI, leptin, insulin, HOMA-IR and CRP in early pregnancy. CRP but not IL-6 demonstrated a strong relation with overweight in pregnant women, as early as the tenth week.
Kac
Gilberto
G
Department of Social and Applied Nutrition, Institute of Nutrition Josué de Castro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. kacetal@gmail.com
Vaz
Juliana dos Santos
JS
Schlüssel
Michael Maia
MM
Moura
Anibal Sanchez
AS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
D007328:Insulin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D020738:Leptin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein