title: Association of serum bone morphogenetic protein 4 levels with obesity and metabolic syndrome in non-diabetic individuals.
abstract: Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4) is involved in the earliest stages of adipocyte differentiation and is recognized as an adipogenic factor for white adipose tissue. The association of serum BMP-4 levels with anthropometric and metabolic parameters has not been previously studied. We aimed to explore the relationship of serum BMP-4 levels with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Serum BMP-4 levels were measured in 104 non-diabetic individuals from the Chungju Metabolic Disease Cohort Study. Anthropometric measurements and components of metabolic syndrome were assessed in all patients. Serum BMP-4 levels were significantly increased in individuals with obesity or metabolic syndrome. After adjusting for age and gender, serum BMP-4 levels were positively correlated with body mass index, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio, fasting plasma insulin, homeostasis model assessment index, and triglycerides and were negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Among these parameters, WC and HDL cholesterol were found to be independent contributing factors for serum BMP-4 levels. Serum BMP-4 levels were also significantly higher in subjects with positive diagnostic criteria for each component of metabolic syndrome. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for BMP-4 was 0.661 (P = 0.022, 95% CI = 0.528 to 0.794) and the cut-off value was 2.84 pg/mL. This is the first demonstration that serum BMP-4 levels are associated with adiposity, insulin resistance, and the presence of metabolic syndrome. Whether BMP-4 may be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic syndrome deserves further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, #62 Yeoido-dong, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jang-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Mee-Kyoung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong-Moon
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ki-Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Soon-Jib
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Ki-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hyun Shik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Kun-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Won Chul
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bong-Yun
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Ho-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Hyuk-Sang
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
chemical_list: D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides