title: Circulating IL-6 concentrations and associated anthropometric and metabolic parameters in South Asian men and women in comparison to European whites.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine any ethnic differences in circulating interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations among SAs and Europeans, and to assess their relationship with body composition and insulin resistance measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body composition was assessed among 80 SA and European men and women using anthropometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and abdominal CT scan. Oral glucose tolerance tests with insulin response were performed to assess insulin resistance measures. IL-6 levels were measured by high sensitivity ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median IL-6 values were higher in SA compared with European women: 1.94 mg/l versus 1.51 mg/l, p=0.041, but not so in men (1.56 mg/l versus 1.57 mg/l). Only measures of obesity, in particular percentage fat area (r=0.6, p=0.003), were positively correlated with IL-6 in SAs. Differences in body fat percentage (visceral and total) could explain up to 30% of the IL-6 difference between Asian and European women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SA women have elevated circulating IL-6 levels, in part due to greater visceral and percent fat levels compared with European women. This observation may in part explain why Asians are at elevated cardiovascular disease risk. Future studies should address the effects of lifestyle factors (physical activity, diet) on plasma IL-6 concentrations in SA women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mike J L
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Nazim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghouri
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McKeigue
authors.forename: Nita G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Forouhi
authors.forename: Naveed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sattar
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6