title: Number of components of the metabolic syndrome; smoking and inflammatory markers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between inflammatory markers and the combination of the smoking status plus a number of components of the metabolic syndrome was not fully evaluated in male Japanese subjects.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the association between inflammatory markers and the number of components of the metabolic syndrome by considering smoking status.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3,017 male subjects (1,047 current smokers, 1,970 non-smokers) were included. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was defined by the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. The smoking status was categorized in a binary manner into current smokers or non-smokers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The geometric mean value of the serum CRP increased linearly as the number of components of MetS increased (P < 0.05). In contrast, the mean values of the total WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte counts showed peak values when the number of MetS components was 3 or 4. The log-transformed serum CRP levels and the WBC counts were significantly correlated with one another (P < 0.001), but Pearson's correlation coefficient was under 0.3 for current smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among several inflammatory markers, the serum CRP predominantly changed linearly as the number of MetS increased regardless of smoking status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Nippon Medical School, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: Tokiomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kon
keywords: Inflammation; Metabolic Syndrome; Smoking