title: Associations between Inflammatory Markers and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Middle-aged White, Japanese-American and Japanese Men: The ERA-JUMP Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen are associated with biomarkers of atherosclerosis [carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC)] in the general male population, including Asians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based samples of 310 Japanese, 293 Japanese-American and 297 white men 40-49 years of age without clinical cardiovascular disease underwent measurement of IMT, CAC and the CRP and fibrinogen levels as well as other conventional risk factors using standardized methods. Statistical associations between the variables were evaluated using multiple linear or logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Japanese group had significantly lower levels of inflammatory markers and subclinical atherosclerosis than the Japanese-American and white groups (P-values all ＜0.001). The mean level of CRP was 0.66 vs. 1.11 and 1.47 mg/L, while that of fibrinogen was 255.0 vs. 313.0 and 291.5 mg/dl, respectively. In addition, the mean carotid IMT was 0.61 vs. 0.73 and 0.68 mm, while the mean prevalence of CAC was 11.6% vs. 32.1% and 26.3%, respectively. Body mass index (BMI) showed significant positive associations with both the CRP and fibrinogen levels. Although CRP showed a significant positive association with IMT in the Japanese men, this association became non-significant following adjustment for traditional risk factors or BMI. In all three populations, CRP was not found to be significantly associated with the prevalence of CAC. Similarly, fibrinogen did not exhibit a significant association with either IMT or the prevalence of CAC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The associations between inflammatory markers and subclinical atherosclerosis may merely reflect the strong associations between BMI and the levels of inflammatory markers and incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in both Eastern and Western populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University.
authors.forename: Shin-Ya
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohkubo
authors.forename: Kamal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barinas-Mitchell
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: ToddB
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.forename: Aiman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Saed
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kadowaki
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Willcox
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Edmundowicz
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kadota
authors.forename: Rhobert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kadowaki
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujiyoshi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisamatsu
authors.forename: Marianne H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bertolet
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Lewis H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kuller
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueshima
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekikawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian; D044466:Asian People; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein