title: Plasma zinc α2-glycoprotein levels are elevated in smokers and correlated with metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking is a strong risk factor of metabolic syndrome. Zinc α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) is a protein involved in metabolic syndrome. This study aims to investigate the effect of smoking on plasma ZAG levels and its relations to metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 41 cigarette smokers and 47 non-smokers were enrolled. ZAG levels were measured to correlate to participants' demographic and metabolic parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma ZAG levels of smokers were higher than those of controls (P < 0.0001). Plasma ZAG levels were positively correlated with male gender (P = 0.0002), number of cigarettes smoked per day (P < 0.0001), smoking duration in years (P < 0.0001), smoking index (P < 0.0001) and nicotine dependence score (P < 0.0001). In the multiple regression analysis, smoking was a strong independent factor affecting plasma ZAG levels (P = 0.0034). Plasma ZAG levels elevated progressively with the number of metabolic syndrome components (P = 0.0143). In the multiple regression analysis, plasma ZAG was an independent factor for metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma ZAG levels are high in smokers and correlate with metabolic syndrome. Our results indicate ZAG is an independent risk factor, but also interacted with smoking, for the metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University and Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jaw-Shiun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Su-Chiu
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kuo-Chin
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Bee-Horng
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lue
authors.forename: Long-Teng
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tai-Yuan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Ching-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fei-Ran
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Lee-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000097:blood; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C488891:AZGP1 protein, human; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein
keywords: metabolic syndrome; smoking; zinc α2-glycoprotein