title: Brown adipose tissue activation is inversely related to central obesity and metabolic parameters in adult human.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have shown that adult human possess active brown adipose tissue (BAT), which might be important in affecting obesity. However, the supporting evidence on the relationship between BAT and central obesity and metabolic profile in large population based studies is sparse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 4011 (2688 males and 1323 females) tumor-free Chinese adults aged 18-89 for BAT activities, visceral/subcutaneous fat areas (VFA/SFA), waist circumferences (WC) and metabolic parameters. We found that the prevalence of BAT was around 2.7% in our study participants, with a significant sexual difference (5.5% in the females vs. 1.3% in the males; p<0.0001). BAT detection was increased in low temperature and declined in elderly subjects. The BAT positive subjects had lower BMI (P<0.0001), less SFA (P<0.01), VFA (P<0.0001), WC (P<0.0001), lower fasting glucose and triglyceride levels (both P<0.01) and increased HDL cholesterol concentrations (P<0.0001), compared with the BAT negative subjects. Robust logistic regression revealed that after adjustment for covariates (including age, sex, BMI, VFA, SFA and WC), age and BMI in the males (0.92 [95%CI, 0.88-0.96] and 0.84 [95% CI, 0.75-0.96], both P ≤0.008) while age and VFA in the females (0.87 [95%CI, 0.83-0.91] and 0.98 [95%CI, 0.97-0.99], respectively, P<0.05) were independently associated with detectable BAT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that decreased amount of active BAT might be associated with accumulation of visceral fat content and unfavorable metabolic outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qidi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Weiqiong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Weiqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001831:Body Temperature; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000378:metabolism*; D016017:Odds Ratio