title: Procalcitonin, an Independent Marker of Abdominal Fat Accumulation in Obese Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circulating procalcitonin (PCT) is an inflammatory marker produced by several cell types including adipose tissue following cytokine stimulation. A low-grade inflammation is well recognized in obese patients with insulin resistance but data on PCT levels in obese patients remain scarce. The aim of our study was to evaluate the link between plasma PCT concentration and metabolic parameters of obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurements of biological parameters and total body scan using dual-energy x-ray were performed in all non-diabetic adult patients with a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m² hospitalized for metabolic and physical assessment of their obesity since January 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elevated plasma PCT levels of the 295 patients included were associated with degree of obesity (OR = 2.76 [1.26-6.03] class III vs. class I obesity), waist circumference (OR = 4.20 [1.98-8.92], highest vs. lowest tercile), and trunk-to-total fat ratio (OR = 6.75 [2.12-21.4], highest vs. lowest tercile). Interestingly, no significant as- sociation between the highest PCT levels and hsCRP (OR = 1.33 [0.68-2.26]) or IR (OR = 1.26 [0.67-2.37]) was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that plasma PCT levels were independently associated with central adiposity assessed by clinical and imaging assessment, but not with insulin resistance in obese patients.
authors.forename: Guilaine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boursier
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avignon
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuster
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boegner
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leprieur
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picandet
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bargnoux
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Badiou
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dupuy
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cristol
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sultan
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide