Alterations in systemic levels of Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines in overweight adolescents and obese mice.
BACKGROUND
Obesity represents a major problem for patients and health care systems in most industrialized countries. A chronic inflammatory state in obese individuals leads to disease conditions associated with activation of cellular immune mechanisms. Here, we sought to investigate the role of Th1-, Th2-, and Th17-related cytokines in overweight adolescents and mice on a high-fat diet.


METHODS
Plasma samples were obtained from 79 male adolescents aged 13-17 years. Thirty-seven of them had a body mass index (BMI) above the 90th age-specific percentile. Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines were measured using Bio-Plex multiplex technology (Bio-Rad, Hercules, USA). In an experimental approach, mice were fed with high-fat (HFD) or normal chow for 15 weeks.


RESULTS
Interleukin (IL)-17 concentrations were significantly decreased in overweight adolescents compared to lean controls [99.8 ± 7.3 pg/mL standard error of the mean (SEM) vs 146.6 ± 11.5 pg/mL SEM P = .001]. Levels of IL-17 correlated significantly with anthropometrical parameters of obesity. A concordant response was found in mice consuming a HFD for 15 weeks compared to controls (861 ± 165 pg/mL SEM vs 1575 ± 187 pg/ml SEM, P = .0183). However, a biphasic response was evident for most Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines as levels initially increased within the first 5 weeks on HFD and showed a decline afterwards.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to previous studies showing elevated levels of IL-17 in obese adults, we found a decreasing trend in overweight adolescents. This difference could possibly be related to the fact that disease conditions associated with obesity such as hypertension, vascular pathologies, diabetes, and a triggering of the Th1/Th17 axis were not yet present in overweight teenagers.
Division of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, University Duesseldorf, Medical Faculty, Duesseldorf, Germany.
Christian
C
Jung
Clinic of Internal Medicine II, Department of Cardiology, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Michael
M
Lichtenauer
Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Daniela
D
Strodthoff
Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, München, Germany.
Holger
H
Winkels
Clinic of Internal Medicine II, Department of Cardiology, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Bernhard
B
Wernly
Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, München, Germany.
Christina
C
Bürger
Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany.
Uran
U
Kamchybekov
Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, München, Germany.|Department of Medical Biochemistry, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Esther
E
Lutgens
Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany.
Hans-Reiner
HR
Figulla
Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.|Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, München, Germany.|Department of Medical Biochemistry, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Norbert
N
Gerdes
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000378:metabolism*
D016207:Cytokines

BMI
; Th1; Th17; Th2; adolescents; overweight; waist circumference