Host characteristics associated with serologic inflammatory biomarkers in women

Sophia S Wang; Charlie Zhong; Marta Epeldegui; Sarah Nunes; Larry Magpantay; Jessica Clague DeHart; Susan Hurley; Debbie Goldberg; Elena Martinez; James V Lacey; Otoniel Martinez-Maza; Peggy Reynolds

doi:10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155726

Host characteristics associated with serologic inflammatory biomarkers in women

Cytokine. 2022 Jan:149:155726. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155726. Epub 2021 Oct 16.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Health Analytics, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA. Electronic address: sowang@coh.org.
² Eugene and Ruth Roberts Academy, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.
³ University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Eugene and Ruth Roberts Academy, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA; Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA.
⁵ Claremont College, Claremont, CA, USA.
⁶ University of California San Francisco, CA, USA; Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, CA, USA.
⁷ University of California San Francisco, CA, USA.
⁸ University of California San Diego, CA, USA.
⁹ Division of Health Analytics, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.

Abstract

Background: There is growing evidence that exposure to low-grade inflammation may be associated with adverse health outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study within the California Teachers Study prospective cohort, among female participants who had completed a questionnaire that asked about their health behaviors (e.g., diabetes, physical activity, body mass index, medication use) and who had donated blood within a year of their questionnaire. 822 women with stored serum were evaluated for 16 immune biomarkers. In addition, four immune pathways were constructed: Th1, pro-inflammatory/macrophage activation, B-cell activation, and T-cell activation. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between host characteristics and immune biomarkers were assessed using logistic regression models.

Result: Compared to women of a normal BMI, obese women (>30 kg/m²) were positively associated with sTNFR2, CD27, IL6, CXCL13, sIL-2Rα, and IL6Ra levels above the median, with odds ratios ranging from 1.5 to 6.0. The pro-inflammatory/macrophage activation pathway was positively associated with diabetes (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.14-3.95), fueled by individual associations between diabetes and sTNF-R2, TNFα and sCD27. Physical activity was inversely associated with sTNF-R2, TNFα, CXCL13, IL6, IL10, and IFN-γ levels, particularly for the highest category of activity (5.88+ hours/week) (ORs = 0.32-0.69). In pathway-based analyses, the Th1 pathway which includes decreased levels of IL4 and IL10 was positively associated with elevated physical activity (OR = 1.5). In contrast, the pro-inflammatory, B- and T-cell activation pathways were positively associated with higher BMI (OR ranging from 1.6 to 3) and inversely associated with increasing levels of physical activity.

Conclusions: Several host characteristics were associated with circulating levels of immune biomarkers, including markers of inflammation. Further understanding of associations between immune marker profiles with human disease are warranted.

Keywords: Blood; Circulating markers; Cross-sectional; Diabetes; Epidemiology; Human; Inflammation; Obesity; Physical activity; Statins.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
Biomarkers / metabolism*
Body Mass Index
Cross-Sectional Studies
Cytokines / metabolism
Exercise / physiology
Female
Humans
Inflammation / metabolism*
Logistic Models
Macrophage Activation / physiology
Macrophages / metabolism
Odds Ratio
Prospective Studies
T-Lymphocytes / metabolism

Substances

Biomarkers
Cytokines

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding