Early Upregulation of Endothelial Adhesion Molecules in Obese Hypertensive Men

Upregulation of endothelial adhesion molecules is the earliest step of atherogenesis. Whether obesity induces endothelial adhesin upregulation is unknown. To address this topic, circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin, and von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentrations were evaluated in 22 obese hypertensive (51.4+/-4.6 years [mean+/-SD age]), 19 obese normotensive (50.6+/-3.8 years), 18 nonobese hypertensive (52.3+/-3.9 years), and 16 nonobese normotensive (52. 4+/-3.5 years) men without other risk factors or overt atherosclerosis. All measurements were repeated in the obese subgroups after weight loss induced by 12 weeks of caloric restriction. Basal circulating VCAM-1 levels were similar between the 2 obese groups but were higher (P<0.0001) than in the 2 nonobese groups. No differences were found between nonobese hypertensives and normotensives. Serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol was weakly correlated with plasma soluble VCAM-1 levels in pooled, obese subjects (r=0.362, P=0.02). Plasma soluble adhesin and vWF concentrations decreased significantly after weight loss in obese hypertensives (VCAM-1 P=0.03, ICAM-1 P=0.004, E-selectin P<0.0001, and vWF P=0.003) and normotensives (VCAM-1 P=0.04, ICAM-1 P=0.003, E-selectin P<0.0001, and vWF P<0.0001). Body mass index was correlated with plasma E-selectin concentrations at baseline and after weight loss in obese hypertensives (r=0.501, P=0.018 and r=0. 466, P=0.03, respectively) and obese normotensives (r=0.523, P=0.021 and r=0.460, P=0.05, respectively). In conclusion, our data show that obesity per se induces early endothelial activation in hypertensive and normotensive men. Weight loss counteracted endothelial activation in both obese hypertensive and normotensive men.