Premium
Increased Toll‐like receptor ( TLR ) mRNA expression in monocytes is a feature of metabolic syndrome in adolescents
Author(s) -
Hardy O. T.,
Kim A.,
Ciccarelli C.,
Hayman L. L.,
Wiecha J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
pediatric obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.226
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 2047-6310
pISSN - 2047-6302
DOI - 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00098.x
Subject(s) - medicine , inflammation , receptor , tumor necrosis factor alpha , innate immune system , immunology , immune system , monocyte , metabolic syndrome , endocrinology , systemic inflammation , body mass index , cytokine , population , obesity , environmental health
Summary Background Metabolic syndrome ( M et S yn) is diagnosed frequently in some but not all overweight adolescents. Chronic inflammation, as seen in obesity, is strongly associated with Me t S yn. Objectives The aim of this pilot study was to assess the correlation between activation of the innate immune system and M et S yn, independent of body mass index ( BMI ), in a young population. Methods We quantitatively measured both systemic pro‐inflammatory cytokines and gene expression of Toll‐like receptors ( TLR s) and downstream cytokines in circulating monocytes obtained from nine adolescents with metabolic syndrome ( O verwt‐ M et S yn) and eight BMI ‐matched controls ( O verwt‐ H ealthy). Results The O verwt‐ M et S yn group demonstrated a significant elevation in expression of TLR 2, TLR 4, tumour necrosis factor‐a ( TNF a) and interleukin‐6 ( IL 6) in peripheral monocytes, and increased circulating levels of TNF a and IL 6 when compared with the O verwt‐ H ealthy group. TLR 2 (r = 0.78, P < 0.001), TLR 4 (r = 0.57, P < 0.01) and TNF a (r = 0.61, P < 0.01) gene expression positively correlated with serum levels of TNF a. Conclusions Our study suggests that activation of the innate immune pathway via TLR s may be partially responsible for the increased systemic inflammation seen in adolescents with M et S yn.