The aim of this study was to examine the association between systemic inflammatory and oxidative stress marker concentrations and pericardial and intrathoracic fat volumes. For that purpose, 1,175 participants (53% women, mean age 59±9 years) from the Framingham Offspring Study were analyzed. The present study showed that pericardial and intrathoracic fat volumes correlated with multiple markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, including C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), P-selectin, tumor necrosis factor receptor-2, and urinary isoprostanes. Multivariate analysis revealed that four of the biomarkers significantly correlated with both pericardial and intrathoracic fat which were CRP, IL-6, MCP-1 and urinary isoprostanes. After adjusting for body mass index, waist circumference and intra-abdominal fat, only CRP and urinary isoprostanes remained significantly correlated with intrathoracic fat, but not pericardial fat. This study provides evidence that pericardial and intrathoracic fat are associated with inflammation and oxidative stress.
Documentation centre