Lipopolysaccharide binding protein, obesity status and incidence of metabolic syndrome: a prospective study among middle-aged and older Chinese

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis Although microbiota-derived endotoxaemia has previously been shown to induce metabolic disorders, data from population-based longitudinal studies are scarce. This study therefore investigated the associations between lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) levels and 6 year incident metabolic syndrome (MetS), as well as the potentially modifying effects of obesity status in middle-aged and older Chinese men and women. Methods A total of 2,529 men and women aged 50-70 years from Beijing and Shanghai, China, were followed for 6 years. Those free of MetS at baseline (1,312) were included in the analyses for the risk of developing MetS. Baseline plasma LBP was measured using an ELISA kit.Results During the 6 year follow-up, 449 (34.2%) participants developed MetS. Baseline LBP was significantly associated with BMI, waist circumference, blood lipid profile and C-reactive protein (CRP) both at baseline and during follow-up (all p<0.05). The RR for incident MetS comparing extreme quartiles of LBP was 1.28 (95% CI 1.04, 1.58), after multivariate adjustment including BMI and CRP. In stratified analysis, LBP was positively associated with incident MetS only in normal-weight participants (RR, comparing extreme tertiles, 1.59; 95% CI 1.18, 2.15; p trend =0.002), but not in their overweight/obese counterparts (RR, comparing extreme tertiles, 0.99; 95% CI 0.80, 1.22; p trend =0.880). A significant interaction was observed between LBP and obesity status ( p interaction =0.013). Conclusions/interpretation Our study suggested that elevated plasma LBP was associated with an increased risk of developing MetS among middle-aged and older Chinese, especially in normal-weight individuals.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as trigger of cardiovascular and metabolic complication in metabolic syndrome

“…A recent Chinese study has investigated the association between plasma LBP and the 6-year incidence of MS, and the potential modification effects of obesity status on the LBP-MS association in adults. The authors conclude that elevated plasma LBP is positively associated with 6-year MS incidence, especially among normal-weight individuals [74]. This finding supports the hypothesis that an increased IP and a mild degree subsequent endotoxemia are involved both in MS and fatty liver disease pathogenesis, and might link them together.…”

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein is a negative regulator of adipose tissue browning in mice and humans

“…Although seemingly unexpected, these findings can be viewed in relation to our current understanding that complex relationships exist between inflammatory pathways (Lbp-null mice also showed a decrease in systemic and local inflammatory markers, such as IL-6) and metabolic regulation. Numerous studies have demonstrated a positive association between serum LBP concentration and obesityassociated metabolic disturbances, including insulin resistance, in humans [29][30][31][32][33]. However, a discrepancy between circulating concentrations of innate immune system proteins in obese patients and the metabolic phenotype of the corresponding knockout mice has also been reported for lipocalin-2 [34,35] and IL-6 [4,36].…”

Association of Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein With Aging-Related Adiposity Change and Prediabetes Among African Ancestry Men

“…LBP is strongly correlated with LPS levels ( r ≥ 0.6) in human serum (11) and increases in response to greater LPS in mouse models (12). Therefore, owing to its crucial role in modulating the immune response and its known correlation with LPS, LBP is generally considered to be a reasonable surrogate biomarker for assessing LPS-induced inflammation in humans (13,14). …”

“…LBP levels are higher among individuals who are obese, have diabetes, or have metabolic syndrome or glucose intolerance (13–18). Although cross-sectional studies have shown that LBP levels are associated with anthropometric and metabolic measurements (11,15,18), few longitudinal studies have investigated LBP in relation to obesity- and diabetes-related measures (13).…”