Pericardial Fat Volume Correlates With Inflammatory Markers: The Framingham Heart Study

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine whether systemic inflammatory and oxidative stress marker concentrations correlate with pericardial and intrathoracic fat volumes. Participants of the Framingham Offspring Study (n = 1,175, 53% women, mean age 59 ± 9 years) had pericardial and intrathoracic fat volumes assessed by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans, and provided fasting blood and urine samples to measure concentrations of 14 inflammatory markers: C‐reactive protein (CRP), interleukin‐6, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), CD40 ligand, fibrinogen, intracellular adhesion molecule‐1, lipoprotein‐associated phospholipase A2 activity and mass, myeloperoxidase, osteoprotegerin, P‐selectin, tumor necrosis factor‐α, tumor necrosis factor receptor‐2, and urinary isoprostanes. Multivariable linear regression models were used to determine the association of log‐transformed inflammatory marker concentrations with fat volumes, using fat volume as the dependent variable. Due to smaller sample sizes, models were rerun after adding urinary isoprostanes (n = 961) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (n = 813) to the marker panel. Upon backward elimination, four of the biomarkers correlated positively with each fat depot: CRP (P < 0.0001 for each fat depot), interleukin‐6 (P < 0.05 for each fat depot), MCP‐1 (P < 0.01 for each fat depot), and urinary isoprostanes (P < 0.01 for pericardial fat; P < 0.001 for intrathoracic fat). Even after adjusting for BMI, waist circumference (WC), and abdominal visceral fat, CRP (P = 0.0001) and urinary isoprostanes (P = 0.02) demonstrated significant positive associations with intrathoracic fat, but not with pericardial fat. Multiple markers of inflammation and oxidative stress correlated with pericardial and intrathoracic fat volumes, extending the known association between regional adiposity and inflammation and oxidative stress.

Pericardial Fat Is Associated With Impaired Lung Function and a Restrictive Lung Pattern in Adults

“…29 Recent epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that pericardial fat is correlated with infl ammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers. 8 The present data extend the literature by providing the fi rst population-based evidence that pericardial fat is associated with lung function, generally independent of CRP, suggesting that pericardial fat may exert deleterious effects on the lungs through local infl ammatory processes. Additional work is needed to understand the secretion of these compression of the pulmonary artery.…”

“…Pericardial fat may also compress the vasculature of the lungs and contribute to pulmonary fi brotic processes and lung function impairment. Last, pericardial fat correlates with systemic infl ammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers 8 that have been shown to be associated with impaired lung function. 9 The purpose of the present study was to examine the cross-sectional associations of pericardial fat, abdominal fat, and lung function as measured by visceral AT (VAT) and subcutaneous AT (SAT) has been described previously.…”

Increased Epicardial, Pericardial, and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Is Associated with the Presence and Severity of Coronary Artery Calcium

“…In fact, EAT and PAT are associated with multiple markers of inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and oxidative stress, including C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-6, MCP-1, P-selectin, tumor necrosis factor receptor-2, and urinary isoprostanes, vascular endothelial growth factor, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (23)(24)(25). Increased levels of the chemokine MCP-1 in visceral adipose tissue attract more monocytes and macrophages, inducing a self-sustaining inflammatory cycle (26,27).…”

Insulin sensitive and resistant obesity in humans: AMPK activity, oxidative stress, and depot-specific changes in gene expression in adipose tissue

“…Thus, obese individuals are reported to have higher serum levels of isoprostanes ( 19 ), malondialdehyde ( 20 ), protein carbonyls ( 21 ), and urinary isoprostanes ( 22 ). In addition, oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both insulin resistance (23)(24)(25) and infl ammation ( 26 ).…”