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Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1: a possible link between visceral adipose tissue-associated inflammation and subclinical echocardiographic abnormalities in uncomplicated obesity

Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, and ¹ Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Institute of General Pathology, University of Milano, Policlinico San Donato, Via Morandi 30, I-20097 San Donato, Milano, Italy and ² Echocardiographic Unit, Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Milano, Italy

(Correspondence should be addressed to B Ambrosi; Email: bruno.ambrosi{at}unimi.it)

Objective: Obesity can be considered a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation. Particularly, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) seems to be an active compartment in pro-inflammatory molecule secretion. Adipocytes and VAT are able to produce large amounts of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), a chemokine directly involved in ventricular remodeling.

Design: In this study, the possible existence of a correlation between MCP-1, abdominal fat accumulation and echocardiographic abnormalities in uncomplicated obesity was investigated.

Methods: Echocardiographic parameters, MCP-1 and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were assessed in 27 normotensive obese women of fertile age (body mass index 43.5 ± 4.8 kg/m², mean ± S.D.) and 15 normal weight women. Visceral fat (VAT) in the obese group was assessed by computed tomography.

Results: Obese patients had higher MCP-1 (P < 0.0001) and CRP (P < 0.0001) levels than controls. MCP-1 levels were correlated with VAT area (r = 0.57, P < 0.0001), CRP (P < 0.0001), left ventricular mass (LVM) (P < 0.02), LVM indexed for height (P < 0.03), end-diastolic posterior wall (P < 0.005), relative wall thickness (P < 0.01), early diastolic filling wave velocity (P < 0.01), isovolumetric relaxation time (P < 0.001) and deceleration time (P < 0,01). Obese patients with greater amounts of VAT (> 130 cm²) presented higher MCP-1 (P < 0.0001) and CRP levels (P < 0.04) than those with a lower degree of abdominal adiposity.

Conclusions: MCP-1 levels and visceral adipose tissue seem to be associated with some morphological and functional echocardiographic abnormalities and support a role for visceral fat in predisposing the subject to cardiac dysfunction, possibly through a low-grade state of inflammation.

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