Association between insulin-like growth factor 1 and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation in obese women

Abstract

Given its possible protective effect on vascular endothelial function, we hypothesized that the circulating level of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) could be associated with biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation, i.e., soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, in non-diabetic obese women. A total of 40 obese women (median age 35 (31-39) years; moderately obese I (n=21) body mass index (BMI) 30.0-34.9 kg/m2and severely obese (n=19) BMI 35.0-39.9 kg/m2) and 40 controls, age-matched healthy nonobese women were included in the study. Anthropometric parameters (BMI, waist circumference, fat adipose tissue percentage-FAT% measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis), serum concentrations of biomarkers (IGF-1, sICAM-1, sE-selectin and hs-CRP) and common carotid artery intima-media thickness Z-score (CCIMT Z-score) were assessed in all subjects. Severely obese subjects had a significantly lower median concentration of IGF-1 compared to moderately obese and nonobese subjects (95 (73.75-109.25) vs. 120 (108.3-141.7) vs. 115.5 (94.1-165.5) mg/mL, P<0.05). In moderately obese subjects, the median concentration of hs-CRP (3.41 (2.3-5.1) vs. 5.9 (3.2-9.57) mg/L, P=0.01) and sICAM-1 (244.5 (192.7-262.2) vs. 325.2 (229.2-339.6) mg/L, P=0.03) were significantly lower compared to severely obese subjects. In regression analysis IGF-1 concentration was independently associated with FAT% (β=-3.14; P=0.03), hs-CRP (β=-4.24; P=0.001) and CCIMT Z-score (β=-19.2; P=0.001). The circulating level of IGF-1 is associated with hs-CRP, but not with sE-selectin and sICAM-1 in non-diabetic obese women.