ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Obesity is a chronic low-grade inflammation, in which macrophages play an important role in the maintenance of inflammation by producing pre-inflammatory and inflammatory substances such as retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), which acts as a trigger for adipose tissue inflammation and associated with obesity co-morbidities.
Objective:
This study evaluated the serum concentration of RBP4 and biomarkers of insulin resistance (IR) in young adult patients with normal weight, overweight and obese.
Methods:
A cross sectional study was conducted involving 149 subjects: 54 healthy individuals (32 women and 22 men), 27 overweight (17 women and 10 men) and 68 obese (41 women and 27 men). The anthropometric measures and the concentrations of RBP4, insulin, HbA1c and glucose were determined, in addition to the calculations for homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and insulin sensitivity (IS).
Results:
overweight and obese patients showed significantly higher levels of glucose, HbA1c, insulin, and HOMA-IR (p < 0.0001), and decreased IS (p > 0.0001) when compared with the normal weight group. There was an increase in RBP4 proportional to the increase in body mass index (BMI); the obese group showed significantly higher levels (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
This study suggests that RBP4 may play a key role in the development of inflammation and IR in young obese individuals, as it may promote significant disturbances in insulin metabolism and may contribute to the development of obesity-related co-morbidities. This parameter can represent a hope in the identification of new inflammatory and IR markers to assist in the diagnosis and follow-up of overweight and obese patients.
Key words:
retinol-binding proteins; obesity; insulin resistance; glucose
