Association of Adiposity with protein biomarkers increases CVD risk: JAMA
China: A recent study has found association between adiposity and a range of protein biomarkers that in part might explain the association between adiposity (obesity) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The findings of the study are published in the journal JAMA Cardiology.
"For many such biomarkers, there was a consistency between genetic and observational findings in their associations with BMI. Some of the BMI-associated protein biomarkers were also shown to be observationally associated with incident CVD risk," wrote the authors.
Obesity is associated with higher CVD risk but bot much is known about the role of circulating protein biomarkers in this association. Yuanjie Pang, Peking University, Beijing, China, and colleagues therefore examined the observational and genetic associations of adiposity with circulating protein biomarkers and the observational associations of proteins with incident CVD.
The study included 628 participants from the prospective China Kadoorie Biobank who did not have cancer history at baseline. 92 protein markers in baseline plasma samples were measured via the Olink platform. The researchers collected data from June 2004 to January 2016 and analyzed from January 2019 to June 2020.
Cross-sectional associations of adiposity with biomarkers were examined using linear regression. Biomarkers associaiton with CVD risk were assessed using Cox regression.
Key findings of the study include:
- In observational analyses of 628 individuals; 61.3% women BMI was positively associated with 27 proteins (per 1-SD higher BMI; eg, interleukin-6: 0.21 SD; interleukin-18: 0.13 SD; monocyte chemoattractant protein–1: 0.12 SD; hepatocyte growth factor: 0.31 SD), and inversely with 3 proteins (Fas ligand: −0.11 SD; TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis, −0.14 SD; and carbonic anhydrase 9: (−0.14 SD), with similar associations identified for other adiposity traits.
- In mendelian randomization, the associations of genetically elevated BMI with specific proteins were directionally consistent with the observational associations. In meta-analyses of genetically elevated BMI with 8 proteins, combining present estimates with previous studies, the most robust associations were shown for interleukin-6 (per 1-SD higher BMI; 0.21 SD), interleukin-18 SD), monocyte chemoattractant protein–1 (0.21 SD), monocyte chemotactic protein–3 (0.12 SD), TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (0.23 SD), and hepatocyte growth factor (0.14 SD).
- Of the 30 BMI-associated biomarkers, 10 (including interleukin-6, interleukin-18, and hepatocyte growth factor) were nominally associated with incident CVD.
"Mendelian randomization shows adiposity to be associated with a range of protein biomarkers, with some biomarkers also showing association with CVD risk," wrote the authors.
"Future studies are warranted to validate these findings and assess whether proteins may be mediators between adiposity and CVD," they concluded.
The study, "Associations of Adiposity, Circulating Protein Biomarkers, and Risk of Major Vascular Diseases," is published in the journal JAMA Cardiology.
DOI: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/10.1001/jamacardio.2020.6041
