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Effect of diet-induced energy deficit and body fat reduction on high-sensitive CRP and other inflammatory markers in obese subjects

International Journal of Obesity volume 33, pages 456–464 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Aims:

To dissociate the possible differential effects of negative energy balance and reduction in body fat mass (FM) on inflammatory markers: C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, interleukin-6 (IL-6), haptoglobin, transferrin and the adipokines leptin and adiponectin.

Methods:

Thirty-three obese subjects (BMI: 34.0±3.1 kg/m2, age: 43.0±10.5 years, mean±s.d., 16 men) participated in a 20-week controlled dietary intervention divided into four periods. Weight reduction was induced by an 8-week low energy diet (3.4 MJ d−1) (LED-1) followed by a 4-week weight maintenance program (M-1). Subsequently participants underwent an additional 4-week LED (4.2 MJ d−1) (LED-2) followed by a final 4-week weight maintenance diet (M-2). Blood samples and anthropometrics were assessed at baseline and after LED-1, M-1, LED-2 and M-2.

Results:

Body weight was significantly reduced by 13% (13.7±4.0 kg, P<0.0001) after LED-1. However, a reduction in high-sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) by 35% (−1.1 (95% CI: −2.5:0.2) mg l−1, P=0.02) only became apparent after LED-2, which produced an additional weight loss of 2.9 kg compared to baseline, and it was maintained after M-2 (−1.0 (−1.4:0.4) mg l−1, P=0.02). Also IL-6 was reduced by 21% (−0.6 (−2.4:0.2) ng l−1, P=0.02) after M-2. The reductions in hs-CRP and IL-6 were both associated with reduction in FM but not body weight. Haptoglobin, transferrin and leptin were significantly reduced after both LED-1 and LED-2, but increased during weight maintenance. Adiponectin was not significantly changed during the intervention.

Conclusions:

The results suggest that, whereas haptoglobin and transferrin respond more rapidly and are more susceptible to the acute change in energy balance, a reduction in hs-CRP and IL-6 seems to be achieved by a reduction in FM when a new steady state has been established.

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Acknowledgements

We thank John Lind, Kirsten Bryde Rasmussen and Martin Kreutzer for their expert technical assistance and Ole Hels for his expert statistical assistance. The study was supported by a grant from Dansk Droge A/S, Ishøj, Denmark. No authors have any financial or personal interest in Dansk Droge A/S, Ishøj, Denmark.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    A Belza, S Toubro & A Astrup

  2. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Gentofte University Hospital, Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    S Stender

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  1. A Belza
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  2. S Toubro
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Correspondence to A Belza.

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Belza, A., Toubro, S., Stender, S. et al. Effect of diet-induced energy deficit and body fat reduction on high-sensitive CRP and other inflammatory markers in obese subjects. Int J Obes 33, 456–464 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.27

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